Ramon Dominguez, top jock of the recent Big A meet is good; Yet no better than a handful of less respected riders on the NYRA circuit. The difference is that when those riders win their mounts pay more than they should. Dominguez is so overbet that it is difficult to make a profit on his winners. As in most professions, a jockey's ability seems less important for success than his or her connections. The NY training poobahs have finally gotten wise to the extraordinary riding skills of jock Rajiv Maragh--so he's getting more mounts. They continue to ignore capable jocks like Eddie Castro, Victor Santiago, Victor Morales, Pablo Morales, and Anne Naprovinick. They are a longshot player's dream. I elevate the chances of any horse ridden by the previously mentioned riders. Castro, yesterday had two winners paying $51, and $18.
Perhaps the best evidence of a successful connection is the journey of jock Cornelio Velasquez. For months, he was quietly feeding my pocket with excellent rides at enormous prices. Then, trainer Bill Mott made him his go-to guy. The rest is history.
Ask former leading Suffolk jocks Winston Thompson and Orlando Bocachica about becoming small fish in a big pond. Did they really leave their skills in Boston?
