‘Ghost’ Bets Jockey, Not Horse

When he was a jockey working the major tracks in the South, his fans called him “The Ghost,” because he would sometimes come charging out of a pack of horses, suddenly appearing out of nowhere to challenge the winner.

Once he rode in a race that was almost obliterated by a fog and won. Some bettors thought he had hidden in the fog at the start of the stretch and had merely come out ahead of the other horses when he heard their hoofbeats and rode to victory. No one ever proved it, but the name stuck.

The Ghost never really made it big, but he had some meetings when he did well and saved some bucks. In the last few years, however, The Ghost has scrounged a living as a tout at the Western race tracks, particularly Hollywood Park, Santa Anita and Del Mar.

The Ghost had a secret passion for betting on jockeys.

“They win and lose in streaks” he would tell his closest friends. “It’s not the horse that does the winning, but the jock on its back that rides it to a win.”

The Ghost would look for a jock who didn’t win as often as the top ones. Instead of a pilot with a lot of firsts, he would go for the jockey who was winning less, but who was bringing in horses that paid the higher prices.

One of the best jockeys for straight bets and progressive wagering was Chris McCarron, who at Hollywood Park in 1989 was up on 312 horses. McCarron won 79 times, winning at a 25% clip. More important, however, was that anyone betting $2 on every horse that McCarron rode would have put out $624 and would have won back $624.20.

Some people look down their noses and sneer at a 20-cent profit. Others, of course, will take any profit any time, particularly over a season, considering that most bettors end up on the losing side year after year.

McCarron, riding at Santa Anita during the current 1989-90 meet, continued his winning ways. During the first 28 days, McCarron won 23% of his races. He was up on 136 horses and won 32 times. Bets amounted to $272 and returns hit $332.80, for a nifty $60.80 profit.

Not only did McCarron win at a consistent pace, but he also managed to bring in some ponies that paid pretty good prices. His best day for winning on long shots was Jan. 25, when he rode two winners, one paying a huge amount.

In the first race, a 6-furlong sprint for 3-year-old maidens, McCarron’s horse, Gray Lord, started out from the No. 10 post position and immediately gained the fifth spot. At the quarter-pole, Gray Lord made his move. The horse surged to the front by one-half length at the half-mile mark. In the stretch, Gray Lord moved out by a length and finished by the same margin.

Gray Lord, which went off in the wagering at $37.30 for $1, returned $76.60, giving McCarron backers an immediate profit of $74.60.

McCarron didn’t ride in the second race, but in the third, another 6-furlong sprint, this time for 4-year-olds and up, was on Put the Case. From the No. 1 post position, Put the Case stayed with the leaders and took over at the quarter-pole. At the finish, Put the Case crossed the finish line in front by three-quarters of a length and paid $7.60 to win. McCarron backers were ahead $80.20.

McCarron then rode five more mounts, losing on all. However, for the day, system players would have ended up winning $70.20.

Three days later on Jan. 28, McCarron had five mounts, winning on two. In the third race at a mile, 3-year-old fillies competed for a purse of $37,000. McCarron’s horse, Seaside Attraction, raced second until the stretch, took the lead, and won by 2 1/2 lengths. The horse paid $9.20 for a $2 bet.

The eighth race, 1 1/16 miles, saw McCarron on Criminal Type, which raced behind the leaders until the stretch. In the stretch, Criminal Type made its move, winning by one-half length. Backers were rewarded with a $17.20 payoff. For the five races, bets were $10 and returns amounted to $26.40. Profit for the day was $16.40.

Although McCarron was either second or the leading jockey during the first third of the Santa Anita meeting, he still managed to bring home some long shots. His horses included Stylish Stud, $19.40; Your Peace Line, $14.40; Ghetto Buster, $13.40; Dream of Fame, $18.60, and Light Ice, $13.80.

Not all jockeys show a profit, however, despite their leading record. Consider Gary Stevens, who is competing with McCarron for top jockey honors at Santa Anita. Stevens was on 197 mounts and won 31 times, for a 16% winning average. Bets on Stevens would have amounted to $394 and returns would have been only $350.40. Wagering on Stevens would have resulted in a $43.60 loss.

One thing in the bettor’s favor is that the leading jockeys get the improving or the top horses. Therefore, they win more consistently. However, this advantage is sometimes balanced by the fact that the top jockeys also get the big money play. The result, of course, is lower-priced winners.

The Ghost likes to beat the game through money management and a progression system. He bets enough so that he’s sure to come up with a profit. How much he bets is determined by the odds and by how much he is losing. After winning, of course, The Ghost drops back to his original wager and continues straight betting until he starts losing again.

The Ghost also is a firm believer in luck. For instance, in wagering on red, which is an even proposition on the roulette wheel, black once came up 32 straight times. In addition, he will point out, Ted Atkinson, one of the all-time great jockeys who one year led the nation in wins, still had a losing streak of 53 consecutive mounts!