The Daily Racing Blog, in an effort to make horse racing more understandable to the casual fan would like to dispel a couple of myths about our beloved sport.  We’ll address two myths today, that while not shocking, are interesting and helpful.

All Jockeys Are Short

Not so.  While many jockeys are about five feet tall, there is no restriction on how tall a jockey can be.  Only a jockeys weight is subject to restriction.  Ron Ardoin (retired in 2004) is one of the most successful riders of all time with 5,226 Wins, and he topped out at five feet, nine inches tall.  Mind you, it is harder for taller jockeys to make weight since the frame of their body is larger.

Favorites Are A Good Bet

DRB has been squelching this myth since our inception.  The post-time favorite is the horse who receives the most bets to Win.  It is the betting public who determine the favorite via their wagering.  Unfortunately, the betting public only gets it right one out of three times.  One of the most reliable stats in horse racing is that favorites win 33% of the time.  So if you bet only favorites you will lose two out of every three races in the long run.  That makes many favorites a bad bet.  Smart handicappers (and DRB) look for Value, not short priced favorites.

We hope you found these two little myth-busters interesting as well as educational.  DRB will continue to try and make horse racing fun and profitable for everyone, so be sure to stop back.