Derby Trail Forums - Rider Instructions

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Rider Instructions

Insiders, I am curious as to how this goes...I have only been privy to a set of instructions once, and it was from a trainer to a rider on a claimer at Pimlico..."ride him how you feel"...

I am specifically interested in what they tell the jocks on horses like Henny Hughes in a race like the Sprint or others who will soon have a new career in the breeding shed. Do they ever tell them not to take any chances, etc? Do some jocks have carte blanche to ride however they want, no matter the trainer? Just wondering. Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninetoone

Some trainers like to almost draw a diagram of how they think the race will run and where they want the jock to be, like they might say go to the front and dont like back , but sometimes the front is moving faster than the horse can run lol. I think trainers give instruction maybe the first few times a jock rides a horse but after that the jock should know how to ride them and the trainer shouldnt have to say much.
When I had the bug ( a million years ago ) I had a trainer tell me once that the vet had mistakingly gave the horse the wrong meds and there was no way I could let the horse win because it would test bad, I told him that it really wasnt my problem and that maybe he should just scratch, well the horse ran and the guy had nothing to worry about as my dead grandma could have went faster than that horse lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninetoone

It depends on the trainer. Some trainers won't give any instructions, especially if a top rider is riding and even more especially if the jock has ridden the horse before. If it's a jockey who has never ridden the horse before, sometimes the trainer will give the jockey information about the horse, like any peculiarities that the horse has and that type of thing. For example, they may tell the jock that the horse tends to wait on other horses so to try not to make the lead to soon and to stay after him even if he is clear late in the race.

Sometimes a trainer will tell a jock their opinion without giving outright instructions. For example, they may say "It looks like there is only one other speed horse in the race. Our horse is versatile. She can go tp the lead or take back. If the other horse doesn't want the lead, you can take it. If the other horse wants the lead, you can let her have it. Play it by ear."

I would say that it's less common for a trainer to tell the jockey exactly how to ride the horse but it does happen sometimes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixie Porter

The following trainers never give or gave instructions to a rider:

B. A. Jones
H. Jacobs
H. A. Jacobson
R. F. Frankel
A. W. King ( Buddy and I rarely ever had a word with them before and NEVER after a race)

Here's an interesting tidbit from the mouth of the Maestro. Trainer told him to break on top, ease back to 4h or 5th, take the lead at the 1/4 pole and ride on to win. The horse finished 9th and was never in the hunt. After the race the trainer grabbed Eddie and screamed at him as to why he didn't listen to his instructions. The Maestro's answer, "I would have done what you said but I didn't want to leave the horse behind".

McCreary once told Buddy that his horse just didn't want to go on and pass all those other horses in front of him. We watched the race together. McCreary was 5 in front untill the 1/8th pole.

When trainers want to "hold" a horse it is always said far away from the crowd in the paddock.

Jocks decisions to get together and "get a horse home" are made in the mornings and reconfirmed in the jocks room early in the day.

I heard that Frankel gives instructions to riders all the time and if the rider doesnt listen then he fires them quickly. Maybe i heard wrong.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixie Porter

There's a difference between giving instructions and yakking:D

A lot of Bobby's talk in the paddock is just "nerves". He's never outgrown that quirk.

In the BCC @ LS he couldn't breath in the paddock. Javier asked him if he was OK. I just grinned. Castellano has ice water in his veins. That's why I rate him so high.

Boss-

Have you and Bobby ever kissed?