Pick Pony Weekly Trainer & Jockey Spotlight — Week of November 2, 2026
Trainer Spotlight
The barn to beat this week belongs to Steven Asmussen, and it isn't particularly close. The Hall of Fame conditioner posted a jaw-dropping 28 wins from 113 starts over the past 14 days, good for a 24.8% win rate and 61 horses finishing in the money. When more than half your runners hit the board, you're doing something right — and Asmussen's volume operation is clearly clicking on all cylinders right now. If his name is on a program page this week, it deserves a serious look. Quietly flying under the radar but equally impressive on a rate basis is Allen Ray Landry, who leads all trainers in win percentage at 28.0% with 7 wins from just 25 starts and 15 ITM finishes. That kind of efficiency in a smaller operation signals a trainer who is placing horses shrewdly and has his stock peaking at the right time. Also worth noting is Ernesto Padilla-Preciado, who went 9-for-33 (27.3% win rate) with 18 ITM — a remarkable strike rate that makes every one of his entries a live contender regardless of price.
Jockey Spotlight
In the irons, the story of the fortnight is A. Bocachica, who posted an eye-popping 50.0% win rate — 10 wins from just 20 starts — with 18 horses hitting the board. That number demands attention, and bettors who ignored him over the past two weeks left serious money on the table. While the limited sample warrants a degree of caution, that kind of precision riding suggests a jockey who is picking his spots and delivering when it counts. E. Asmussen — yes, the trainer's son — was the volume leader in the colony with a 32.0% win rate, converting 16 of 50 mounts into wins with 32 ITM finishes. That's an elite strike rate at meaningful volume, making him arguably the most reliable riding option on the board heading into this week. Rounding out the spotlight is C.J. Benn, who went 10-for-32 (31.2% win rate) with 17 ITM — another rider operating at a remarkably high conversion level and one whose mounts should be respected even at modest odds.
This Week’s Watch List
Three combinations stand out as must-follow situations this week. First, any Asmussen/E. Asmussen stable entry is a near-automatic interest play — father and son combining at the top of both leaderboards simultaneously is not a coincidence, and their shared momentum makes these partnerships the single most bankable angle on the card. Second, keep a close eye on Landry/Bocachica should the two connect — a trainer running at 28.0% paired with a jockey winning half his races is the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle combo that can produce overlaid prices before the public catches on. Third, Padilla-Preciado with Zayas (25.6% win rate, 11 wins from 43 starts) represents a sharp-money angle worth tracking — two operators running well above average who, if they team up, could offer excellent value in maiden and claiming company. Stay locked into Pick Pony's daily card breakdowns all week as these hot hands look to keep rolling.