Finding Good Bets With Horse Racing Jockey Changes That Lead to Winners

By Bill Peterson

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Following a horse through its career is one way to cash winning tickets. Very few handicappers actually do this, but it is a solid way to make money betting on horses. Of course, you have to have some knowledge of training and horse racing to be successful. If you understand what a trainer is doing with a horse then you will understand that some races are for exercise and conditioning while other races are meant for a real serious effort to win.

The problem with that method of making money betting on horses is that you have to follow quite a few horses in order to make any real money. You may have to wait weeks between races and that can get tedious, especially if the horse is in races where it can't win.

That's why more handicappers follow trainers or jockeys. Most good jockeys race almost every day, making for a lot of action. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of a few good jockeys and then following them can lead to some very good bets. I like to check to see when a good rider is on a horse that he has won with in the past. That's a big advantage.

When a trainer claims a horse and his regular rider happens to be a jockey who has won with that one before, that can often signal a good ride and a finish in the money if not in the winners circle. Some of the leading suppliers of past performances now supply that information which shows whether the trainer has won with the horse and also whether the jockey has won with it in the past.

Most of the opportunities for good bets will come in the claiming races, if you decide to use this method of finding winners. Start by noting all the horses that have been claimed in their last few races. Then note who was riding it before it was claimed and whether the jockey who is on it today has won with it before. Note the same for the trainer.