Choosing winners by observing the body language of a jockey in the post-parade

While there is no substitute for a good handicap in horse racing, there are other ways to find good bets at the race track. The whole process of being a successful player or a winning horse player comes down to one thing: you have to be a good detective. A good detective, or a good handicap, must be observant.

Much has been written, in part by me, on observing horses before a race to gain valuable clues as to a horse’s preparation and fitness. Visual impairment, as it’s called, is a valuable tool, but it’s probably not a stand-alone method of impairment for most of us. The same goes for spying on jockeys before a race, most of the time.

Rider tips aren’t usually worth much, but I remember one time a rider inadvertently gave me a tip that paid off. He was looking at the horses in the paddock at Tampa Bay Downs and the riders were mounting their horses. As they did, I noticed a jockey give a quick two-fingered signal to someone standing by the rail. It all took just a second and I’m sure the crowd missed it, everyone but me, that is.

I followed the jockey’s friend to the grandstand and sure enough, he lined up and placed a bet. I also placed a bet on both of them (not the signal jockey’s horse, by the way) and cashed in a very good mutual ticket. It was a nice little adventure, but hardly the kind of thing you can do for a living.

However, if you watch jockeys, their body language can tell you how relaxed, confident, nervous, or uninterested they are. A jockey who thinks he has no chance of winning a race is usually not very excited before a race. That jockey you see dangling his legs, feet out of the stirrups as the horse lumbers flat-footed in the post-parade is not going to win the race.

However, if you check the odds board, you will see that some people are still betting on the horse. Those who bet on that horse are not visually impaired. On the other hand, if you see a jockey in the stirrups talking to the horse, the horse’s ears pricked up to listen to the rider, you can bet there’s communication there and he means well.

Next time you’re at a racetrack, keep a close eye on the jockeys in the post-parade and on the saddling track. Watch them stand up and talk to the trainer, watch how they ride the horse and what kind of communication they have with the runner. You might find some winners that you might have missed.