HOT JOCKEY

The field-relative guard means a 31% jockey in a race full of 33%-plus riders does not trigger HOT_JOCKEY. When it fires, this rider is demonstrably among the best available in today's race. Jockey skill matters most in tight finishes, in pace-scenario races where positioning decisions alter outcomes, and in first-time situations involving a new distance, surface, or track, where an experienced rider can compensate for a horse's unfamiliarity with the conditions.