Who to watch? Five jockeys we'll offer...

People like angles when to win races. There are plenty of them out there. I like certain jockeys for certain tracks. At Churchill, there are six jockeys running in the Spring Meet that I pay close attention to. I'll share them with you.

1) Rosie Napravnik.  She gets good horses to ride at Churchill and the major trainers know she'll give them an honest, all-out ride. "Rosie the Riveter"...as I jokingly refer to her as...rides a smart race and doesn't get a horse in trouble during positioning. She's a recent transplant from the tough New York circuit and she won three races on Tuesday. Respect the lady... 

2) Brian Hernandez, Jr. I've been sold on him in turf (grass) races for a long time now. He also does well on dirt. Brian has a knack of getting a maximum effort out of a horse...regardless of the odds...and he knows Churchill very well. BJH Jr. has made me some very nice $$$$ over the years and I pay close attention when I see him listed on a horse.

3) Corey Lanerie. He is excellent with 2 yr. olds and gets the call on a horse from a lot of very respected trainers. A blue collar type of guy that pays attention to what a trainer tells him and doesn't try to force a horse into difficult situations.

4) James Graham. For a few years, I really didn't care much for him. He was younger and tended to do some stupid stuff on horses. He's been a Chicago circuit top rider, though...and he's matured and done well on the Kentucky circuit. James is also a "speed jock" and can get a horse out of the gate and to the led quickly.

5) Calvin Borel. He's the Godfather of Churchill. Calvin "Bo-rail". He picks his spots, his trainers and the results are usually pretty good. A veteran jockey that understand Churchill's track very well and loves taking the rail and staying there. You won't see him in every race...but when you do, pay attention.

6) Shaun Bridgemohan. "Little midget bast***" is my nickname for him and it stems from a story years ago that a friend shared with me about him in New Orleans. Shaun gets good horses, too...and he knows how to save them for the stretch, He doesn't get caught up in speed duels and he's a great longshot jockey.

So, what do I do if all six are riding in the same race? That's another story for another time.

Good luck and wager responsible.

paulie