Pick Pony Weekly Trainer & Jockey Spotlight — Week of November 9, 2026
Trainer Spotlight
The barn to beat this week belongs to Jeff C. Runco and W. Robert Bailes, who are both running scorching hot at an identical 38.1% win rate — the highest mark among all active trainers over the past 14 days. Runco posted 8 wins from just 21 starts with 17 horses hitting the board, while Bailes matched that win total with an equally tight 21-start sample and 13 ITM finishes. When a trainer is converting better than one-in-three starts into victories, you pay attention — and with relatively modest book sizes, neither barn is spreading itself thin. Close behind them is Brad H. Cox, who leads all trainers with meaningful volume at 31.2% (15 wins, 24 ITM from 48 starts), a remarkable efficiency rate for someone running at that frequency. Cox's ITM-to-start ratio of exactly 50% tells you his horses are consistently competitive, not just occasionally brilliant. Allen Ray Landry (33.3%, 8 wins from 24 starts) and Victor Barboza Jr. (32.0%, 8 wins from 25 starts) round out the elite efficiency tier and deserve serious attention in spots where the morning line underestimates them.
Jockey Spotlight
In the irons, E. Asmussen has been absolutely dominant over the past two weeks, posting 17 wins from 51 starts for a blistering 33.3% win rate and 30 ITM finishes — the most wins of any jockey in the sample. That's not a fluke; that's a rider in a genuine groove, and bettors who keyed him in exotics over this stretch were well rewarded. Irad Ortiz Jr. is the other name you circle in bold, quietly going 10-for-31 with a 32.3% win rate while only hitting the board 12 times total — suggesting his mounts are either winning or fading, with little in-between. That win-or-nothing profile is catnip for straight win wagerers. F. Aebly (14 wins, 28 ITM, 28.6% from 49 starts) has been remarkably consistent with strong ITM production, making him an ideal pick for exacta and trifecta construction, while R. Cruz (12 wins, 29 ITM from 46 starts, 26.1%) is hitting the board in an impressive 63% of his races — a stat that screams live long shot whenever he's aboard a price horse.
This Week’s Watch List
Three combinations and individuals stand out as must-monitors heading into this week. First, any Brad Cox / E. Asmussen pairing should be circled immediately — Cox's 31.2% barn efficiency combined with Asmussen's 33.3% riding form creates a statistical overlap that is hard to fade at almost any price. Second, keep a sharp eye on Jeff Runco's entrants regardless of who's in the saddle; at 38.1%, his horses are simply winning at an extraordinary clip, and thin book sizes mean he's likely pointing his best horses with intention. Finally, Ortiz Jr. flying solo is a straight-win wager trigger this week — a 32.3% win rate from 31 starts is the kind of number that should influence your ticket structure every single time his name appears on the program, particularly in routes where his patient style typically shines.
