Do jockeys matter?

[MaTH716]

When you're capping how much is the jockey taken into consideration?

I definitely give it some conisderation.

Is the jockey not important at all or the single most underrated part of the big picture or does it depend on x,y and z?

For me it all depends on the scenario. But bottom line for me is, if I really like a horse who I think can win (especially at a price) I'll include him no matter who is riding. I think JMS said it to me once, you will miss some prices by automatically tossing lesser jockeys. That being said, for me sometimes it's very tough using somebody that is 1/43 in a meet and if it comes down to having to narrow down a ticket by a horse, that one will usually be the one.

What if said jockey is in a slump?

For me it all depends on who it is. If it's a guy I'm really not fond of to start with (Espinoza), I might be more inclined to toss. If it's a guy who I like and believe in (Lezcano in Saratoga), I'm probably using. But like I said it mostly depends on the horse.


Taking all these different scenerios into consideration what is your very vague answer?

Important? Somewhat? Not at all?
Sometimes.