Pick Pony Weekly Trainer & Jockey Spotlight — Week of May 4, 2026
Trainer Spotlight
The hottest name in the barn area over the past two weeks is Larry Rivelli, and it isn't particularly close. Rivelli has posted a jaw-dropping 50.0% win rate over his last 14 days, going 7-for-14 with 8 ITM finishes — meaning nearly every horse he sends to the gate is coming back with money. That kind of efficiency in a small-to-moderate book of business is the hallmark of a barn that has found its groove, and bettors should be circling his runners with serious intent this week. Right behind him are Jose Silva Jr. and Juan Munoz Cano, who have each matched Rivelli's raw win total of 7 while posting identical 33.3% win rates — Silva going 8-for-24 with 18 ITM finishes, and Cano an even more surgical 7-for-21 with 11 ITM. Add in Juan Arriagada, who leads all trainers in win percentage among higher-volume conditioners at 35.3% (6 wins from just 17 starts, 12 ITM), and you have a cluster of red-hot smaller stables that are clearly sending horses out ready to fire. For sheer volume, Jamie Ness (12 wins, 29 ITM, 62 starts) and Linda Rice (11 wins, 26 ITM, 54 starts) continue to dominate the leaderboard in raw wins, with Rice's 20.4% win rate edging out Ness and demonstrating she remains one of the most consistent win-percentage trainers in the game at high volume.
Jockey Spotlight
In the irons, S. Marin has been an absolute revelation, pacing all riders with 20 wins from just 63 starts — a scorching 31.7% win rate — while landing 45 ITM finishes. That combination of volume and efficiency is almost unheard of at this level, and any ticket featuring Marin's name deserves a serious look. The superstar duo of Flavien Prat and Irad Ortiz Jr. are right on his heels in the win column, each posting 19 victories over the fortnight. Prat edges out Ortiz by efficiency, going 19-for-72 (26.4%) with 42 ITM, while Ortiz has the superior ITM haul — a remarkable 51 in-the-money finishes from 86 starts (22.1%), suggesting he is seldom far from the winner's photo. Meanwhile, Giovani Franco deserves a special mention for producing the second-best win rate among all jockeys in the data set at 34.3% (12 wins, 26 ITM, 35 starts) — a rider clearly operating in peak form who may be flying slightly under the radar compared to the bigger names above him.
This Week’s Watch List
Three combinations stand out as must-follow plays heading into the new week. First, Larry Rivelli paired with any available jockey is the obvious top priority — a 50% win rate over 14 days simply cannot be ignored, and any horse breaking from that barn should be treated as a serious contender regardless of morning line odds. Second, keep a sharp eye on Juan Arriagada saddling horses under S. Marin — should the two overlap this week, you have the hottest small-volume trainer (35.3% win rate, 6/17) teaming with the leading jockey by win rate (31.7%, 20/63), a combination that could represent exceptional value. Finally, Jose Silva Jr. with Giovani Franco is an intriguing combo to watch; Silva's 33.3% win rate and Franco's 34.3% figure suggest two professionals running at their absolute ceiling right now, and any convergence of the two on the same entry warrants a serious wager. As always, let the data lead — and this week, the data is pointing loudly in some very specific directions.
