A few questions about jockeys…?
Keep in mind that I’m not asking these because I’m seriously looking into becoming a jockey, but because I need a bit of information for a little story writing 
1. Does a jockey absolutely -have- to have an agent to get jobs, or is it just beneficial?
2. Who typically choses the jockeys for mounts? The owner or the trainer?
2a. Does the owner typically tag along with the trainer at morning work outs?
3. Can an owner also be a trainer of their horse?
4. I know being a female jockey can be a bit rough; is the trading of sexual favors still for mounts still common or is it just leaning moreso on the sexism nowadays?
5. I know there are racing styles such as ‘closer’ ‘mudder’ ’stalker’ ‘front runner’. Are there any others?
5a. Is closer pronounced like… you’re ‘closing the door’ or ‘you’re too close to me’?
6. Why are fillies typically ran separately from colts? Or aren’t they?
I think that’s all the questions I have… If I have any more I’ll be sure to edit.
1. A jockey who rides at things like county fairs and race meetings at places like Rillito Park, where a big purse might be $3000 can probably get by without an agent. But a jockey who wants to make a full-time living riding races at a major racing circuit like New York or California or Florida absolutely does have to have an agent to make a living.
2. The trainer typically chooses the jockey, although there are some exceptions. Years and years ago, trainer Charlie Whittingham trained a very good racehorse from Chile, *Cougar II (or Cougar (CHI) as he’d be known now), for Mary Jones. Bill Shoemaker rode the horse with a lot of success, but in one of their races, Cougar lost and Mrs. Jones blamed Bill Shoemaker for the loss. Charlie Whittingham disagreed, but Mrs. Jones was a woman of strong opinions and she was the one who paid the bills. She told Whittingham she didn’t want Shoemaker riding the horse in his next race, the 1973 Hollywood Gold Cup. Whittingham had two other horses in the race for other owners; of the three, Kennedy Road was the least favored. Bill Shoemaker got the mount on Kennedy Road, and in one of the most stirring finishes to the Gold Cup, Shoemaker and Kennedy Road beat Cougar for the win. Mary Jones had been booed before the race, and Shoemaker was cheered so hard for the win that Mary Jones was in tears. She put Shoemaker back up on Cougar for his next race.
2a. Some owners go to workouts, most don’t want to get up that early. Some trainers actively discourage owners from tagging along because they don’t have time to deal with owners, and if every owner of every horse the trainer had in his barn showed up for ever workout, the trainer would have a hard time dealing with all of them. Most trainers will call or eMail an owner to tell him/her that a horse will be working out if asked to do so, and most will call or have an assistant call to tell the owner how the workout went if asked to do so. FWIW, there are some owners who don’t even show up for races, never mind workouts.
3. Yes. In the Kentucky Derby this year, General Quarters is owned by his trainer. All-time leading trainer Dale Baird, who trained more winners than any other trainer in history, owned most of the horses he trained. Charlie Whittingham owned a piece of his Derby winner Sunday Silence.
4. Most women jockeys are not harrassed the way they used to be.
5. A horse that is one-paced and does not quicken in the stretch is known as a "grinder," a horse that grinds out wins by just picking off tired horses. Derby winner Giacomo was a grinder.
5a. Clozer.
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6. Because it is unusual for a filly to be able to beat colts. So they write separate races for fillies in order to give them a chance to run where they can win. In the claiming ranks, a filly could be dropped to a level where she was competitive, but because of her residual value, which is higher than for a colt or gelding, she would be likely to get claimed. Great racemares like Zarkava, Dahlia, Urban Sea and Genuine Risk aside, it’s a rare filly or mare that can run against and beat the boys.
1. A jockey who rides at things like county fairs and race meetings at places like Rillito Park, where a big purse might be $3000 can probably get by without an agent. But a jockey who wants to make a full-time living riding races at a major racing circuit like New York or California or Florida absolutely does have to have an agent to make a living.
2. The trainer typically chooses the jockey, although there are some exceptions. Years and years ago, trainer Charlie Whittingham trained a very good racehorse from Chile, *Cougar II (or Cougar (CHI) as he’d be known now), for Mary Jones. Bill Shoemaker rode the horse with a lot of success, but in one of their races, Cougar lost and Mrs. Jones blamed Bill Shoemaker for the loss. Charlie Whittingham disagreed, but Mrs. Jones was a woman of strong opinions and she was the one who paid the bills. She told Whittingham she didn’t want Shoemaker riding the horse in his next race, the 1973 Hollywood Gold Cup. Whittingham had two other horses in the race for other owners; of the three, Kennedy Road was the least favored. Bill Shoemaker got the mount on Kennedy Road, and in one of the most stirring finishes to the Gold Cup, Shoemaker and Kennedy Road beat Cougar for the win. Mary Jones had been booed before the race, and Shoemaker was cheered so hard for the win that Mary Jones was in tears. She put Shoemaker back up on Cougar for his next race.
2a. Some owners go to workouts, most don’t want to get up that early. Some trainers actively discourage owners from tagging along because they don’t have time to deal with owners, and if every owner of every horse the trainer had in his barn showed up for ever workout, the trainer would have a hard time dealing with all of them. Most trainers will call or eMail an owner to tell him/her that a horse will be working out if asked to do so, and most will call or have an assistant call to tell the owner how the workout went if asked to do so. FWIW, there are some owners who don’t even show up for races, never mind workouts.
3. Yes. In the Kentucky Derby this year, General Quarters is owned by his trainer. All-time leading trainer Dale Baird, who trained more winners than any other trainer in history, owned most of the horses he trained. Charlie Whittingham owned a piece of his Derby winner Sunday Silence.
4. Most women jockeys are not harrassed the way they used to be.
5. A horse that is one-paced and does not quicken in the stretch is known as a "grinder," a horse that grinds out wins by just picking off tired horses. Derby winner Giacomo was a grinder.
5a. Clozer.
***********************************************
6. Because it is unusual for a filly to be able to beat colts. So they write separate races for fillies in order to give them a chance to run where they can win. In the claiming ranks, a filly could be dropped to a level where she was competitive, but because of her residual value, which is higher than for a colt or gelding, she would be likely to get claimed. Great racemares like Zarkava, Dahlia, Urban Sea and Genuine Risk aside, it’s a rare filly or mare that can run against and beat the boys.
References :
1) Beneficial.. The jock has an agent working for him/her while working out horses doing other stuff. It’s nice to have someone pushing your ability.
2) An owner hires a trainer to make those decisions (usually) which price race to enter ect.
2a) Whenever possible. I use to love going to the track in the mornings. But had to be elsewhere most of the time.
3) There are alot of trainers who own race horses.
4) Ya got me on this one…
5) I think it’s like closing the door. Or closing the deal.
6) Every race has guidelines to get in. 3yr olds. 4 yr olds and up fillies mares ect. The derby ( for example) is for 3 yr olds any sex.
References :
1. yes.
3. yes.
4. yes.
5. No.
5a. Too close.
6. Not always.
References :