How Does Driver Assignment Work ?

[Lockedin with Pace]

You sound like such a miserable person.

[AgentQ]

You sound like such a miserable person.

Quite the opposite, wake up every day and try to make it the best ever. Around my trainers, grooms, blacksmiths and even some vets I rarely am miserable or unappreciative. Just the catch-drivers and while a few are professional and go about their business in a professional manner, the majority have shown all the traits i despise and none that I value. Hope that helps.

[MTP1972]

I don't know where you race your horses but the top drivers at Meadowlands seem like good guys and are very accommodating...I have a friend who owns some T-Breds and he's much too involved in what his trainer does but he likes to be in control.

[dougie]

90% of the drivers are detrimental, in one form or another, to the sport both from an owners perspective as well as the gambler. As an owner, I find them to be unbearable to the point where i rarely even acknowledge their presence when traversing the paddock or at the local sales.

When I had four cheap claimers at Pompano Park, my trainer rarely got the top drivers like Joe Pavia Jr, Tom Harmer, Mickey McNicol to drive our 4/5 claimers. They were with the top trainers and rarely looked at our guy. So we used others 2nd tier drivers almost all the time.

[darnoldrocks]

 I thought a driver would be more loyal to a certain trainer if the trainer puts him up on good horse. You think Engblom is mad at Bartlett for not taking his horse in the 5th after coming in 1st in the first two race on Engblom's horses?

Loyalty is pretty non existent when it comes to drivers selecting horses.   Drivers pick the horse that gives them the best chance to win.  That has been my experience. 

[MTP1972]

Occasionally a driver who drives regularly for a trainer and is listed on several horses will stick with his trainer with a weaker horse as a courtesy drive out of loyalty but it doesn't happen often.

[dougie]

Occasionally a driver who drives regularly for a trainer and is listed on several horses will stick with his trainer with a weaker horse as a courtesy drive out of loyalty but it doesn't happen often.

Our four horses were so bad, they couldn't command any real loyalty. LOL! We did have a great groom. "Mickey" Metcalf, whose father was Yonkers/Roosevelt Raceway regular Mike Metcalf. LOL!

[MTP1972]

The problem with having bad horses , none of the top drivers want to drive them so you end up with second rate or bad drivers.

[dougie]

The problem with having bad horses , none of the top drivers want to drive them so you end up with second rate or bad drivers.

I agree!

[Ohracing]

Thanks. Sounds pretty clear. Do you know if the tracks use a website for the trainers to check on who the drivers selected if listed by numerous trainers or does the trainer have to keep calling the race office on the telephone?

https://racing.ustrotting.com/default.aspx. You can click on the day of the week and it list each track that has entries that day.  After (scratch time is what its called when changes are done) the entries will show the final drivers choices and the morning line odds.  You can also put in the name of a driver and it will show all the drives he has upcoming and the ones for the past few days that he has driven.