Well, we have begun a new year. With hope this one will be better than the last one. I always look forward to something better than before, something more interesting, more entertaining. I am hoping to see more horse racing and more horses developed in this great state of California. I happen to believe that this is the greatest state for horse breeding than any in America.
Many of our top horses are sold to other people in other countries at a price too large for the owners to pass up. I would sell a horse for two, three or four million dollars that I bought for a few thousand dollars as well.

For some new news in the horse-racing world—news that a few of you may already know—Gary Stevens has returned to riding again. (Stevens was a retired favorite jockey that I use to love to watch ride, and who was also in the HBO series Luck.) He looks great for a guy in his late forties who retired because of his health and bad knee problems. I wish him a lot of good luck.
Speaking of riding, I have often wondered:

What makes a good jockey? Does he talk to the horses? Is it tactical? Does he sit different from lesser jockeys? What is it? It has been said that a jockey may for- get a race that he rode in but he —or she? There are now a lot of great female jockeys that ride today and get their share of wins—never forgets the horse they rode. Therein lies one of the premises of one of my handicapping rules. I try to pick the horse who has a rider that knows him, or a jockey who is more successful with many horses.

An interesting note about jockeys when they are racing is that they don’t sit on the horse, rather they stand on the horse when racing. Their butts hardly touch the seat of the saddle until the race is over.

When I learned to ride (for fun) I realized that a horse could be trained to walk or run in different styles. It can be taught to canter, which is a very smooth way to ride without being bounced around on its back. There is also the trot, which is where you see the rider’s head bouncing up and down on every step. Then there is the gallop, or run. This is what the horse does when it races.

When I started trying to handicap the horse races, I had to find out which horse had the potential to be the strongest horse, the one with the most stamina. I found that this was very important when horses of different ages raced against each other. I found that 3-year-old horses were stronger than 2-year-olds and that 4-year-old horses were stronger than 3-year- olds, and that the 4-year- old horses have pretty much gained their full speed al- though not their full endurance to run their best at a longer distance. Once they reach their fifth year, they are pretty much ready for anything that they are bred for, and they are considered a full-grown horse.

Now here is a tip that may keep some of your money in your pocket when you bet. Once you get your program of the races, check the race that you are betting on to see if the horses in the race are of different ages. If so, you might consider betting on the horse of older age with a top jockey riding it.

Have a good time at the races this year. Be sure to bet with your head and not your heart—unless you just love that horse’s name!