Now more than ever, those that embrace this great game of horseracing must look for value to stretch that dollar in these shaky economic times.

Those that have luck and succeed in this game look for a sliver of life that nobody else knows about and that is were value jockeys come into play.

Sure, it's easy to pick up a program and immediately recognize the 4 or 5 top guys on any racing circuit, but horse bettors that live to tell the story know all about the riders that are just as good as the top guys but for some reason or another don't always get the coveted mounts.

The bottom line, of course, is the horse. You can't win the Super Bowl, the NBA championship or the World Series without the players. A runner makes the rider and the trainer and to be honest, there is very little that separates the highest echelon of the sport and the lower 20 on a major circuit.

The reality that sharp horse bettors know is that the top guys get horses in trouble too, but it is often overlooked and just chalked up to bad luck.

But if you take that same coveted mount and have a lesser rider aboard and the rider gets into trouble, you can bet your bottom dollar that the news will be all over the track that the kid can't ride.

This winter in New York, sharp bettors know all too well that they get a fair shake for their dollar from top pilot Ramon Dominguez, but because he is getting all the top mounts, his rides are usually over bet as his average winning price is under 5-2.

Chuck Lopez is a value guy. He is better know for success in New Jersey but he knows his way around the inner strip and his mounts averaged a solid 4-1 early in the meet.

The softer side in the name of Anna Napravnik has done well in the Big Apple cracking the top 5 in the standings as her average winner paid a more than acceptable 5-1.

The future is bright for current bug Sebastian Morales, as his winners have made backers smile to the tune of over $14.

One guy must be followed. He is now back in the sport after admitting to using a buzzer years ago and all Orlando Bocachica has done this meet at the Big A is win with about 10% of his starters with an average payoff of over 19-1.

In California, the colony is the strongest it's been in the last two decades. World-class riders in Rafael Bejarano and Garrett Gomez could lead the league there for years much like when Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr. dominated back in the day.

But those guys will not fill the pockets the way other riders will.

The pilots that pop at prices include Joe Talamo, who a couple of years ago was compared by Bobby Frankel to Pat Day, has been pushing the leaders all meet and his mounts have paid an average of over $16.

Martin Garcia was working as a bus boy in Northern California before he got discovered and he has worked hard to gain the confidence of trainers like Vladimir Cerin.

He's cracked the top ten in the standings and better yet, his mounts have paid an average of nearly $24.

The prettiest one of the jockey standings is Chantel Sutherland, who will likely head to Canada after the meeting. Her winners have averaged a juicy 7-1.

Clever horse bettors have to try to go for the price and not settle for the flavor of the day.