Horse Betting World

Finding a Winning Combination

By Joey Adams

Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez. Steve Asmussen and Shaun Bridgmohan. These names go hand-in-hand, and are all too familiar for horseplayers. They represent extremely successful trainer/jockey combinations. But do they always mean winners? Of course not.

What they do generally represent are low odds. Any serious horseplayer realizes that when trainers such as Pletcher or Asmussen have a “live” runner, you will generally see their top rider in the saddle. But these trainers also grab their fair share of winners with other riders – usually at better prices.

These big names are easy to recognize. Yet every racetrack has its own successful trainer/jockey combinations. Below are the most successful trainer/jockey combinations at three racetracks that I currently follow on a daily basis. Seeing a trainer call for his “go-to” rider is often a signal to head towards the betting windows. Seeing a trainer call for someone else is often a sign to keep looking – especially if the odds on that particular runner are low.

The information below was accumulated through January 17, 2011. The number in parentheses before the trainer indicates the number of wins that trainer has at the current meet. The number in parentheses following the jockey indicates the number of wins they have for each trainer.

TURFWAY PARK

(15) … Maker, Mike … Jozbin Santana (8), Michael Baze (4), Marcelino Pedroza (2)
(11) … Connelly, William … John McKee (11)
(8) … Drury, Thomas … James Lopez (8)
(7) … Holt, Larry … Ben Creed (5)
(6) … Helmbrecht, William … Tommy Pompell (6)
(6) … Mogge, Wayne … Rodney Prescott (6)
(6) … Reed, Eric … Ben Creed (5)
(5) … Hammond, Kim … Ben Creed (4)
(5) … Waltz, Brian … Rodney Prescott (3), Mathieu Adam (2)
(4) … Cain, Joe … Marcelino Pedroza (3)
(4) … Pate, David … Amanda Tamburello (3)
(4) … Sims, Phil … Ben Creed (3)
(3) … Baez, Sergio … Rodney Prescott (3)
(3) … Demeritte, Larry … Marcelino Pedroza (3)
(3) … Martinez, Ralph … Rodney Prescott (3)

GULFSTREAM PARK

(6) … Pletcher, Todd … John Velazquez (5)
(6) … Ward, Wesley … Joel Rosario (2), Jeffrey Sanchez (2), Elvis Trujillo (2)
(4) … Fawkes, David … Eibar Coa (3)
(4) … Iadisemia, Giuseppe … Orlando Bocachica (3)
(4) … Zito, Nick … Julien Leparoux (2)
(3) … Breen, Kelly … Joe Bravo (2)
(3) … Canani, Nick … Paco Lopez (3)
(3) … McPeek, Ken … Julien Leparoux (2)

TAMPA BAY DOWNS

(16) … Ness, Jamie … Leandro Goncalves (9), Huber Villa-Gomez (5), Daniel Centeno (2)
(7) … Allen, Ronnie Sr … Ronnie Allen Jr (6)
(7) … Cibelli, Jane … Ronnie Allen Jr (3), Daniel Centeno (2), Leandro Goncalves (2)
(6) … Bennett, Dale … Luis Garcia (3)
(6) … Bennett, Gerald … Ronnie Allen Jr (3)
(6) … Clement, Christophe … Freddy Lenclud (4), Rosemary Homeister (2)
(6) … O’Connell, Kathleen … Wilmer Galviz (4), Daniel Centeno (2)
(5) … Feliciano, Miguel … Ricardo Feliciano (5)
(5) … Mott, Bill … Daniel Centeno (2), Luis Garcia (2)
(4) … Delacour, Leigh … Daniel Centeno (2), Luis Garcia (2)
(4) … Navarro, Jorge … Wilmer Galviz (2)
(4) … Proctor, Tom … Rosemary Homeister (2), Freddy Lenclud (2)
(4) … Reed, Eric … Rosemary Homeister (3)
(3) … Criollo, Manuel … Huber Villa-Gomez (2)
(3) … Girten-Drake, Shirley … Daniel Centeno (2)
(3) … Matties, Greg … Taylor Hole (3)
(3) … McBride, Barbara … Daniel Centeno (2)
(3) … Potts, Ron … Rosemary Homeister (2)
(3) … Stewart, Chad … Daniel Centeno (2)
(3) … Ubide, Max … Mike Allen (2)
(3) … Vance, David … Freddy Lenclud (2)