The Coaches

Here are three of the top trainers of our time, Nick Zito, D. Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert. Trainers are the equivalent to coaches in other sports. They train the horse to react to different situations in a race as well as teaching the horse to pace itself throughout the race and when to kick it into high gear for the finish. Each horse has it’s own personality in which the trainers learn.

Trainers relay that information to the jockey to let them know how to get the maximum effort from the horse. Trainers must also deal with the owners who just might think they know more than the trainers. That is common in every sport. The most effective relationship is where the owner hires the best trainer and allows them to do what they know best. The trainer then hires the jockey and coaches them on getting the most out of the racehorse. And, finally, the jockey takes the information and with his professionalism does the best he can out of respect of the owner, the trainer and the horse. It’s a winning combination that makes for a winning performance.