Pick Pony Weekly Trainer & Jockey Spotlight — Week of May 4, 2026
Trainer Spotlight
If you're handicapping this week and not paying attention to Larry Rivelli, you're leaving money on the table. Rivelli posted a scorching 43.8% win rate over the last 14 days — the highest among any trainer in this dataset — going 7 wins from just 16 starts with 8 ITM finishes. That kind of efficiency in a small but meaningful sample size is the hallmark of a barn that is firing on all cylinders right now. Nearly as impressive is Juan Arriagada, who converted at a 35.3% clip (6 wins from 17 starts, 12 ITM), and Jose Silva Jr., who matched Juan Munoz Cano's 33.3% win rate with 8 wins from 24 starts and 18 ITM efforts. Silva Jr.'s combination of volume and percentage is particularly notable — he's not just winning because he's running a handful of horses; he's winning at scale. Cano's 7-for-21 record (11 ITM) reinforces a similar story of precision. For players who like backing stable confidence, Rivelli, Arriagada, and Silva Jr. form a formidable trio to target wherever their horses appear on the card.
Jockey Spotlight
The leading rider by raw wins over the past two weeks is S. Marin, who racked up an eye-catching 20 victories from just 63 starts, good for a 31.7% win rate and 45 ITM finishes — an ITM percentage north of 71%. Those are elite numbers by any measure, and Marin's efficiency suggests a jockey who is not only getting live mounts but converting them at an exceptional clip. Hot on his heels are two perennial powerhouses: Flavien Prat (19 wins, 42 ITM, 72 starts, 26.4%) and Irad Ortiz Jr. (19 wins, 51 ITM, 86 starts, 22.1%). While Ortiz Jr.'s win percentage trails Prat's, his 51 ITM finishes from 86 starts — nearly a 59% in-the-money rate — underscores just how consistently he puts horses in contention. Also worth flagging is G. Franco, who posted a 34.3% win rate (12 wins from just 35 starts, 26 ITM), the second-highest percentage among all listed riders. Franco's light book makes each mount look more deliberate, and that selectivity appears to be paying dividends.
This Week’s Watch List
Three combinations and individuals stand out as must-follow angles heading into this week's cards. First, any Rivelli-trained horse carrying S. Marin in the irons should command serious attention — you're combining the hottest trainer by win percentage with the hottest jockey by wins and strike rate, and that kind of barn-and-saddle synergy is exactly what Pick Pony was built to surface. Second, keep a close eye on Jose Silva Jr. across the board; at 33.3% over 24 starts, his runners aren't flukes, and any competitive price on a Silva Jr. entrant deserves a second look at the form. Third, G. Franco is a standalone watch — 34.3% winners from a selective 35-start book is the profile of a jockey taking only the right rides, which means when Franco shows up on your program, the connections already like their chances. Stack Franco with any of the efficiency trainers (Arriagada, Cano, or O'Connell at 25.0%) and you may have uncovered the week's sharpest overlay before the gates open.
