Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance

New Years Resolution: Learn About Internal Conformation

2012-01-11T20:46:00Z

By Bill Pressey , of Thoroedge Equine Performance

‘Conformation is the blending of the various body parts, and how well they fit together visually and physically to create a running machine.’ - http://www.horsehats.com/Conformation.html

As the image above indicates; conformation can be further defined by various subjective opinions of the head, neck, shoulder, hip, legs, feet, walk, etc. More modern work has focused on equine biomechanics – or objective measures of many of these same factors. Gait analysis of 2yo in training quantifies this further by putting the horse in motion.

Horsemen hone these observational skills concerning what makes a runner over decades watching horses race, exercise, stand in their stalls, and parade around various auction rings worldwide.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE INSIDE?

One of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2012 is to educate the thoroughbred world about the importance of internal conformation – how the equine lungs, heart, spleen, blood chemistry, enzymes, muscles, capillaries, mitochondria, etc. act in unison to define ‘class’ and athletic performance. You can’t see this stuff, and it doesn’t mean anything while a horse merely stands or walks – but put ‘em at a gallop and the resulting numbers tell much of the story.

I could stop here and go into detail about each of the aspects of internal conformation, but that misses the entire point – it’s not the heart, or lungs, or biomechanics, per se that define athleticism – it is the inter-related function of ALL systems during exercise that provides the most valuable insights.
We are no longer predicting potential based on pedigree or external opinions, we are measuring actual performance objectively through data analysis of workload vs intensity of metabolic effort. Just as any horseman can tell you the potential equine version of Michael Jordan from observing the chassis, when you look under the hood during exercise – one can gauge just how accurate that assessment is.

EXTERNAL VS INTERNAL HORSEMANSHIP

In writing this blog about conditioning, I am routinely told ‘all horses are treated as individuals’ when it comes to training, and I have no doubt this is partially true. Trainers observe their charges each morning, feel legs for heat, check out the feed tub, and decide whether or not a particular horse will walk, jog, gallop, or breeze on any given day. That is traditional horsemanship, it is external in nature and highly subjective – no numbers are present, only judgments.

Internal horsemanship accomplishes much of the same, but with one major difference: once the decision is made as to the type of exercise to undertake, internal horsemanship tells you precisely how far and how fast to go. If the last breeze was 4F in :51 and the 2min heart rate recovery was 115bpm – this time you can go either further or faster. Similarly, if the last gallop was a mile in 2:30 and the blood lactate level was 2.7 – this time you can go in 2:20 to the mile, or stretch out the 2:30 pace by an extra half mile and be assured you are giving him exactly what he needs to get better, and no more.

Remember, humans have opinions – but horses have the facts, and HALF of those facts are on the inside – a valuable source of feedback that can be objectively turned into a set of numbers to guide you towards optimal conditioning – maximizing fitness while minimizing injury.

Finally, please consider:

Horses with crooked legs can win races, so can horses with other conformational defects – hell one of my all-time favorites, Assault, was known as the ‘club-footed comet’, showing us that even the old saying ‘no foot, no horse’ isn’t always true as he galloped his way into the Triple Crown record books.

But, no horse with a maximal heart rate of 197bpm can ever win a race, nor can a horse who travels just 7 feet every time his heart beats during a gallop. Likewise, if you are a 22yo human standing 6’2 at 180lbs you may look like an athlete, but if your vertical jump is measured at just 17 inches – you are not going to be able to dunk a basketball.

Horses don’t have to catch, throw, or shoot any ball – they just have to run.

As much as the greats in our sport have been romanticized over the years, it’s not magic folks – these standouts have superior internal conformation that allows them to accomplish great workloads with lesser effort (a large heart is only one aspect) – and these characteristics are largely invisible to even the best horseman.

Now you have two horses with identical physiological underpinnings hook up in the stretch eyeball to eyeball, and one outfights the other, that is magic and well worthy of our respect and awe. Some things are indeed, indefinable – but that is the vast minority of cases.

http://thoroedge.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/new-years-resolution-learn-about-internal-conformation/

Hansen Portrays the Art of a Thoroughbred

2011-11-18T22:55:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth, of The Saturday Post

American Runner Steve Roland Prefontaine once likened his running to a creative art form in saying, “Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, ‘I’ve never seen anything run like that before.’ It’s more than just a race, it’s a style. …It’s being creative.” Surely, winning is the goal in the running of a race. But, in some rare moments, the runner itself is a work of art.

When I think of a runner as an art form, Hansen paints a stunning visual portrait from any vantage point. At 5 1/2 furlongs, the whitish blur can turn his oval canvas into a majestic 12 1/4 length victory in his maiden debut. And, at a mile and sixteenth, Hansen can appear absolutely ethereal while claiming a 13 1/4 length win in the Bluegrass Cat Kentucky Cup at Turfway Park. Yet, perhaps he was in his finest glory clearing a near wire-to-wire victory in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. It was more than just a race, it was his style: Hansen is simply beautiful when he runs a race.

“He’s a once in a lifetime horse,” said Dr. Kendall Hansen, who owns the undefeated two-year-old colt in a partnership with SkiChai Racing. And, as for his unique front-running style, Trainer Mike Maker has stated, “We don’t try to change him much, because if we do try, he gets mad and wants to fight. So we let him do his thing, make him believe he’s the boss.” However, if running is an art form, Hansen’s defiance may be a part of his creative genius.

There is something about watching Hansen run that captures some beautiful aspects of Thoroughbred racing.

Perhaps, a dimension of Hansen’s beauty is the reminder that money alone can’t buy a “once-in-a-lifetime” horse. They simply appear in places where that unwavering hope exists. And, where Hansen first “appeared” was when a $5,000 claiming horse named Stormy Sunday gave birth to a Tapit foal bred by Dr. Hansen himself. The colt never set foot in an auction ring in an attempt to garner millions of dollars in bids. There was simply a near-white colt, born to a seemingly common mare, that appeared one day in a place that could have been any foaling barn.

Yes, there is a beauty to that priceless aspect of Thoroughbred racing.

And, then there is a beauty that Hansen possesses when he is running his race, the way he sees fit. The sight of the near-white colt, racing in front, as if he is simply not subject to the will of anything but his own, is a visually stunning display of the unbridled spirit of a Thoroughbred. Sure, if running is a form of art, any attempt to change his style is a call to battle. An artist, in creating something beautiful, follows their vision. And, the vision that Hansen portrays is the raw beauty of a Thoroughbred in flight.

Yes, there is a beauty to that unbridled aspect of Thoroughbred racing.

And finally, there is an art in how Hansen conquers the critics who search for the limitations in his ability. After his maiden victory at 5 ½ furlongs, observers wondered if he would be able to produce such a flashy, front-running win at the longer distance of 1 1/16 miles in the Kentucky Gold Cup. And, when he answered his critics in a 13 ¼ length victory at that distance, the stakes simply grew higher. Hansen faced the issue of class – Could he win at that same distance against tougher contenders in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile? And, in a near wire-to-wire victory, the colt provided a beautiful answer to his critics last Saturday. Standing with the winning garland in the winner’s circle, Hansen had just delivered another masterpiece.

Yes, there is a beauty to the unknown aspect of Thoroughbred racing.

It appears that Hansen may be creating something beautiful when he runs, just as Prefontaine envisioned in his depiction as a runner as an artist. And, in his artistry, Hansen may be doing something beautiful for racing. He displays something that couldn’t be bought in a ring, bridled in spirit or conquered through critique.

Hansen, racing alone, embodies the art of being a Thoroughbred.

The Value of Goodness

2011-10-31T17:00:00Z

The Value of Goodness: Advocacy for Racehorse Retirement Precedes the Road to the Breeders Cup for Weemissfrankie.

by Jennifer Wirth
http//www.thesaturdaypost.org/blog/

Nearly two years ago, I was talking with the retired Farm Manager of Claiborne Farm, the late John Sosby, about what it takes to find a winning horse. He gave a broad smile and said, "Give me luck and I'll beat you every time."

As he stood at Claiborne Farm, the site where he had cared for many great Thoroughbreds at various stages in their lives, it seemed that having good luck was an undisputable factor that led to success with racehorses. However, as I considered the late Mr. Sosby himself, it was apparent that he didn't rest on his laurels and wait for luck to emerge in the fields. He did something to bring its elusive character his way: He did good.

The late Mr. Sosby was good to whomever possible, wherever possible, and when it came to the horses in his care, his goodness was what he gave them. Yes, luck was a figure that followed the late Mr. Sosby. Yet, it seemed luck was romanced by his own goodness to the horses in his care.

Quite possibly, goodness is the breeding ground for luck in racing.

If a tribute to that principle exists, it may lie in the undefeated two-year-old filly, Weemissfrankie, whose ownership connections include Dawn Mellen of Bran Jam Stables, who is also the founder of After The Finish Line (ATFL), a non-profit dedicated to funding Thoroughbred rescue, retraining and retirement for ex-racehorses who can no longer race or breed.

Mellen began volunteering at Thoroughbred rescues in the mid-1990s, where she realized that a major obstacle to helping retired Thoroughbreds was funding. In response, Mellen founded ATFL in 2007. ATFL provides monthly emergency funds and yearly grants to Thoroughbred rescues to fund retraining, rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

ATFL funding is used for various purposes, including saving horses at auctions, paying for medical expenses, providing hay and feed, paying boarding expenses and transporting a Thoroughbred to safety. Through providing the monetary means, ATFL helps assist in transitioning ex-racehorses into second careers.

As a result of funding from ATFL, ex-racehorses have been retrained for dressage, trail riding or as hunter/ jumpers. If the horse can no longer be ridden, they are retrained to provide equine therapy or serve as companion animals. Through creating a funding organization for these efforts, Mellen has managed to show that every Thoroughbred has a value, even if it cannot race or breed.

In the past few years, doing good has been the sole reward for Mellen's efforts to assist ex-racehorses in their retirement. ATFL board members receive no salary. All funding directly benefits ex-racehorses in need of monetary assistance.

Then, along comes Weemissfrankie - a filly that has quite a gift for "goodness" on the race track. In three starts, the talented filly has captured two Grade I wins, the Del Mar Debutante and the Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita, for her ownership team. Currently, Weemissfrankie is heading to the Breeder's Cup to compete in the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade I) on November 4th at Churchill Downs.

It appears that goodness may truly be the breeding ground for luck in racing.

Win or lose, it should be a good race. With a little luck, Weemissfrankie will prevail, not just in this race, but in the race to raise awareness for the ex-racehorses who are in need of assistance at the close their career. And, with a little goodness, retired racehorses will receive more of the public support that they deserve at the end of their racing days.

For Mellen, it seems that her kindness toward ex-racehorses has brought her the luck that the late Mr. Sosby spoke about - The unbeaten kind. Yet, when I look at where luck appears, it often follows the good people who value a Thoroughbred at every point in their career. And, as far as being good to a horse in need, nothing can beat that endeavor at the finish line.

After The Finish Line is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in which donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Visit the ATFL website at www.afterthefinishline.org or call 858.945.1371 to learn more or make a donation. You can also visit ATFL on Facebook by clicking this link. [https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/After-the-Finish-Line/113665201978354]

Racetrack Closures Serve as a Monumental Loss to the Sport

2011-09-23T19:29:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth-Ice, of The Saturday Post

Bernard Fontenelle once said, "It takes time to ruin a world, but time is all it takes."

Perhaps, the time of ruin arrives when a single generation forgets why certain places are important. Or possibly, the importance of the events that occurred on that ground fail to excite a culture with changing values. It may take time to ruin a world, but if time is all it takes, the way we spend our time has an ever-increasing value toward determining what the future beholds.

In the case of racetrack closures, I wish I had spent time at those lost tracks prior to the final "Call to the Post." And, in our tracks that continue to exist today, I do. Because, if it takes time to ruin a world, there is time to prevent the fall of it in the first place.

The question lies in how we can contribute to racing while we spend our time enjoying the sport. I imagine the last day at Bay Meadows race track in California, where, prior to its closure, it was the longest continually-operating track in the state. It was on this ground that Seabiscuit fought to become the two-time winner of the Bay Meadows Handicap, John Henry finished second in the same race years later, and Triple Crown Winner Citation graced the now-demolished oval near the end of his illustrious career.

In 2008, Bay Meadows was shut down after being purchased by a real estate development company. Prior the final race, “The Last Dance Stakes,” the track bugler played “Auld Lang Syne.” The crowd gave a standing ovation to the final string of horses to race that day, while the athletes broke from their post-parade to face the audience. While facing the crowd, the jockeys gave a salute to the witnesses who showed up to watch the last race ever to be run on that track. And, moments after that final salute, Bay Meadows closed for good.

When I view the six and seven figure prices paid for a single horse in a sales ring, I wonder why no one had ever thought to set up a foundation to provide funding to help save the tracks that require emergency funding, to promote the sport in general and to help fund Thoroughbred retraining and retirement.

As an owner, I would happily pay a surcharge on a sale price to ensure that the tracks can keep racing horses in the future. Further, I would pay a nominal fee when registering a foal to help provide the necessary funding to prevent such closures. And finally, I would happily give a percentage of my winning purse share toward a foundation that funds the promotion of Thoroughbred racing and retirement. Because, in the final equation, it does not serve myself, nor the industry, any good to have a racehorse without a racetrack to race upon. In the same time that leads to the closure of a track, there is time to prevent the collapse of it if funding is provided and used to promote the future of racing.

If such a foundation had existed to save Bay Meadows, the site of Seabiscuit's two-time victory in the then-longest running race in California may not be slated to become a shopping area today. It would be a racetrack where wonder existed as to when the next Citation, Seabiscuit, or John Henry may set foot that ground.

And, if such a foundation had existed in Illinois, Washington Park would have been rebuilt in Homewood after it was destroyed by a fire in 1977. I would have enjoyed racing a horse in the same place where Triple Crown Winners Whirlaway and Citation competed on that ground. I would have felt humbled to stand where Native Dancer left that track victorious before later retiring with a record of 21 wins in 22 lifetime starts. I wish I could have watched my horses race on the same oval where Nashua and Swaps held a $100,000 match race and Jockey Eddie Arcaro became the two-time winner of the American Derby. Yet, Washington Park was sold for commercial and residential development in 1992. And, with that sale, the living monument to those moments disappeared in a dismal demolition.

If I were born a few decades earlier, I would have gone to the Wood Memorial when it was held at the former Jamaica Racetrack prior to its' demolition in 1960. Jamaica Racetrack was where Omaha won the Wood on his road to becoming a Triple Crown Winner. Native Dancer made his debut at Jamaica. Even Seabiscuit raced there. And, before Bold Ruler retired to stud and gave the racing world Secretariat, he ended his career of 23 wins in 33 starts with his last race at the Jamaica Racetrack. Yet, I'll never visit that park because the Rochdale Village Housing Development occupies the site now. The greatness that took flight on that soil has long been forgotten in exchange for one more residential area.

And finally, I wish I was at the former Sportsmans Park in Illinois in 2002 to watch War Emblem capture a victory in the Illinois Derby and stamp his ticket to Churchill Downs to race in the Kentucky Derby. But, it appears that Fontenelle's proposition, "It takes time to ruin a world, but time is all it takes," proved true for Sportsman's far too soon. By the time War Emblem set foot in the gates to win the Kentucky Derby at odds of 20-1, Sportsman's had already closed for good. Whatever may have been celebrated from War Emblem's road to the roses the following year was ultimately replaced with plans to develop a shopping center on that site.

And now, Hollywood Park is facing closure with the same swan song from developers that, in time, it will become a commercial and residential development. And sadly, it seems that time may be all it takes to demolish it.

The Coolest Racing App You'll Never Have

2011-07-15T21:42:00Z

by Kate Hunter, http://www.keiblog.net/

It is no secret that horse racing isn’t the most tech-savvy sport, and it is no secret the industry has a big problem connecting with youth. The best way to attract more young fans would be to improve the way racing uses new technology, especially mobile devices.

Sure, I have the Derby App, Preakness App, and Breeders Cup App, and yes, they are pretty nice, but I have seen the future! I have been fortunate enough to have experienced a racing app so amazing, so fulfilling, that you will turn green with envy.

This app is called JRA-VAN, a racing app launched by the Japanese Racing Association (JRA) earlier this year. It not only gives me everything I need, but also includes everything I could possibly ever want… AND they found a way to make me want to pay for it.

At its most basic level, this app is simply an Iphone/Ipad-based racing form. Each week they issue the entries and limited PPs for the races for all of the JRA tracks open at the time. Touch on the track/day you want, and it goes to a list of all 12 races. You can touch on each race to see the entries, their last 5 races, and the basic PP information like trainer, jockey, owner, weight, running style, race record, etc. You can then click on a horses name and view a profile, which includes connection names, picture of the owners silks, complete racing and training history (with video of both races and workouts), as well as a three-generation pedigree. If that isn’t enough, you can also choose to ‘like’ horses. So the next time a horse you ‘like’ is in a race, that race will be shown as red, alerting you a horse you have ‘liked’ is running. Jockeys and trainers also have profiles that you can ‘like’ as well so you can find out their starters or mounts for the week and their stats. These don’t change the color of a race, but they are easy to find in the “liked” section of the app.

When you are handicapping a race using the app, you can ‘mark’ horses on the card that you are considering with a drop down list of symbols. This rating system can come in handy as you navigate through the race. When the results are official after each race, the order of finish, pay outs, plus video replay are all promptly available on the app. When the race weekend is over, the app will post the nominations for the major races of the following week. The nominations are then updated and replaced with the post positions when they are drawn at the end the week. G1 race nominations are sometimes posted even earlier. The app also has a feature allowing you to bet using it. Just set up a internet betting account on another site, and plug in your account information.

One of my favorite things about the app is how much information the JRA built into it. You want to look up your favorite broodmare and ‘like’ all of her foals? You can do that. You have a favorite stallion and want to look at his list of registered 2 year olds? You can do that. You want to look up owners, breeders, or trainers to see their horses? You can do that too. The app also has about 16 years of history built into it. I can easily find the results to the 2nd maiden race at Sapporo Racecourse on the last Sunday in August in 1995 with a simple search, and I can even watch videos of all graded stakes races from 2007 and every race (regardless of class) from 2010 on.

So how much does all this cost? Roughly $7 for a month. The history, the searches, and the ‘liking’ of people and horses are all free, but to access the current week’s entries you need to pay for it. Many people in Japan have actually said they are not interested in the app because they have to pay for it; in Japan, you can find pretty much all of the same information for free on the internet, including the JRA website or their paper based racing form. I have found my past few months using the JRA-VAN app the best of my two years following Japanese racing because now I never miss a horse I like because I forgot to check a website or buy a newspaper. It is all in my phone! I know who is nominated for next week’s G1, and I can watch their weekly workouts ALL from my phone! It fits in my pocket, and I can look at it anytime I want to without anyone knowing what I am up to. A racing form in Japan, with 1 day’s worth of cards, costs about $5, and you have to buy about 8 of those a month -- making that $7/month even more appealing! There is something special about writing on a racing form, but having it on my iPhone is awfully handy and financially reasonable. It leaves me with more money to wager!

Fans don’t just need apps for big races, they need comprehensive and interactive apps that meet all the requirements for BOTH fans and handicappers alike. I can’t wait to see how this app evolves over the coming months because even now, as a 6 month old app, it is the most amazing thing I have ever gotten to use on my iPhone. Even better than Angry Birds! And it is precisely the sort of thing that US racing needs. Are you green yet?

The Priceless "Pryce."

2011-07-08T20:36:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth, of The Saturday Post

There is something about a two-year-old racehorse that draws optimism from seasoned owners in a sport with dizzying odds of finding success at the highest tiers of the racing world.

Yet, the very nature of odds is that they judge what is probable rather than what is possible in the world.

Pryce Robertson, the namesake to a two-year-old colt named "Pryce's Posse," has proven what is possible through working toward raising autism awareness after being diagnosed with autism at an early age.

And now, Pryce has a winning two-year-old colt to bolster his cause.

His father, Rich Robertson, Managing Partner of TriStar Racing LLC, explained that Pryce was initially diagnosed with autism when he was 3 1/2 years old. "We were told that he would never speak a word and that we would probably have to institutionalize him by the time he turned thirteen. It was pretty dismal."

However, Robertson and his wife, Vickie, didn't accept the odds against their autistic son succeeding as an individual in the world. Instead, they focused on the possibilities for Pryce's future.

Robertson explained, "We just don't quit. My wife and I don't have the word 'quit' in our vocabulary. When we received the initial diagnosis, I told the doctor, 'I accept your diagnosis, but I will not accept your prognosis.'"

In the years that followed, the Robertsons focused on autism education and awareness. Vickie Robertson put together an educational program in their home for Pryce. There were volunteers around the clock as Pryce was schooled eight-hours a day, seven days a week. The family also created "The Pryce Robertson Autism Awareness Foundation" in an effort to help fund autism awareness and education.

The Robertsons also began participating in the racing industry in 1995. Robertson explained, "Pryce is a special individual and he has always loved the horses. They were a big part of him coming out into the world, being in a crowd and watching the horses. I owe a lot to the horse business and being in the horse industry." As part of his gratitude, a portion of the winnings from every TriStar horse is donated to the Pryce Robertson Autism Awareness Foundation.

This past April, the Robertson family's involvement in racing resulted in a beautiful twist of fate to help promote autism awareness.

Robertson saw a Posse colt enter the sales ring in Texas. The colt failed to meet the reserve price at the sale. Robertson, along with his partner and friend, Alan Dean, believed that the colt was worth a second look and went to the consignor to view the colt. He ultimately purchased the two-year-old colt privately after the sale.

Robertson explained, "Pryce's Posse is a nice, well-balanced horse. Through our private sale, we paid $12,500 for the horse. But, it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. He's not a huge horse, but he has a lot of qualities that I look for in a racehorse. He's very competitive and has the will to win. He wants to do things the right way."

The Robertsons decided to name their colt "Pryce's Posse," after their son. Robertson chose the name when the horse demonstrated talent in training. "We initially thought of three or four names. Then, we realized that this may be a very special horse. So, I said, 'Well, if he is going to be that special, and I have a special son with autism that put us in the horse business, I think he should be named after Pryce."

On Father's Day, Pryce's Posse made his maiden debut at Arlington Park as Rich and Vickie Robertson stood at the rail and watched. In a stunning turn for home, the colt won by four lengths in his first outing.

Robertson later recalled, "When Pryce's Posse won on Father's Day, it meant more to me than any race that I've ever won. I've won a lot of races. I've won stakes races. I won with a horse at Churchill on Oaks Day. But, this particular horse winning a race on Father's Day, knowing that Pryce was at home watching it on television, meant more to me than any race I'd ever won."

After Pryce's Posse won his maiden debut, the phone started ringing with lucrative offers to purchase the colt, far in excess of the original sale price paid by Robertson. Robertson consulted with his partners, as well as his wife, Vickie, and son, Pryce.

Robertson explained, "Pryce said, 'Dad, it's a lot of money. But, I think we should keep him."

And, as for his wife, Vickie, Robertson already had his answer. "My wife never wanted to sell the horse. And, she's been in the horse business long enough to know that things can happen. But, she knows the difference between the horses that you should sell and keep."

And, Robertson agreed with the decision to pass on the offers to purchase the horse. "I think one of the reasons that I love horses so much is that you can get a young horse and you're told, 'Well, they probably won't do this. The breeding says they can't do that.' And, you're told, 'You'll probably have to pay a quarter of a million dollars to get a horse that can run.' Well, I've had some great horses and that's not true."

Yet, Robertson's optimism regarding his two-year-old colt has a strong precedent. The colt's namesake, Pryce, is now twenty-years-old and is currently attending his second year of college. The family is currently building a website for the "Pryce Robertson Autism Awareness Foundation." The Foundation continues to raise money to promote autism awareness, including funding workshops for teachers to understand autism and creating a college scholarship fund for an autistic child.

When the website is completed, the Robertson's have decided that the administrator should be a person who was never supposed to speak a word in life - Pryce Roberston.

It appears the odds of success are tricky in both life and racing.

Sure, the odds can tell you what is probable.

But, in the end, the possibilities don't always follow the odds.

They beat them.

'I Was a Fan of Him.' Revisiting Summer Bird's Victory in the Belmont.

2011-06-02T20:30:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth, of The Saturday Post

Every now and then, a remarkable racehorse can elude you when it is in your direct line of sight.

And, in our home, there are few places to fix your eyes without finding a photo of some racehorse that was a remarkable horse for varying reasons, ranging from claimers to Triple Crown Winners.

It makes it hard to see the forest through the trees at times, especially when a big red oak like Secretariat has a photo of his Belmont stretch run posted squarely in the middle of the room.

When I think of the Belmont, my mind immediately drifts toward Secretariat and his 31-length victory. The photo of that moment has been hanging in the same spot for years, and, I never dream of moving it. In my view, it is a perfect snapshot of the level of otherworldly talent that deserves the honor of the Triple Crown.

Yet, this year, as two jewels of the Crown divided in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, I was left to ponder the importance of the achievement of winning the Belmont when there is no Triple Crown in contention. And, as I stared at my pictures of widely-beloved Triple Crown winners, another remarkable horse emerged to answer my question of the importance of the Belmont when there is no Triple Crown at stake this season.

A picture of Summer Bird and my husband emerged from the tapestry of photos hanging around the house. In the photo, they are walking together in the grass like two old pals on a Sunday outing. My husband has a look of admiration on his face as he is watching Summer Bird toss his head in the air without a care in the world.

While I looked around the room at the array of racehorse photos, Summer Bird continued to peek out in various situations. In one photo, the big Chestnut is stopping to smell the flowers at Saratoga before the Travers Stakes. In another snapshot, Summer Bird is staring down my husband while he grins back at the horse, beaming with joy. And, in a final picture, Summer Bird is sniffing his new blanket of white carnations after he just won the Belmont in 2009.

As it turns out, Summer Bird’s items are such a fixture in our house that I barely even notice him anymore. He has his trophies positioned in the dining room, saddle towels in various frames and his halter hangs quietly on the kitchen wall from his start in the Kentucky Derby. On any ordinary day, I just live with his things. His presence is barely noticeable on a conscious level.

Yet, on this particular day, Summer Bird took center stage in my mind as the Belmont approaches and there is no Triple Crown in contention. I looked at my husband, Trainer Tim Ice, studying the Daily Racing Form across the room in perfect tranquility. Unbeknownst to him, he was about to get bombarded with questions about the personal importance of Summer Bird capturing a lone jewel in the Triple Crown.

I turned to him and asked, “What do you think is the importance of the Belmont without a Triple Crown in play?” He looked up and replied without much thought, “It’s the oldest race in the Triple Crown series and the first time that a three-year-old horse is asked to run a mile and a half.”

In his mind, the matter was closed.

Yet, it wasn’t closed at all in my mind. I shot back, “What about when you went to the Belmont with Summer Bird.   How did you feel when you realized he had won the race?” He looked up at me and considered his answer more carefully this time around.

He gave a humble smile and answered, “When Summer Bird got clear in the stretch, I stood watching and said to myself, ‘Oh my God. He’s going to win the Belmont.’”

His description of the moment seemed to prove the magnitude of the race in its own right and the glory that falls upon any horse that claims the final jewel.

Then, I looked over at the Belmont trophy that sits in our home. Suddenly, it stood out as I considered the moment Summer Bird earned that trophy as he shot out from the pack to claim his victory in the Belmont Stakes.

I also considered the other Belmont-winning horses, whether they won the Triple Crown or solely the final jewel in the Belmont, and was awestruck by the idea that all of the winners stood next to same trophy. A Triple Crown trophy itself, in any race of the series, holds something sacred.   They are holding the same trophy that all Triple Crown winning teams stood next to at some point in racing history.

It occurred to me that holding a single jewel of the Triple Crown makes a horse a king, even if it is just for a day, whether they hold all three gems or a lone jewel. And, for those who have stood in the winner’s circle in any Triple Crown race, it appears that the moment lasts long beyond the winning garland.

It lasts a lifetime.

I considered the original picture on the wall, the two of them walking side-by-side, without a care in the world. And, I had to ask, “What was it about Summer Bird that made you so happy?”

Tim replied without any hesitation, “Just being with him made me happy. You see, I wasn’t just his trainer. I was a fan of him.”

And, in retrospect, it seems that Summer Bird was just as happy to be walking side-by-side with his friend and admitted fan, whether they were en route to a race or simply enjoying an ordinary day.

In a recent trip to Kentucky, we visited Summer Bird at Paul’s Mill Farm. And, that morning, the portrait of the friendship between the two standing side-by-side was brought to life before my eyes.

There is no doubt that Summer Bird recognized his old friend when his former trainer entered his sight. It was as if they maintained a repertoire with each other that outlasted the stallion’s racing career. Summer Bird was downright giddy and appeared to bask in moment the two of them took a walk together outside of the barn. It was as if the photo in our home had come alive for a brief moment in time.

As we left the stable that morning, the Champion made a long noise as he watched his old friend walk away. I asked Tim, “Do you think he recognizes you?” And, in an easy reply, he answered, “I think he recognizes me. We spent a lot of time together.”

I replied, “Did you hear him make that noise at you?”

Tim laughed, “Yes. He was hollering at me.”

I joked, “What did he holler at you?”

Tim smiled and said, “He hollered that he would love to race again.”

And, as we walked away, it appeared that the two of them would never forget the day they captured a jewel in the Belmont.

Racing for a Cure: A Filly's Fight Against Breast Cancer

2011-05-06T19:02:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth, of The Saturday Post

When I was a twenty-year-old college student, I paid a visit home to my mother one weekend.

It wasn’t your typical visit home from college.

The reason I had come home that weekend was because my mother had just undergone one of her many chemotherapy treatments in her fight to survive breast cancer.

When I arrived at her hospital bed, she had lost the fiery red hair that made her easy to spot whenever I looked for her as a kid. She was bald and pale as a ghost now.

She had also lost the joyful presence that she carries into any room. She was tired now. You could see the pain that she was suffering in her eyes and it was absolutely heartbreaking.

In my mind, she was dying of breast cancer. I remember being a young student walking up to the nurse station and saying to them, “Do Something.” Just do anything. But sadly, as many other families know, there is only so much that medicine can do in these moments.

Yet, thirteen years later, my wish for someone to “Do Something” has been answered in a beautiful turnaround of events.

As for my mother, she is among the lucky women that have been fortunate to survive breast cancer. I am happy to report that her joyful presence has returned and she has regrown her red hair that makes her easy to find in any crowd.   And, my favorite place to find her today is in survivor walks to help find a cure for breast cancer.

However, she isn’t the only redhead who is doing something in the future for breast cancer.

Thirteen years after my mother became a “survivor,” a redheaded filly showed up. And, this filly is also hoping to “Do Something” that contributes to a cure for breast cancer in her own domain – the race track.

West Point Thoroughbreds currently plans to race a two-year-old chestnut filly that will be donating a share of her winnings to support finding a cure for breast cancer. When the filly begins racing, 2.5 percent of any of her winnings will be donated to a breast cancer charity. West Point will also provide a 2.5 percent matching donation whenever the filly wins a race.

So, you may wonder, what inspired West Point Thoroughbreds to race a filly for breast cancer? Simple.

It hit home at the company.

As Shannon Castagnola of West Point Thoroughbreds explained, “We are a small company. There are eleven full-time employees, but seven are women.” She continued, “Breast cancer awareness is something we must all confront at some point or another. It could be your mother, aunt, your sister, or your wife.”

Castagnola noted, “My mother was diagnosed 5 ½ years ago, in October of 2005.” After seeing the “Think Pink” Breast Cancer initiative on Oaks Day, Castagnola recognized that breast cancer awareness was a cause that racing could benefit. She explained, “I remember clearly looking out at the Oaks crowd last year, seeing an absolute sea of pink, and thinking ‘They get it, they want to embrace this cause.’”

And, in the end, West Point Thoroughbreds has embraced breast cancer awareness with the one beautiful filly. When I asked Castagnola about the filly’s demeanor, she said “She’s a big, strong filly and she has a great mind.”

In my view, there couldn’t be a more perfect way for a racehorse to start out a campaign to raise awareness for breast cancer.

The filly is currently nameless – just like many of the women in the statistics that we see about breast cancer. But, when she hits the home stretch in her first race, many racegoers will hopefully know her name and her reason for racing. She will be adorned with pink silks, according to Castagnola.

So, in the end, just like my mother in the survivor parade, there is one more redhead that I can spot in a crowd that answered my call to “Do Something.”

And, with her pink silks and strong build, I hope to spot the redheaded filly in the same place where a find my mother today.

I hope to see her in the winner’s circle.

Trainer John T. Ward, Jr. Talks About Dancinginherdreams

2011-03-02T16:44:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth, of The Saturday Post

In 1979, Trainer John T. Ward, Jr. and Owner John Oxley teamed up in the racing world and set out on a journey that would ultimately deliver a Kentucky Oaks victory in 1995 with Gal in a Ruckus and the second-fastest Kentucky Derby winner in history with Monarchos in 2001.

It seemed they had already realized the dreams that many trainers and owners chase throughout their lifetime.

Yet, the beauty of racing is that a horse can simply show up and defy whatever was previously imagined to be possible in a lifetime. And, it is part of the glory of the sport that one can spend a lifetime living inside the wonder of what dreams may lay ahead.

For the Ward/Oxley team, a new dream appears to be taking flight with the arrival of Dancinginherdreams, a three-year-old filly that juxtaposes grace and grit in a fashion that is simply otherworldly in description.

In her three career starts, Dancinginherdreams has claimed two dazzling come-from-behind victories and placed after delivering a breathtaking finishing charge in the Forward Gal Stakes. As she points to her next outing, Ward graciously agreed to answer my questions about Dancinginherdreams as she continues to move forward on the trail toward the Kentucky Oaks.

WIRTH: You have trained some very special horses in your career, including Beautiful Pleasure, Kentucky Oaks Winner Gal In A Ruckus, and Kentucky Derby Winner Monarchos. Do you believe that Dancinginherdreams is a special filly?

WARD: Yes. I believe that Dancinginherdreams is a special filly. My wife trained Beautiful Pleasure and she was a superior athlete. This young filly could fill those shoes.

As far as Gal In a Ruckus and Monarchos, Dancinginherdreams is better than Gal In A Ruckus. Hopefully, Dancinginherdreams has the endurance and the closing style of Monarchos. His style is more indicative of my training.

WIRTH: Was Dancinginherdreams trained to deliver a “Come-From-Behind” finish in her races or is that her own personal style?

WARD: I am trying to develop that trait in Dancinginherdreams.

When she ran in the Forward Gal and came in second, she was sharp enough to go immediately to the lead and had the speed to do it. But, I don’t want to teach her to leave the gate in a sprint fashion because she is capable of endurance and has the physical structure to go two-turns in a race.

I had to sacrifice the early part of the race in the Forward Gal the other day because I didn’t want to ruin her chances of being a horse that comes from behind.

WIRTH: In the Forward Gal, were you impressed with the late charge from Dancinginherdreams?

WARD: Yes. It was gratifying. I don’t mind getting beat if I see the horse displaying other dimensions in the race.

Dancinginherdreams showed other dimensions in the Forward Gal. She got down on her belly and showed as much grit as she could get. She raced up to the filly that won and got her past the wire. In her mind, she chased her down.

When she is in a race, Julien Leparoux, her rider, says she just melts in his hands and looks for the holes to go through. When she finally did get clear in the Forward Gal, Dancinginherdreams showed that she has an amazing closing kick.

WIRTH: In her three career starts, which race did you personally find the most impressive?

WARD: I thought that the Forward Gal was her most impressive race so far. She ran against a very good group of fillies and she was still able to close against experienced racehorses that had multiple wins.

Her stakes win at Churchill last fall was a good stakes win for a two-year old, but the Forward Gal showed that she could somewhat dominate in a group of experienced horses when put to the task.

I am looking forward to seeing her race a mile in the Davona Dale at Gulfstream on February 26. The Davona Dale should be right up her alley.

WIRTH: How would you describe the personality of Dancinginherdreams?

WARD: When she is racing, Dancinginherdreams has the mind of five-year-old or six-year-old racemare. She is very tactical in her races and will do anything you want her to do. Older horses look for holes in races and sometimes they can even see them before the rider. She already has that instinct.

Dancinginherdreams also doesn’t mind going into tight places in her training in the morning. I think she showed that in her second win.

Finally, she just has a different dimension because she can explode in the last quarter in a race. It is a factor that will make her a very dangerous filly in the Kentucky Oaks.

WIRTH: What are some of her favorite items or unique traits?

WARD: Dancinginherdreams is a young, tall, spoiled girl. When we come into work in the morning, she gets anxious. So, she immediately gets to come out and walk for 25-30 minutes the first thing in the morning. Once she comes back in, she gets ready to train. When she trains, she has a favorite pony that accompanies her to the racetrack.

She also has a shed foreman, an elderly gentleman, and she just loves him. Whenever she thinks anything is wrong, she just jumps over next to him. He’s her human.

She does have an explosive temperament, but she manages it very well. I call her a ‘professional woman’ when she is racing and a ‘teenage girl’ when she is around the barn. She will constantly have you on your toes to keep her happy. She loves eating peppermints and carrots.

Her nickname is ‘Pinky’ because she is so white. When you give her a bath, her skin is pink. Her skin is pink and freckled underneath her coat.

WIRTH: What would it mean to you if Dancinginherdreams raced in the Kentucky Oaks?

WARD: Being a person from Kentucky, to me, it is the most elevated race for a filly. I think it is a great accomplishment. My wife and I would just be thrilled to have two Kentucky Oaks winners.

A win in the Oaks would emphasize our style of training. A slow, patient, classical style of training pays off in the end with horses. It might get you beat sometimes. But in the end, our whole theory is, ‘Raise them like champions. Race them like champions. And, make them disappoint you.’

WIRTH: What is your favorite moment with Dancinginherdreams at this point in her career?

WARD: I think the greatest experience that I have had with her was in the past few days.

Lately, she wants to get aggressive when she is training in the morning and she wants to take charge. It’s the bubbly teenage girl inside of her that says, ‘Well, I’m going to go out there and do it however I want to. You can’t tell me what to do.’

In the past few days, she has been working on a long, ¾ of a mile training path outside of the regular track. She has been going back there without the pony for a couple of days.

You can see the confidence exude out of her and she is in the zone where training is the most important thing to her now in the morning. You could fall down right in front of her and she’d just walk right over you and continue her training. She is not wild. She is just being very controlled.

I believe she is at the point where she is done being a teenage girl and starting to be a young lady. And, she’s becoming a very athletic young lady.

Horse Racing: Alive or Dead Needs a Fix

2011-02-24T18:15:00Z

Patrick Patten, Handride

I thought about expanding the title ala Dr Strangelove… to Horse Racing: Alive or Dead Needs a Fix or: Numbers Don’t Lie but Statisticians don’t Tell the Truth.

It seems that every year between the Breeders’ Cup of early October and the Derby trail beginning in late January the writers, media, bloggers, anyone with a soap box gets up and points out the ills of racing. It’s griping season. However, this year it was a bit backwards. To start we had the industry griping about future prospects and the media defending it. Peter Carlino of Penn National Gaming said, “There aren’t sufficient numbers of racing customers anymore because they died.” Meanwhile, Paul Moran writes, “Racing's enthusiastic presence on the Internet and social networking sites suggests convincingly that the game is far from dead.”

One can argue both of the above statements are anecdotal at best, and both have their points. What caught my interest was Alex Waldrop’s NTRA, post. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Waldrop, CEO of the NTRA, came out in full support of Moran, noting the many fans racing has in a post called “Fact vs. Fiction”: 50,600,000 fans. That’s a huge number, and everyone reading it should feel comforted by the millions of supporters our sport has. However, as a blogger the post made me cringe. Bloggers are regularly cut down for cherry picking arguments, and facts, and here is a prime example: 50,600,000 fans

It doesn’t take much work to see what these fans are worth, how much of a “fan” they really are. $11,420,000,000 wagered divided by 50,600,000 fans means each fan is wagering $226 per year, $18 per month, let's say $4.50 per weekend. Is this our fanbase?

What’s worse is touting this as a “good” number. It shows that the people in charge of the industry are of the attitude “Nothing to see here, nothing to fix.” And, what I consider dangerous is to come out with yet another article debating the validity of the numbers. As the leader of the NTRA, a job which entails, “bridging the gap between perception and reality,” to come out and obfuscate the perception is grounds for removal. Here we have a leader bickering with blog commentators on the exact number of fans for 7 paragraphs only to find his point in the final paragraph:

“After 10 years of effort, we still have a long way to go”

You don’t say? Well, for close to 4 years of it, Mr. Waldrop has been in charge, and here's what we have to show for it: A fan worth $4.50 a weekend, A Safety and Integrity Alliance that has no teeth, an association that lost the Breeders’ Cup and Churchill Downs. We all hope those in charge are hard at work looking to make improvements, and not just going along for the ride. But, how can I think otherwise now that time is being spent squabbling over a meaningless headcount? Two and half years ago a group of fans put together what we’d like to see from horse racing. I still feel it’s the best thing I have ever seen come from any of the alphabet soups of the industry.

I feel that the best product is not being put on the track. I feel that the structure of our industry is not up to today’s business standards. I feel that those in charge aren’t working as hard as they should. I feel a very large change is needed.

Why Uncle Mo Winning the BC Juvenile is a Bad Thing

2011-02-16T15:53:00Z

No 2 year old Breeders Cup Juvenile champ has been around to ENTER a Belmont Stakes since 1985: not win, not hit the board, we are talking not even in the race. That to me is a much more incredible streak than our lack of recent Triple Crown champions.

Legend Street Sense seems to be the only one that missed the race by choice; all others were either hit with the injury bug or simply not accomplished enough to continue after lackluster beginnings to their respective 3yo seasons, albeit just months after top 2yo campaigns ended with BC victories. War Pass and Stevie Wonderboy come to mind since 2005. Likewise, Vale of York and Midshipman were whisked off to Dubai, never to return for the American classics. Add in Vindication and Macho Uno, and you have 5 of the last 9 lame early at 3 since 2000.

In fact, during this 25 year window, we only have three Preakness starters (Looking at Lucky, Street Sense, and Timber Country), as 22 out of the 25 other BC Juvenile champs were unable to attend. As Charles Barkley would say; “I may be wrong, but I doubt it.” I had to look it up 3 times to believe my eyes. Yet, time and time again we see early Derby pick lists with the BC Juvenile champ typically placed in that number one slot. Amazingly, the last six top picks at this early stage have a single 10th place effort to show out of one start on the first Saturday in May.

Not coincidentally, of this somewhat less than stellar group, Street Sense is the sole Derby winner. His trainer, Carl Nafzger, was known to breeze his other Derby champ, Unbridled, 4F the day before the Derby: http://horsetrainingscience.blogspot.com/2010/10/nafzgers-secret-with-unbridled.html
(click this link or read his book entitled Traits of a Winner to learn more).

So, we can reasonably assume that Street Sense was conditioned a bit differently from some of his other competition, which lines up just fine with my theories and observations.

Consider: the top 2yo performances in November are followed by nothing 95+% of the time just 6 months later. Is this just horseracing and the fragile thoroughbred, or can we add anything to this mix to turn these numbers around over the next 25 years?
Can we credit pedigree for 2yo precociousness and then turn around and blame pedigree for 3yo disappointments in the same colt? My theory is that proper training and conditioning could do much to bring about the needed change.

Other trainers of two year old champions include D. Wayne Lukas (5 times), Bob Baffert twice, Todd Pletcher, Nick Zito, etc. It's a who's who of top trainers, and it also includes some lesser lights -- all known to train in a more or less conventional way. Still, with just one Derby win from the group, that of Street Sense and Nafzger, this certainly does not bode well for Uncle Mo.

In summary:
25 BC Juvenile champs:
Ky Derby – 11: 1-0-1
Preakness – 3: 2-1-0
Belmont – 0: 0-0-0

Statistics will also show that as much as 45% of BC Juvenile starters will win a stakes race later in their careers. But I am talking about winners, who by definition have matured quicker than their rivals at 2. The fact that half of the starters win a stakes race at 4 or later further solidifies my point.

P.S. Chief’s Crown was the 1984 champ, at the first BC held, and hit the board in all 3 Triple Crown races that year. If during reading the above, you already knew this, you are one sharp horseperson. Of course I had to leave him out until the end to hammer my point home, as all good bloggers do.

The NTRA Should Be Certifying Horses, Not Tracks

2011-01-14T18:23:00Z

By Bill Pressey Thoroedge Equine Performance

Magnificent filly Eight Belles broke down during the gallop-out after the 2008 Kentucky Derby and this was the nationally televised impetus to establish the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.

Did anyone blame Churchill Downs or the track surface for the incident? Of course not, so why are we now wasting time ‘certifying’ tracks in an effort to avoid another such catastrophe?

According to the published info at DRF we know that:

-Eight Belles worked and raced less than any other entry in the field at just 52 furlongs total for the first 5 months of 2008. Next lowest was Big Brown at 56 furlongs, and both careers ended soon after their heroic Derby efforts.

I just don’t buy the fact that the Eight Belles tragedy was ‘just racing’, a bad step, or a fluke accident. I could go along with that if the injury happened to one ankle during some jostling the first quarter of the race. But to break both ankles after the longest and toughest race of her young life – there is something else at work here. Certainly it’s not the fault of the track at Churchill, either.

A few years back we seemed to be on the right track, with calls to develop a standardized pre-race protocol, involving more than a simple vet check:

In March 2008 at the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit in Lexington, the following recommendations were passed on by those in attendance:

Recommendation 2: Catastrophic Injuries

Promotion of standardized pre-race exam protocol

Develop a standardized protocol and procedures for pre-race examinations

Here was my proposal:

Many years ago you would have been reading about the spate of deaths in equine endurance racing, where some competitions last 100 miles. In an effort to curb these deaths, the powers that be in that discipline instituted the Cardiovascular Response Index based on heart rate recovery after exercise. Now no horses drop dead in that sport, as they are disqualified if they fail the CRI.

Why can’t we do the same for thoroughbreds?

A recommended “Pre-Race Fitness Test for Kentucky Derby length of 1.25miles/10 furlongs”

-Test to encompass 12s/furlong pace at 60-70% of race distance for these elite horses

-1.25 mile race requires 6 furlongs breeze in 1min12sec

-Taken and passed, no less than 3 days before race, no more than 10 – ideal would be 7 days out.

-Recovery heart rate must fall to 120bpm within 2 minutes, and 70bpm within 10 minutes of peak work speed. (2min period reflective of horse being cooled down properly, 10min period reflects fitness level/conditioning of horse for the effort.)

In my opinion we must strive to prove that a horse is conditioned appropriately for a 6 furlong effort the week before being asked to race 10 furlongs. Horses that have undiagnosed problems with bone remodeling, tendon or ligament stability, or systemic illness or infection will not pass such a test.

Why these numbers? I consulted the following study:

David W. Freeman, Equine Specialist, Don R. Topliff, Associate Professor of Animal Science, Michael A. Collier, Professor of Surgery, Veterinary Medicine. Monitoring Fitness of Horses by Heart Rate. Oklahoma State University, ANSI-9118

Relevant material from the report:

Recovery heart rate below 120 beats per minute at 2 minutes post exercise and below 70 beats per minute at 10 minutes post exercise suggest the horse is adequately conditioned to the level and intensity of exercise.
Careful monitoring of heart rate may assist in early detection of injury much sooner than is otherwise possible.
Elevated heart rates may also be a sign of chronic fatigue, or ‘overtraining’ as it is commonly termed in the industry. The training program may have to be completely stopped and the horse rested for 30 to 60 days if conditioning fatigue persists.

There is a ton of similar scientific research findings out there, but no link to help trainers take advantage of this information in creating faster AND sounder racehorses.

For instance a landmark study from the famed New Bolton Center discovered the following that is in direct opposition to many training practices today:

D. M. Nunamaker, VMD. On Bucked Shins. Proceedings of the 48th AAEP Annual Convention. Orlando, FL. December 4-8, 2002.

Relevant material from the report:

Traditional training methods of long, slow gallops for yearlings that result in bucked shins are a major cause of saucer and stress fractures later in life, injuries that can contribute to catastrophic breakdowns when racing.

Here we are in 2011 and the only progress made has been with regards to certifying track surfaces, starting gates, veterinary personnel, etc. – NONE of which was to blame for the demise of Eight Belles in the first place.

Hell, we rely on objective scientific info during breeding, mating, rehabbing, and other veterinary work – but ZERO when it comes to answering the question: Is this horse ready to race on Sunday in front of a worldwide audience at a mile and a quarter without risk of breakdown?

The death of Eight Belles, like that of Barbaro before her, brought significant attention to our sport -- for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on how we can ensure that our horses are as fit and sound as they can possibly be using the objective science that is already out there, we've focused our energy on the tracks themselves.

But, hey, at least CD, PIM, and BEL are certified, right?

The Extraordinary Endeavor of Being an Ordinary Racehorse

2011-01-07T16:08:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth, of The Saturday Post

On January 1st, an Arkansas-bred filly named Gretl turned three-years-old in her barn at Oaklawn Park.

She didn’t receive any birthday cakes, fancy cards and fans didn’t line up for a photo outside her stall. January 1st was simply an ordinary day in her life.

Gretl didn’t seem to mind one bit. She is in the business of being ordinary.

Yet, I would soon learn that the business of being ordinary is quite an extraordinary endeavor.

As I walked through the shed row with her Trainer Tim Ice, I asked questions about all of the horses. I was wondering if any could be potential Triple Crown contenders or win major stakes outings.

It seemed to me that the value of a racehorse in a Thoroughbred stable was based on their ability to rise to the highest peak in the industry.

I was wrong.

There is something extraordinary in being ordinary.

Gretl poked her head out.

For an “ordinary” horse, she delivered quite a playful greeting. She stamped her hooves, swooped to kiss at my coat, and when it was impossible to ignore her, she raised her teeth in a silly smile as if she had won something.

And, in that moment, Gretl had me convinced that she had won an extraordinary race that I failed to watch.

But, I would soon learn that she was simply in the business of being ordinary. Gretl hadn’t won a stakes race. She wasn’t pointing toward graded outings. Instead, she is just focusing on ordinary goals in her career.

Right now, Gretl’s goal is to simply win her first race.

I thought, “There must be some spectacular goal after her maiden victory?” In my mind, it seemed to be the point of racing.

I was wrong.

Gretl isn’t focusing on being the next great horse. She appears to think it is extraordinary to be ordinary.

She may be right. Apparently, the business of being ordinary isn’t a small endeavor. Ice explained, “They aren’t all going to be great horses, but they all have their value and worth.”

Gretl is among the quiet majority of racehorses that give their best and fall short of pinning their star in the constellation of immortal greats.

But, there is something great about horses like Gretl. Ice pointed out, “Every horse has their spot where they can win. Any time you win a race, it’s exciting. From the claiming horses to the top level.”

With a single winless horse, my definition of “greatness” evolved into something new. Yes, “greatness” is demonstrated in the champion racehorses and those who excel well beyond our wildest imagination in racing.

Yet, “greatness” is also a quiet endeavor that ordinary racehorses display in their everyday life. Without fanfare or pageantry, Gretl steps onto the track, runs to her fullest capability and fights for a victory to call her own.

Her victories won’t bring garlands of flowers or adoring fans to her stall. In the end, she will simply go back to her stable and bask in an extraordinary moment in her ordinary career.

But, the business of being ordinary is extraordinary. It is the journey of every racehorse to try to tap into their full potential and see where it takes them in the racing world.

It may take them to claiming races or it may lead them to the highest level of racing.

But, wherever it leads, the beauty is in the attempt. It is getting into the ring without any fanfare or glory. And, even a quiet win, however small, is a glorious victory.

Gretl taught me to be a fan of the ordinary racehorse. Racing isn’t just the realm of the ones that garner the spotlight, but also, the horses that spend their career in the shadows of great horses and fight for small moments of victory.

Greatness is present when any horse sets foot on a track and puts in their full effort.

Greatness lives in every victory, no matter how small or big.

Greatness exists whenever a racehorse achieves something extraordinary in their ordinary life.

For Zenyatta, Horse of the Year is Beside the Point

2010-11-19T17:51:00Z

By Frank Vespe, www.thatsamorestable.net/blog

In the end, it seemed to me that the tale would be told in details: the red-rimmed eyes of a nearby horseman, the hundred-yard stare of a disappointed fan, the 72,000 voices suddenly gone silent.

The tale, of course, was the oldest racing tale of all, that of the dream dashed, the mountain unsummitted, the heart broken.

On Saturday, in the gloaming at Churchill Downs, Zenyatta’s last, frantic charge had, for the first time in a glittering career, fallen short. Blame, a worthy competitor nailing down his third Grade 1 race of the season, parlayed the effort of his life and what jockey Garrett Gomez called a “perfect trip” into victory in the biggest race of the year. Zenyatta, bidding for a 20th consecutive triumph, could not overcome her troubles, a yawning deficit that had to top 20 lengths in the early stages and minor traffic troubles late that left her stuck behind horses until the 3/16ths pole. The difference between the pair was a diminishing head, a handful of inches.

The debate has already begun over whether Blame’s victory will, or should, also secure him Horse of the Year honors. Yet, while this was a debate that seemed to matter a year ago, it, like the details I thought told the story, fades into irrelevance with just a touch of perspective.

Perhaps Blame will receive the majority vote of turf writers, and perhaps that’s fair. While one can make a legitimate case that the best horse in Saturday’s Classic was not the one standing in the winner’s circle at the end, the geometry of racetracks is unforgiving; being first a second before or a second after the wire is no different from decisive defeat. Zenyatta partisans can say, correctly, that she’d have gone by in another jump or two, but the race is not run at 10 furlongs plus a couple of jumps. And after all the times Zenyatta and Mike Smith cut it this close, well, those are the breaks of the game. Blame is a wonderful colt who delivered his best performance on the sport’s biggest stage; he won the race.

Yet the truth is that, while Zenyatta, for the first time, lost a horse race, in a defeat as honorable as it was narrow, she gained much more: an undisputed place in the pantheon of racing’s greats. Zenyatta will live on the short list of the greatest American fillies and mares, perhaps at the very top, and few are left to dispute that. While before the race, some clung to the notion that she could not compete with the top colts at the classic distance on real, honest-to-goodness dirt, she answered the critics and dismissed the doubters with her stirring finish. Horses some deemed too much for her — Quality Road, Haynesfield, Lookin at Lucky, Fly Down — were left far behind. With the defeat, she, like every other top-level American horse before her, will not finish undefeated. But in defeat, we saw not only her flaws but also her indomitable will, the heart that will make her, for the third consecutive year, a champion.

What’s more, we learned, conclusively, that Zenyatta is the most important horse to race in this country in at least a decade, and perhaps in three decades. For a sport struggling for relevance, unable to generate public interest outside of the Triple Crown, Zenyatta became a genuine crossover star. Sixty Minutes examined her in a segment. Sports Illustrated devoted a feature to her. Oprah named her to her “Power List” of ” 20 women (and one amazing horse) who blew us away this year.”

She’s the first horse in memory with the ability to move the meter on public interest in the game, and to do so without competing in any Triple Crown race. Ratings for this year’s Classic — following the blizzard of publicity attending the big mare — were nearly triple those of 2009. Wagering on Saturday’s races was up 23 percent from the prior year (versus Friday’s increase of eight percent). A horse who can convince an additional two million households to tune into racing — and wager — is a star, indeed. And while many of those watching no doubt were disappointed in the outcome, they saw a race for the ages, and only those utterly immune to racing walked away unmoved by the competition.

In a way, I was right when I thought that the story was told by its details. I just picked the wrong details. The Zenyatta story has less to do with spilled tears on Saturday, and more to do with winning rider Garrett Gomez’s salute to the great mare post-race. It has less to do with the silence that descended upon Churchill in the race’s aftermath and more to do with the deafening wall of sound that willed her to the line. It has, finally, less to do with one horse beating another by a head and more to do with two horses locked in a battle which elevates both.

The Horse of the Year debate will, no doubt, engender acrimony and ill will. Lobbying has already begun.

But in the wake of Saturday’s race, trainer Bob Baffert — a man who’s trained more than a few good horses — said that he’d yelled himself hoarse cheering for Zenyatta once he’d realized his own horse, Lookin At Lucky, would not win.

And maybe that’s really the tale that was told on Saturday: that of the giant mare with the engaging personality and the just-in-time style who turns hard-bitten racing lifers into screaming fanboys. The gorgeous, talented, all-heart racehorse who introduced the magic of racing to many who previously had no interest. The truly great racehorse who was ennobled as much by defeat as by victory.

And that’s a tale that, like Zenyatta’s legacy, is affected not at all by a few votes, or a few inches, one way or the other.

Zenyatta Has Earned Horse of the Year

2010-11-12T20:23:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth, of The Saturday Post

The old rule of etiquette used to be that people shouldn’t bring up politics or religion in casual social settings. It is the quickest way to anger friends, start rivalries and ignite a big ol’ brawl in any circle. I agree perfectly with this rule of etiquette, but I’d like to add one more topic to the rule: The “Horse of the Year” Award.

Last Saturday, in a not-so-casual setting, Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farm shot those fighting words into the cold Kentucky air during a press conference after Blame had just defeated Zenyatta in the Breeder’s Cup Classic. As Zenyatta was quietly escorted back to her stable, Hancock was asked who should win the highly-coveted “Horse of the Year” award. He proclaimed with certainty, “Well, I thought the battle for Horse of the Year was fought about half an hour ago and Blame won it.”

Let the rodeo begin.

Two men can look at the same woman. One may find her beautiful, while the other finds her to be average. And, two voters can look at the same horse. One may see a decent horse, while the other person is marveling over their “Horse of the Year.” In my view, Hancock was doing just that. He had just watched Blame hold his nose in front of a bulleting monster mare and saw his “Horse of the Year.” Undoubtedly, Blame deserves praise, especially by his ownership, but winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic doesn’t necessarily clinch the “Horse of the Year” award.

How can a horse win the Classic and lose “Horse of the Year?” I believe Zenyatta would be happy to field this question for the audience. After two consecutive victories in major Breeder’s Cup outings, she received a few flowers, a couple new purses and a few bargaining chips at the voting booth. However, in the final stretch, she didn’t go home as “Horse of the Year” in 2008 or 2009.

The problem lies in the criterion that determines the Horse of the Year. It is completely subjective, and at times, downright snobby. Rifle through the “Horse of the Year” articles in the past few days and you’ll find a bundle of opinions.

The horse should win on a dirt track against male horses in Grade I races in a field of proven heavyweights.

It is also frowned upon if the races are solely in California. If a horse happens to train in California, it must be shipped all across the country to prove it is not solely a “synthetic” horse.

There is no reciprocity in the “East Coast vs. West Coast” arrangement. East Coast horses do not need to ship to California. It is presumed that they stand on golden hooves with dirt made of diamonds.

A male horse with a decent record of Grade I victories can overshadow any female horse in the field. If you’re a female, you better be able to beat the boys in every single outing against them as well as win all other Grade I outings. If you lose simply once, you don’t stand a chance at Horse of the Year. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been undefeated throughout your entire career.

Finally, the female races are simply cupcake parties and bake sales. Sure, they are Grade I races, but they don’t really count for “Horse of the Year.” Since the inception of the Eclipse “Horse of the Year” award in 1971, one single female has won it through campaigning solely in female races – Azeri. Ruffian did not win the award. Neither did Rags to Riches when she beat Curlin in the stretch run of the Belmont Stakes in 2007. A victory in the Kentucky Derby won’t clinch the “Horse of the Year” award for a female either – Winning Colors and Genuine Risk already tried that path.

Somehow, Azeri slipped through a loophole in 2002 and won “Horse of the Year” through filly and mare-restricted races.

Similar to Zenyatta, Azeri built her “Horse of the Year” campaign through winning the Santa Margarita, Apple Blossom, Milady, Vanity, Clement Hirsch, Lady’s Secret and Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (formerly known as the Breeders’ Cup Distaff). All in all, Azeri had five Grade I wins, three Grade II victories and one successful allowance race when she was voted “Horse of the Year” in 2002.

In contrast, Zenyatta tried to take the “Azeri Route” to “Horse of the Year” in 2008. She won the El Encino, Apple Blossom, Milady, Vanity, Clement Hirsch, Lady’s Secret and Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic that season. At the end of the year, Zenyatta had three Grade II victories and four Grade I wins, including the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic.

Yet, Zenyatta did not win “Horse of the Year” in 2008. Her critics insisted that she raced against “nobodies” and never ran against the boys. “Cupcake Parties” don’t count.

Zenyatta put a new twist on her campaign for “Horse of the Year” in 2009. While maintaining a perfect record, Zenyatta clinched one Grade II victory and won four Grade I races in her new campaign. Among those victories, Zenyatta stunned the racing world through becoming the first female to beat the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. In doing so, she put away the 2009 Kentucky Derby and Belmont winners in the same field.

Yet, Zenyatta did not win “Horse of the Year” in 2009. Her critics insisted that campaigned solely on synthetic track, failed to ship to the East Coast and that a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic was really just a great “moment” in her career.

Zenyatta decided to answer all remaining criticisms in 2010. While maintaining a perfect record, Zenyatta won five Grade I races. She shipped to the Apple Blossom and won by daylight on dirt. Zenyatta pulled a “three-peat” in the Clement Hirsch, Vanity and Lady’s Secret. She became the top-earning female racehorse of all time while capturing the female record for the most Grade I victories. She reeled in the record for the most consecutive Grade I wins. And then, she shipped to Kentucky to race the boys on dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Yet, Zenyatta did not win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. In her final majestic flight toward Blame, she lost by a head. However, in her defeat, Zenyatta actually did beat a few more boys in the career. She finished in front of ten top-notch male contenders, including the Preakness winner and Haynesfield, the horse that had previously beaten Blame this season.

And then, the rules changed on Zenyatta.

As luck would have it, some members of the racing industry started to proclaim that the “Horse of the Year” award is an honor reserved for the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. This was big news. Since the inception of the race, the “Horse of the Year” award has been denied to 58% of the Breeder’s Cup Classic winners. But now, it was a new requirement.

You must be kidding me.

Zenyatta has won more Grade I victories than Blame this year. And, she has met all the demands of her critics. She shipped from California to race on dirt against the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. She was the oldest horse in the field and only female in the race. Zenyatta made this journey with a perfect record of 19-0. She was the sole undefeated horse in the field.

Zenyatta had everything to lose in a field of rivals that stood only to benefit their own career by being “the one” to defeat the great mare.

And, she still showed up.

In fact, she rose to the challenge.

Zenyatta filled the stands and captivated the media. She danced in the paddock, pranced in the post-parade and shot like a bullet down the cold dirt track against her male counterparts in a breathtaking attempt to maintain her perfect record.

The news of her defeat hit a national audience. Hard. The viewers of that race went beyond the regular crowd. Zenyatta brought Oprah into the racing world. She was the first racehorse to ever be profiled on 60 Minutes. And, Zenyatta introduced the fashion industry to the sport in the society pages of W fashion magazine. She marketed racing to non-enthusiasts. It was brilliant, beautiful and, most importantly, successful.

The racing world has a new group of fans because of Zenyatta. And, the treatment of Zenyatta will define our industry to non-traditional fans in the racing world.

Treat her like a Queen.

Treat her like perfection.

She’s not your average horse.

Zenyatta is Horse of the Year.

The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

2010-11-10T16:26:00Z

By Patrick Patten, of Handride

Like most racing fans, a number of members of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance have strong feelings about the meaning of Saturday's Breeders Cup Classic for the Horse of the Year race, Zenyatta's legacy, and related issues. We'll be highlighting some of these posts in the days to come.

In the last sixteenth of a mile I became a Zenyatta fan. I admit I was not a fan going in, and while I am, now, a fan going out, I can finally say why Zenyatta never appealed to me.

I knew she was that good, and I knew I was being short changed. I had seen the workouts, and I had seen flashes of her best in other races, but it was never displayed in full until Saturday. And for the fans of Zenyatta what they were given was enough I guess, but for me I did not like the game.

I imagine that at some point the perfect record became a burden for the owners and trainer. Because watching Zenyatta run on Saturday it was obvious the burden was not hers. The challenges: of tougher company and travel, would never have been a burden to her with the final gear she showed us all on Saturday. The gear Mike Smith had always talked about being there, and the reason why we all can’t stop talking about a second place horse (for probably another 3 months). I’m furious, upset, saddened, that we racing fans only ever saw that gear once. Out of twenty events to only see Zenyatta’s best one time is a waste of epic proportions.   

This is the fault of horse racing. There is a game that owners feel responsible to play and HOTY voters feel the need to reward. Only in college football (and everyone loves the BCS) does a sport decide championships in such an absurd way. On the track Blame beat Zenyatta. It was close, there are excuses for Zenyatta, but by rewarding her Horse of the Year voters are saying…. Well I don’t know what. Are they saying that given 10 races Zenyatta would be Blame at least 6 times? Because I wouldn’t disagree; but that didn’t happen. Are they saying she had a better career? Again can’t disagree, but the title is Horse of the Year. Are they rewarding what could have been: Are people picturing her running down Haynesfield, closing faster than Blame in the Whitney, or even taking this year’s Pacific Classic? It doesn’t matter the reason, in any light voters are deciding with their heads, not with results. Hopefully at some point results will matter, and challenges will be taken head on. Do people not realize how much there is to gain in a loss?

Visiting Silver Charm in Japan

2010-10-13T19:04:00Z

by Kate Hunter, http://www.keiblog.net/

One of the bi-products of being an American racing fan in Japan is that I get to check in on some of my favorite racers that have been purchased by Japan over the years; as a racing blogger in Japan, I also get asked a lot of questions about US horses who were bought by the Japanese. While I have not been able to check on all of them, I do make it a point to see my favorite race horse of all time: Silver Charm.

I first visited Silver Charm in August 2009 at the JBBA Iburi Stallion Station, a very small and relaxed little breeding farm in Southern Hokkaido. There were 3 thoroughbred stallions there: Silver Charm, Japan-bred sprinter Sunningdale (by Warning), and champion French horse Bago (by Nashwan). Viewing hours there are 9 to 11am and 1 to 3pm. I got in at around 12:30, but the stable crew didn’t seem to mind, and showed me to Silver Charm’s paddock, where I was allowed to photograph him for hours. He had just finished his daily exercise and had a sweat spot where the saddle or pad had been. I told him all about his GII winner, Miss Isella, of some of his winning progeny Japan, and how people still ask about him, some eagerly awaiting for his return to the US (Which Three Chimney’s Case Clay confirmed will happen at the end of his stud career in Japan). I got to see him gallop playfully around his paddock, roll around in the dirt, come up and greet all of his visitors, and eat a LOT of grass. He was very aware I was hanging around him all day, always looking over at me, coming over to see what I was doing, and sometimes I swear he was posing for my photographs.

Before I knew it it was 4pm, and his groom came over to take him inside for his bath and dinner. He was so shocked that I was still there that he let me come into the barn and watch the rest of Charm’s evening routine. They gave him a good bath, washing every inch of him and scraping his hooves followed by good brush down that scratched all his itchy places. He had a nice dinner and, because it was cool that day, got a warm blanket. I said my goodbyes and promised to see him again next year. The staff was so kind to me, that they gave me some tea to drink, a poster calendar, and a ride to the train station, so it’s only natural that after 5 hours at the Iburi Stallion Station, I was one happy Silver Charm fan!

This past August, it was once again time for my yearly pilgrimage to see my favorite gray Derby winner. This time I was literally going to see ONLY him and maybe another farm IF I had time. I was determined to spend the entire day with him; while the trains prevented me from doing that in the most literal sense, I did spend about 7 total hours with him. The Iburi Stallion Station’s 2010 roster had changed a bit, Bago had had a few big winners so he was moved to the JBBA’s main farm in Shizunai and the European runner David Junior (by Pleasant Tap).

I got there by 1pm, and everybody instantly remembered me. They told me to enjoy the rest of my afternoon at the farm, cause they knew I was going to be there for awhile. I gave him the updates on things relevant to him... like Miss Isella retiring, being sold to Adena Springs, and how she should get some very good choices in mates there. I broke the sad news about his mother passing on, and the lovely story I read on the Blood-Horse about his son Charming Jim’s life after the track. He munched, rolled, galloped and sniffed at me just as before. It was heavenly for a fan like me. When 4pm rolled around again, I got to watch his night time routine, bath, dinner, brush. I said good night and made plans to see him the next day.

The next day, I got to Charm’s farm at about 8:30am and checked in with the stable staff. I had brought them some jelly-rolls for being so kind to an American fan who was coming and going at all hours. Silver Charm had already has his morning exercise when I arrived and was munching away in the morning sun; while Charm and I stood in the shade for awhile, I told his neighbour Sunningdale (who was also in the shady part of the paddock near by) how Charm had won the Dubai World Cup in 1998 with such heart that it is still one of my favorite things to watch on the internet. Yes, I talk a lot to horses, but it was fun, and they were actually listening to me go on and on about racing.

Around 11am the farrier came and gave all the horses a trim. Charm was the last to get worked on, and I was allowed to watch. He wasn’t the easiest horses to trim. He kept putting his foot down and got yelled at a little bit. When it was over, he pranced happily back to his paddock and galloped all around before rolling joyfully in the dirt.

At noon I had to leave to head to the airport and fly back to Tokyo, where I am a english teacher and racing photographer. I said my slightly teary goodbyes to my favorite horse and swore up and down that I’d see him next year. I said good-bye to the staff and thanked them for being no kind allowing me to have the most intimate time with my favorite racehorse. They even offered to take me to the airport again.

While he isn’t being bred to the numbers of mares as you would think he would, that is largely due to the fact that Japan doesn’t breed as many horses as we do in the US, remember the country is only about the size of California. The number of mares he is covering won’t necessarily reflect how soon he will be sent back to the US. Plenty of Japanese stallions cover only a hand full of mares each season. He will be back in Kentucky one day though!

So while he might not be coming home as soon as some might hope, I want you all to know that our beloved champion is healthy, happy, and well taken care of by some of the nicest people I have ever met. I will watch after him carefully and give yearly updates on him on my blog, where I also keep a list of his Japanese progeny’s race results and post pictures of his babies. There is also a link to my flickr account where you can see photos of Silver Charm in Japan. If you have any questions about US horses in Japan don’t hesitate to e-mail me. I will gladly try to find out some information about them. I can’t promise anything, especially with broodmares who are kept away from visitors, but I can always try.

What Can Thoroughbred Trainers Learn from Standardbred Conditioners?

2010-10-06T18:51:00Z

By Bill Pressey Thoroedge Equine Performance

The fact is that harness racing times have improved markedly over the past 70+ years, while Thoroughbred times have lagged well behind.

To keep things simple, I decided to use the winning times in the Kentucky Derby and the Hambletonian – the two feature races for each discipline. I converted winning times to total seconds and rounded off to the nearest whole number. Each decade’s time was an average of each of the 10 years included within:

Both races feature a landmark effort to break the 2:00 barrier; first accomplished in the Derby by the immortal Secretariat in 1973, with the corresponding harness racing effort coming from Emily’s Pride in 1958 – both carding a 1:59 and change.

From the above chart, starting in 1930 Standardbreds have improved winning Hambo times by 7.9%, while Thoroughbreds of the same period have improved Derby winning times by just 1.8%. If you start analyzing the data at the time of the breaking of the magic 2:00 threshold the differences are even more striking – 7.0% for trotters vs. an imperceptible 0.08% for Thoroughbreds.

So, we have seen a roughly 500% greater improvement in Hambo winners versus Derby champs. Those of you who have read my work before know of my interest in the training aspect of the game, so let’s take a look at all the variables that may hold some answers to the above discrepancy.

Training and racing frequency

Thoroughbreds these days are lucky to get 6 starts per year on average, yet Standardbreds often race weekly – even needing to qualify prior to big races. Thoroughbreds, taking into account a few weeks off from speedwork after a race, may see 12 sec/furlong paces for a half mile every 10-14 days. Standardbreds train in an interval fashion, working many miles each week at race pace of 14 sec/furlong.

Use of technology

Thoroughbred trainers are avid users of the stopwatch, and sometimes the scales. Standardbred practicioners have utilized heart rate monitors, lactate analyzers, resistance carts, etc. for long before I entered the picture in 2008.

The first Standardbred trainer I met was training a Thoroughbred here at Churchill Downs, a former $5,000 claimer. After a few interval sessions at 1 mile with the HR/GPS monitor, his horse went on to win his next two route races by a total of 29 lengths – and was eventually claimed away for $50,000. Now with a new trainer and using the same old methods, that horse has done very little since – and at last glance was eligible to be claimed again for $15,000.

A Lexington-based equine rehab center with a modern hyperbaric chamber reports that after harness races at the Red Mile, she gets a line of vans with sound candidates for post race treatment in order to enhance recovery. Despite being closer to Keeneland, Thoroughbreds never make the trip unless a horse is injured and in need of therapy.

Drugs, namely Lasix and Bute

Lasix became raceday legal back in the 80’s for Thoroughbred racing, and starts per career numbers have fallen ever since, while Derby winning times have remained stagnant. The Hambletonian outlawed raceday Lasix and Bute in the early 90’s, yet times have continued to improve at the same rate. Hambo competitors are allowed raceday drugs throughout the year, but not during this classic – yet few bleed and performance doesn’t suffer. The banning of drugs was purely a political move of course, but the results are still interesting from a physiological standpoint.

Pre-race warm up

Nonexistent for most Thoroughbreds, the pre race routine consists mainly of walking in the post parade followed by a gentle trot next to the pony before entering the gate. Standardbreds often warm up a few miles prior to completion, with several furlongs of near race-pace efforts.

Other factors

Racing equipment has improved in both sports, but certainly the lighter sulkies present in modern day Hambletonian racing contribute to some of the improvements. Manufacturers of such equipment claim a 2 second benefit, which is only a small portion of the overall improvement seen in the breed.

All Thoroughbreds start from a standstill, while trotters get a rolling gate, which is much easier physically on the Hambo competitors. Thoroughbreds also travel a bit faster than the trotters, which can cause more skeletal and soft tissue problems.

In US racing, most Thoroughbreds have to start quickly and come home dead tired, while trotters actually often complete final quarters faster than the first ones, what is termed a ‘negative split.’

Add these factors together and you can see that Thoroughbred racing is probably tougher on the equine athletes, which can explain a higher injury rate – but not necessarily a lack of performance improvement.

Parting shot

I have one client, a self made millionaire here in the US, who insists to me that all big time TB trainers have a very good grasp of equine exercise physiology – but the numbers just don’t bear that out.
Somewhere, someday a Thoroughbred owner/trainer is going to learn from the training methods of the Standardbred guys, instead of the Thoroughbred elite, and make history with a champion coming from a modest pedigree. Only then will everyone else copy his practices and we’ll see Derby winning times in the mid 1:50’s on a consistent basis.

Clearing House for Racing Signals

2010-09-28T17:35:00Z

By Patrick Patten, of Handride

The people in charge are right (that is the ethereal “they”): this is not the time for big grandiose ideas. I just think the correct time was 3 years ago and they want to wait another three years,[rimshot].

There was a plan! Right up until someone said ADW. [cue sad horn “waa-waaaaaaaaa”]

Do you know what plan I’m talking about? No, it’s not the TCT that TOBA once floated, as a fix to all of racing ills, nor am I talking about the plethora of other failed big ideas that seem to pop up every other year. [If you think a continued expansion of Win and You’re In is a fix I’ve got a bridge for sale]. I’m talking about a very under the radar idea that us fans are getting a glimpse at now it’s been dead for a few months. In a nutshell; Satish Sanan tried to pull together the disparate parts of the industry and pull them behind a way for all of them to make money. At its simplest it appears to have been an ADW, but in the end it wasn’t anything.

This non-starting hurts my soul; to come that close and be back at square one. I just can’t stand for it. So, here is my idea to get everyone on board right up until the point the group would have to form an ADW. And I have to somewhat agree that the idea of creating an ADW is counterintuitive for a lot of these racetracks. Many of them already have ADW’s, and as a collective forming an ADW seems a bit too bureaucratic and heavy handed.

Very simply: Create an LLC owned by all interested parties, and then go out and buy the exclusive signals from every racetrack in the LLC. The LLC would then sell the signals back out to all racetracks and ADWs. The LLC would become a for-profit clearing house that would make money off the difference in price it bought and sold signals.

I think the easiest way to clarify that is through an example. Let’s say I’m Track X, I sell my signal to a plethora of entities, ADWs, other tracks, and other signal conglomerates, and I negotiate every single one of them. This takes time and effort to say the least, and not only am I negotiating how I sell my signal to everyone else, but how I buy other tracks signals; doubling the work. That right there is inefficiency. Add on to the fact that the structure of our revenue model is hopelessly outdated and you can see that a more efficient approach might kill two birds with one stone.

So, I call up all my track friends and ask them if they want to go into business together. Imagine 20 tracks sign up to sell their exclusive signals to this LLC. There would have to be a structure created to value what a signal is worth: the LLC would pay a slightly higher rate to those tracks that generated higher handle last year, had a high purse to race ratio, averaged a higher number of starters per race, and/or if the track had specific safety measures in place. The LLC would then have to have an outline on how it would sell the signal: is the buyer an ADW, track, partner track, do they televise, how many days of racing do they put on. The amount of carrots and sticks that could be created around the price of a signal is only limited by the time on which the LLC would want to spend on it. Furthermore, all this would all ensure the key aspects of what Mr. Sanan was trying to obtain: transparency, revenue, & cooperation.

As Track X I’m able to sell my signal one time at a specified rate that everyone in the LLC has agreed upon, that I myself had a hand in creating. I can increase the money I receive for my signal by doing very specific things laid out by the LLC that my horsemen know about; my horsemen now have a very transparent way of seeing a big chunk of my revenue. I go to buy signals that I know my patrons will want to wager on and I have an easy way to pick (maybe ala carte, one track at a time, or maybe groups of the smaller tracks are grouped together to help spread their signal), my patrons know what I pay for signal and have a better grasp on where and who is causing takeout. (Speaking of takeout… with the signal all in one place take out could be taken on as a whole rather than 1 or 2 tracks “experimenting.”) I would imagine that ADWs would have to pay a higher rate that might allow tracks to lower theirs. Again it would all be out in the open now in the clearing house. In the end the more money the LLC makes by buying and selling falls back to the tracks as they are all part owners of the LLC.

Now the LLC wants to put on a televised racing show every Saturday, dinner time. We already have the tracks around the table so to speak, and we have revenue to help some tracks make the decision to move races around. As track X, I’m told I can get a percentage more for my signal if I join the scheduling group inside the LLC, meaning that the LLC (that Track X is part owner of) would work with the track to move some racing around. Maybe some of my premiere racing is moved from Sunday to Saturday, or maybe a Gr III is moved a few weeks to better fit in with the overall schedule. No one is going to move the Derby, because the tracks don’t want that. It’d all be about getting the best product on TV, we’re not moving mountains, there’s plenty of good racing every Saturday.
See, I believe the contracts between all these separated tracks, ADWs, and horsemen are a major stumbling block to cooperation. It’s not so much that people don’t get along it’s that there’s always a piece of paper somewhere that won’t let one track do what the track next door does. Many want the government to come in, wipe the slate clean, take over and force rules down upon the industry. But, before that happens, why can’t the industry organize itself, not just for the benefit of a clean house, but for money. Who doesn’t like money? I think we can all agree the revenue structure of this sport is a mess.

Every track raced out to create an ADW because it makes more money than the track itself. Everyone knows that tracks ability to profit is greatly curtailed because of the on-track product they create. (Some of which is poor management and cost control, but some of it must be actual necessary costs). Everyone knows that take-out is too high, and that all stems from these prior problems mentioned. So why not streamline? Wouldn’t a track rather deal with one entity (that it partly owns) and sell its signal at X rate and buy signals at Y rate and be done with it?

The benefits of a race signal clearing house are the same as those outlined by Mr. Sanan, but no ADW is created. So, why not give it a chance?

Secretariat: The Beauty of Being Everything.

2010-09-22T15:49:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth, of The Saturday Post

In 1969, an ordinary coin was tossed into the air that held three sides – winning, losing, and everything beyond the two polar outcomes.

The outcome of the coin toss was a testament to the principle that an extraordinary life doesn’t lend itself to pre-existing realities or expectations. It is a life that surveys common notions and ideas, and ultimately, carves out a new definition for the world.

Secretariat did just that.

Before Secretariat ever set a hoof on this earth, he twirled a simple coin flip into a monumental loss to the seemingly straightforward winner.

Ogden Phipps had technically won the coin-toss that governed the existing Phipps-Chenery breeding arrangement when Secretariat was among the three foals to be picked between the parties. However, the win only allowed Phipps to receive first choice between two foals born in 1969. In losing the coin flip, Penny Chenery automatically received the second foal born in 1969, as well as the only Bold Ruler foal that would be born in 1970 – Secretariat.

Through a two-sided coin, Secretariat had already redefined “winning” before he even entered the world.

Yes, Secretariat did just that.

On January 20, 1972, Secretariat left his home and set out on an extraordinary journey in his life. He arrived at Hialeah Park in Florida and began training to be a race horse. It was no small endeavor.

You see, before Secretariat became a “Superhorse,” he was just a red horse that garnered little respect. His groom, Eddie Sweat, stated “I didn’t think much of him when we first got him. I thought he was just a big clown. He was real clumsy and a bit on the wild side, you know.”

And, his trainer, Lucien Lauren, didn’t mince words when reporting to Chenery on Secretariat’s progress at the track. Lauren’s updates to Chenery were reportedly filled with remarks like, “I have to teach him how to run. He’s big, awkward, and doesn’t know what to do with himself.”

Yes, Secretariat started out just like that.

Awkward.

As a two-year-old, Secretariat experienced the feeling of defeat. Lauren would report to Chenery, “He hasn’t shown me much.” And, in his first maiden race, Secretariat didn’t.

He lost.

Yes, Secretariat started out just like that.

He was defeated in his first race.

And then, Secretariat felt the feeling of victory.

In July of 1972, Secretariat won his first maiden race while finishing six-lengths in front of the rest of the field. Writer William Nack, reported, “Secretariat had raced the fastest six furlongs of his life,” at the time of his maiden victory.

Nack went on to comment, “Secretariat raced as if he had a future.”

Yes, Secretariat did it just like that.

He saw the future laid before his eyes.

In his third race, Secretariat had his first brush with fame.

While he was being saddled for an allowance race, a circle of people had collected at the paddock to view him. Among the crowd, was veteran turf writer, Charles Hatton.

When Hatton first laid eyes on Secretariat, he would later report, “You carry an ideal around in your head, and boy, I thought, ‘This is it.’ I never saw perfection before. I absolutely could not fault him in any way. And neither could the rest of them and that was the amazing thing about it. They body and the head and the eye and the general attitude. It was just incredible. I couldn’t believe my eyes, frankly.”

Yes, Secretariat was just like that.

A vision of perfection.

And, by the end of his two-year-old season, Secretariat was infamous.

Between July and November of 1972, Secretariat had officially won 7 of his 9 races and became the first two-year-old in history to be named “Horse of the Year.” His breeding rights were syndicated for a world-record total of 6,080,000 before he even began his three-year-old career.

Yes, Secretariat did all of that.

He broke records before he ever began his bid for the Triple Crown.

And then, Secretariat set out to become unstoppable in his three-year-old career.

When he entered the post parade for his first race as a three-year-old in the Bay Shore Stakes, Trainer Syd Walters reportedly told Lauren, “Good luck… You get one of those in a lifetime.”

And, when he won his three-year-old debut by 4 ½ lengths, Roger Lauren was said to exclaim from his box seats, “He’s too much horse! They can’t stop him! They can’t even stop him with a wall of horses!”

Yes, Secretariat was all of that.

He appeared to be unstoppable.

And then, Secretariat experienced doubt.

As Secretariat headed toward the Derby, the rumor mill swirled about Secretariat’s soundness after losing the Wood Memorial. Jimmy Snyder, an odds maker, reportedly told an Associated Press reporter that he had heard Lucien Lauren was icing one of Secretariat’s knees. Lauren was incensed when he heard the remark.

In response, Lauren offered to fly Snyder to Kentucky, allow Snyder to pick his own veterinarian, and personally view an examination of Secretariat’s knees to prove the soundness of the horse.

When Snyder didn’t accept the offer, Lauren reportedly went on to publicly bet Snyder a thousand dollars that Secretariat was sound. Snyder refused the bet.

Yes, Secretariat saw all that.

He bet on his own ability.

And, Secretariat experienced friendship.

During his racing years, Secretariat would reportedly wait for Eddie Sweat, his groom, every morning in his stall.

When Sweat approached, Ron Turcotte reported, “He’d grab the tip of Secretariat’s tongue to wish him ‘Good Morning.’ Before you knew it, every time Eddie passed his stall, the horse stuck out his tongue.”

You see, Sweat had a philosophy about being a friend to a racehorse that Secretariat seemed to admire in his groom. He reportedly told writer William Nack, “Only way horses win is to sit there and spend time with ’em. Love ’em. Talk to ’em. Get to know ’em. Now, that’s what you gotta do. You love ’em and they’ll love you too. People may call me crazy, but that’s the way it is.”

Secretariat didn’t find it crazy.

People noticed the beautiful bond that Sweat had formed with Secretariat. Ted McClain, Barn Foreman for Lucien Lauren, provided a testament on their relationship to writer Lawrence Scanlan, in saying “Eddie and that horse were like brothers. Eddie lived with him; traveled with him. They were joined at the hip.”

Yes, Secretariat treasured all of that.

He appreciated the value of a good friend.

And then, Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby.

He had awoken at 4 o’clock in the morning and spent most of the day hanging around the back of his stall. According to Sweat, this was a good sign. He reportedly didn’t want to be bothered on race days.

When the gates opened, Secretariat delivered a beautiful response to his critics. He ran every quarter mile faster than the preceding quarter. And, in the home stretch, he passed his final rival – Sham – to claim a 2 ½ length victory.

Secretariat set a new winning track record of 1:59 2/5 for the Kentucky Derby.

Yes, Secretariat did just that.

He holds the Kentucky Derby track record to this day.

And then, Secretariat set his gaze on the second jewel of the Triple Crown – The Preakness.

Once he broke from the gate, Secretariat did something astounding. As he headed into the first turn, Secretariat was dead last. Within seconds, Secretariat passed the entire field by the end of the first turn and drove through the rest of the race like a big red Bentley. Secretariat ultimately captured a 2 ½ length victory in the Preakness.

Ron Turcotte never used his whip during the race. Turcotte would later comment, “The pace was slow and he wanted to run… He was determined to run. I figured, if this is the way he wants to do it, I’ll let him have his way.”

Those who watched the race were in awe of Secretariat’s performance in the Preakness. Baltimore Handicapper, Clem Florio, reportedly shook his head in amazement and said, “Horses just don’t do what he did here today… They just don’t do that and win.”

Yes, Secretariat could do all that.

He could make a person marvel over his ability to accomplish a seemingly impossible feat.

And then, Secretariat performed pure magic in the Belmont.

Prior to the race, Secretariat had a fun secret that he wasn’t sharing. He was going to change the very definition of “Winning the Belmont.”

Penny Chenery noticed his mood. Prior to the race, she reportedly stated that Secretariat had come back from a workout wanting to play, “as if he thinks racing is a game we thought up for his amusement.”

And, Lauren also saw that Secretariat had something up his sleeve. The night before the Belmont, the trainer reportedly stated, “I think he’ll win by more than he’s ever won in his life.”

As Ron Turcotte talked with Lauren before the race, Lawrence Scanlan wrote that the trainer reportedly told the jockey, “Neither send the horse nor hold him back. Just let him roll. Use ton proper jugement. Use your own judgment and let your horse use his.”

And Secretariat had made a judgment call.

When he broke from the gates, Secretariat set out to deliver what is arguably one of the finest performances in horse racing. Secretariat and Sham stood alone from the first turn through the middle of the second turn in an apparent match race. When Sham faded, Secretariat stood all alone in an otherworldly moment.

Turcotte hadn’t used a whip and the rest of the field was nowhere to be found.

The jockey would later explain the moment in saying, “I heard Sham’s hooves disappear behind me… And then, there was nothing. All I could hear was Secretariat’s breathing and his hooves hitting the ground. It was very quiet.”

Turcotte hand-rode Secretariat to a 31-length victory. The horse had not only broken the Belmont track record, but also, he set the world dirt track record for running a mile and a half in 2:24 flat.

He was coronated the first Triple Crown Winner in 25 years.

And, Secretariat did it just like that.

He raced in the Belmont in a way no one had imagined to be possible.

Later that year, Secretariat retired from racing.

After a farewell ceremony at Aqueduct, Secretariat was flown to Lexington, Kentucky to being his stud career at Claiborne Farm.

As Secretariat’s plane headed for the Bluegrass Airport, the airport tower reportedly called to the pilot, Dan Neff, “There’s more people out here to meet Secretariat than there was to greet the governor.” The pilot allegedly responded, “Well, he’s won more races than the governor.”

Secretariat was led down the ramp and a police escort followed his van to Claiborne Farm. He was placed in the stall of Bold Ruler, his father, to begin his own legacy as a sire.

Eddie Sweat, his longtime groom, reportedly stared at Secretariat in his new stall and mourned the end of his racing career in saying, “Well, it’s all over now. They’ll never forget you, big fella. Never.”

And, Secretariat would later show that he didn’t forget Sweat’s friendship that existed throughout his racing days.

A year later, Sweat returned to Claiborne to pick up a foal for Lucien Lauren. Sweat told a reporter that he was in awe that Secretariat remembered him. “Secretariat, he came over and pulled on my shirt, just like he always did.”

Secretariat missed his racing friend.

And, Secretariat showed all that.

He walked right up to him and greeted him as if they were at a reunion.

And through the years, Secretariat would entertain many guests who came to visit him at Claiborne Farm.

In 1974, an Ohio-based reporter wrote that Secretariat played “pickup sticks” during their visit. Secretariat would hold a stick in his mouth and wait for the reporter to take it from him and give it back.

Secretariat also loved the camera eye. Retired Farm Manager John Sosby explained, “With a camera, he’d pose. He was showman, but he was kind. You could walk right up and get your picture taken with him.”

John Asher later told of how Secretariat posed for him when he went with a groom to see the horse in his paddock. “He was at the top of the hill. The groom I was with didn’t speak loudly. He just said, ‘Hey, Red.’” In a flash, Asher recalled Secretariat charging toward them, “BOOM! Here he comes. Flying down the hill. Absolutely flying down the hill. He gets to the fence at the end of the paddock where we were standing… Stops. And poses.”

Vickie Byrd told the story of how she visited Secretariat during a business trip. She reflected, “The big star in the barn was Secretariat. We were allowed to pet him and pose for pictures. It was like getting our picture taken with a movie star.” And, Secretariat left quite an impression on film. Byrd stated, “The funniest thing was after we got our pictures developed, we looked at one and saw that Secretariat had his tongue sticking out… Like a little kid!”

Secretariat also entertained children who came to visit the farm. Michele Valenta recalls that she visited Secretariat as a five-year-old girl, “I got to pet his nose and we turned around and walked away, looking at the other horses in the barn.” Valenta continued, “Shortly after, we heard clip-clop-clip-clop-clip-clop. We turned around to see Secretariat in all his red glory.” Valenta stated, “He was obviously perturbed when he was escorted back to this stall. Ears back, very annoyed.” She reflected, “He stole my heart then. He was so full of personality and I could see it, even at a young age.”

When Robin Porcelain visited Secretariat with her husband, Warren, he proved himself a showman. She stated, “Secretariat obviously knew how special he was and majestically pranced and strutted for us.”

Dorothy Henderson, wife of Secretariat’s final groom at Claiborne, Bobby Henderson, remembers him for his kind nature. “I’ve never seen a horse like him. He was just like a big pet. He had a big heart, it was almost as big as two hearts, and you could almost see that.”

And finally, John Sosby reminisces about Secretariat’s sharp intellect during his time at Claiborne Farm. Sosby joked, “He never learned to play checkers because we didn’t know how to teach him.”

Through racing and retirement, Secretariat proved himself to be everything.

And, his legacy remains intact.

Years after Secretariat left the racing, Charles Hatton marveled at his perfection, “He’s the greatest horse that anyone has ever seen. Don’t let anyone kid you. He could do anything, and he could do it better than any horse I ever saw. No question about it in my mind.”

And it seems, Secretariat knew that.

Through his entire life, he demonstrated the beauty of being everything.

He was called awkward before he was deemed perfect.

He was defeated before he knew victory.

He was a celebrity and an icon.

He was a Triple Crown Winner.

He was a friend.

He was a father.

He was Secretariat.

And, Secretariat was everything.

The California Flash

2010-09-02T18:55:00Z

By Dani Pugh, of Horsin' Around

Watch out turf sprinters of California: the silver streak of lightning California Flag is back and is more polished than ever before. Going into the August 18 Green Flash at Del Mar, the connections of California Flag made it well know that they were not expecting a win from their flashy silver bullet.  

Breaking from the gate California Flag, known for his blazing early speed, was taken back into fourth place, shaking up the entire making of the race. Turning for home Mike Smith decided to shake the six year old up, and shake him up he did. California Flag dug down and produce a late kick that closed ever so steadily on Quick Enough and was just enough to hold of Summer Slew as the trio flashed under the wire.  

The final time for five furlongs over the firm turf was a scorching 55.58 seconds. What made the victory even more impressive was that it was the grey gelding's first start in nearly five months, his most recent having been the Al Quoz Sprint, in Dubai, where California Flag represented America with a third place finish.  

With the victory has announced loud and clear he is not ready to hang up his cape quite yet and that any young guns willing to face him will have a fight on their hands to take the crown he so proudly wears as the best turf sprinter in America.

The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

2010-08-27T21:05:00Z

By Bill Pressey Thoroedge Equine Performance

Pedigree and conformation are what you pay for at the sales.

Once you have your prospects, don’t simply train them like everyone else – invest a little extra time and attention, not money for once, and you can gain an edge on the competition by the time you get to the track.

HOW TO GET THE BONE DENSITY OF A RACING 4 YEAR OLD IN YOUR 2 YEAR OLDS

My job is to comb through hundreds of pages of scientific studies put forth by the brightest minds in the equine industry and find things of use to my clients.

By far, the biggest discovery was a specific exercise protocol for 2 year old horses hidden within the landmark Maryland Shin Study by David Nunamaker of the New Bolton Center for Veterinary Medicine:

(http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/aaep/2002/910102000076.PDF)

This study has been around for many years, yet my experience shows less than 10% of those who can benefit from the findings are actually putting the recommendations into practice. On a personal note, I work with an $11,000 yearling purchase that exhibits the same physiological ability of a Derby hopeful for an international racing concern that paid a six figure stud fee in 2008.

My filly adds speed work at the end of gallops twice a week, while the regally bred colt is trained in a traditional manner of 2 mile gallops with a breeze thrown in every 7-10 days. Both will be at the races this fall, stay tuned for an update – but for now let’s look at how YOU can condition your two year olds for maximum soundness and earning potential in the upcoming season.

Why is the practice of ‘legging up’ dangerous for racehorses?

Because 70% of traditionally trained two year olds develop some sort of repetitive loading injury in the shins, which compromises soundness and earning potential.

Old school trainers would often buck shins on purpose, in order to ‘get it out of the way’, rest and resume training. Although many live through this process and come out OK, Nunamaker found that over 12% of these athletes suffer saucer fractures later on in their careers.

Standardbreds don’t buck their shins because they train and race in the same gait, a trot or pace.

Thoroughbreds have shin problems because they often train at varied paces – many slower than race pace.

They build ‘gallop’ bone, not ‘breeze’ bone. Therefore when breezes are introduced, trouble often arises. When galloping slower than a 2:45 pace, the cannon bone strikes the ground at an angle, and new bone rapidly forms to counteract this.

However, at breeze speeds of 13sec/furlong or faster, the cannon bone strikes the ground at 90 degrees, with more dense bone forming as a result on the front and inner surfaces of the cannon bones – which is ideal for withstanding the rigors of racing. See images below:

Before we begin, I need to indentify two terms: classical training and modified training.

Classical training can also be referred to as traditional training and consists of many miles of long, slow gallops designed to ‘leg up’ the 2 year old for a future at the racetrack. Most gallops stop increasing distance at 2 miles, and paces are kept in the range of 18-20 sec/furlong, or about a 2:30 min/mile. Breezes are introduced at a frequency of once every 7-10 days and range from 1F to 4F in length, with speeds of approximately 13 sec/furlong. Sound familiar?

Modified training can be referred to as scientific training, as its specifics have been devised from Nunamaker, John Fisher DVM, and others through rigorous testing and evaluation of several hundred 2 year olds over the past 2 decades. The gallops typically are shorter, from a mile to a mile and a quarter, and speedwork is introduced much earlier. Twice each week a gallop ends with speed work, starting with 1F in 15 seconds, and ending 3 months later with 3F in :40.

Here are the study details with pictures:

A – Group 1 – traditional training on a dirt track, this horse bucked his shins
B – Group 2 – traditional training on wood chip surface, even less new bone than Group 1
C – Group 3 – control group turned out to pasture, cannon bone still mostly round
D – Group 4 – modified training group, thick/dense bone on front and inside of shin
E – Table of results – green line represents racing 3 year olds, our 2 year olds in Stable 4 (black line) demonstrate superior bone growth compared to this group of seasoned competitors, without even racing yet!

After this initial study, Nunamaker and others went about testing their findings on a larger scale; where 226 two year olds were followed from 5 different stables over a period of 11 years.

Stable 2, with frequent breezes and modified training, was found to reduce the likelihood of bucked shins by 98.6%.

Training traditionally, Stables 1 and 4 had the largest incidences of bucked shins, with weekly breezing found to increase the chances of bucked shins by 36.4%.

Even if they didn’t buck, overall development was compromised by the failure to build race-appropriate bone and tendon strength as a juvenile.

So we now have ideal bone growth in our 2 year olds, imagine how this type of training similarly optimizes the condition of ligaments, tendons, muscles, nervous system, blood chemistry, capillarization of lung tissue, etc.?

For instance, my 2 year old filly will make her debut without Lasix – as her lungs have been exposed to the pressures of speed over dirt in a very gradual manner throughout the past 4 months and the vet suspects, much like her bones, these structures will be well suited for racing.

Modified 2 year old training at Fair Hill in Maryland

Dr. John Fisher, DVM at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland has been fine tuning this protocol for many years within his own stable.

Young horses are broken to ride in the fall and are able to gallop one mile in 18-20sec/furlong pace by the end of December of their 1 year old year.

The principle Dr. Fisher operates under is that the bones of a young horse need to experience the strains associated with racing speeds as soon as possible so that bones can begin to remodel appropriately. A side effect of this practice is that all other systems of the equine body do as well, especially the tiny lung sacs that cause so much problems later on when they bleed (EIPH).

Rick Arthur DVM has expressed the need for cannon bones to be elliptical in shape, rather than round. Thicker bone development is desired on the inside and front edges in order to better withstand the rigors of racing.

Galloping at 18sec/furlong and slower exposes bone to a stretching, or shearing, type of tension while breezing causes compression like forces which foster bone growth that is ideal for racing.

The message to take home here is simply not ‘more speed is better’ but that when you progressively load bones with exercise specific to racing you get an ideal result: bones as strong as a 4 year old, with soft tissues to match, according to Allen Goodship, PhD at England’s Royal Veterinary College.

Details of Modified Training Protocol developed by Dr. John Fisher at Fair Hill Training Center:

-Fisher Stage 1
Finish 2 gallops (TUE and SAT) with final furlong in :15 for 5 weeks.

-Fisher Stage 2
Finish 2 gallops (TUE and SAT) with final 2F in :30 for 5 weeks.

-Fisher Stage 3
Gallops are extended to 1.25 miles twice per week.
Finish 1 gallop (SAT) with final 2F in :26 for 4 weeks.
Finish 1 gallop (SAT) with final 3F in :40 for 3 weeks

From ‘On Bucked Shins’ by Nunamaker, with respect to the above exercise protocol:

“This training program has shown no increase in the injury rate of young horses.

An excellent by-product of this training program is the mental development of these 2-yr-olds. Because of the very relaxed atmosphere of walking to and from the racetrack, these individuals exhibit no anxiety about their work.

For this training program to work the rider cannot be in a hurry to get back to the barn and on the next horse. The 2-yr-olds are not anxious about speed work because it has been in their weekly schedule since the beginning of training.

All the animals walk back to the barn. Walking is a great exercise that does not seem to negatively influence bone modeling or remodeling.”

Another take on the same concept from Dr. Jack Woolsey, DVM:

Distance	Speed/Pace	Total Time	Frequency	Duration
1F	15 sec/furlong	:15	2x/week	2 weeks
2F	15 sec/furlong	:30	2x/week	2 weeks
3F	15 sec/furlong	:45	2x/week	2 weeks
4F	15 sec/furlong	:60	2x/week	2 weeks
2F	13 sec/furlong	:26	2x/week	3 weeks
3F	13 sec/furlong	:39	2x/week	3 weeks
4F	13 sec/furlong	:52	Every 5 days	2 weeks

*31 breezes in 16 weeks, starting Jan. 1st and ending April 15th – conversely, traditionally trained 2 year olds may get worked from 2-4F on average 12 times before heading to the starting gate.

*Notice how speed is kept constant as distance increases, then as speed increases, distance drops back off. Excellent example of changing exercise variables to induce positive adaptations, in this case as one variable is increased (speed) another is decreased (distance) in order to avoid overtraining.

This is the exact protocol I used with a client in the US who made a very modest purchase at Keeneland last fall. At first, local trainers told him he was going to ‘kill’ this filly with all of the speed work. Now these same guys think that he has a future stakes winner on his hands. The confidence that a young horse gets from being given achievable physical goals that progress logically is astounding.

The Science Behind the Results:

The overriding principle of exercise physiology is that of Progressive Overload. Doesn’t matter if you train a horse, human, camel, or greyhound – every living being grows stronger when stressed in a progressive manner. By simply manipulating the variables of frequency, duration, and intensity – you force the physiological systems to adapt in an effort to survive, i.e. grow stronger.

Another key scientific term is Specificity. The closer the semblance of the training is to the competition, the better the results. Nunamaker proved this over the past 20 years: gallops build a certain type of bone, and breezes build another. It’s the breeze bone that is needed to race safely. ‘Legging up’ may very well indeed aid in aerobic conditioning as well as development of other soft tissue systems, but the long slow gallops of the past are detrimental to bone structure – which is the key system in any developing 2 year old thoroughbred.

How to verify the program is actually working

In order to objectively measure actual performance in the mornings, I use a heart rate monitor/GPS setup and calculate V200, which is the speed of movement when HR hits 200bpm, about 85% intensity for most horses. In effect, this is maximum cruising speed.

I consult with hundreds of horses around the world and I see V200 numbers ranging from 16mph to 28mph. Typically 2 year olds in training range from 20-23mph. However, at the age of 2 this filly is now at 26mph, which is exactly where some 2011 Derby hopefuls are up at Saratoga – classically trained colts of course with ideal conformation and perfect pedigrees.

This is what a gallop looks like on my software when a 2 year old on this type of training regimen is progessing nicely:

Now here’s the tricky part – how to define when a horse is able to gallop a mile in 2:45 ‘comfortably’ and therefore ready to begin the program?

Also, how can one determine if the twice weekly speed works are too much for the individual?

Again I rely on the horsemanship of my customers, along with quantitative data gleaned from my HR/GPS equipment. If a horse typically shows HR of 80bpm when walking to the track but one morning just won’t drop below 110bpm – the workout is aborted.

If that same horse typically gallops at a 2:30 pace on non work days and shows a HR below 200bpm I am happy, but if one day he suddenly spikes to 212bpm – he is taken off the work tab immediately.

More specifically, I define ‘comfortably’ as being able to gallop the required mile in 2:45 and exhibit a recovery heart rate of under 120bpm within 2 minutes of finishing the exercise, with this measurement taking place during the gallop-out via onboard equipment. Once a youngster passes this ‘test’ he is ready to begin the conditioning protocol outlined above.

In summary:

Don’t take my word for it, but look to people way smarter than myself like David Nunamaker, John Fisher, and Rick Arthur for ways to structure training of your 2 year old in order to give yourself an edge over the competition.

Horses will still pull up lame on this training schedule periodically, as in any other regimen – but your success rate and ROI will improve considerably when you utilize science and technology to the maximum at a young age when your prize prospect can set the stage for a firm foundation to last throughout his/her racing career.

Social Interaction

2010-08-24T17:06:00Z

By Patrick Patten, Handride

I have been mulling this over in my head for months now, but with Ed DeRosa's recent post I figured I'd add my .02 cents into what I'm looking for with social interaction from any horse racing website. First, as fans we deserve more than we are getting. I understand signing into websites, but I have no idea what I'm getting in return for providing that information when it comes to horse racing websites. I think it is about time these sites put some resources behind this sign-in to make it worth our while.

  My thinking..... On Saturday I wake up to find my wonderful wife has taken my 3 wonderful kids away for the day, and Daddy has the day for himself. There's even that day's DRF on the table 'cause she figured that's what I would do. But it's raining out and my friends aren't going to Monmouth, so I'm left to watch it on TV, and to bet online.   

I log on to the website (or maybe an app). I have a little interface like I do on most sites: I have friends, I can see what they are saying, I’m friends with some tracks and I’m getting their scratches, weather, and news. However, my focus is at Monmouth Park this morning. So, I check-in to Monmouth Park. I'm not quite the mayor there, but I've earned the badge "degenerate" and in a couple more weeks I'm sure I'll be mayor. Other users are here talking about that day of racing, bets, conditions -- just chattering on this enclosed feed. Some information right at my fingertips: MTP, PP's (I can purchase), basic info like runner's name, trainer, jockey, odds, race info. Furthermore, there are links to ADW's handling that track so I can go make a bet, but I can also place my bet w/ this website (fake money of course).

I have options when doing this. I can keep it all private or I can go public with my picks in hopes of gaining some credibility with the community, points with the website, and just to strike up some conversations. This website makes it easy for me to track my bets: I put them in like other sites and the site tracks them and calculates my payoffs. The site also goes one step further in analyzing my bets; slicing and dicing them to help me figure out what I’m good at, and more likely what I’m not good at. Since I’m home alone -- and not gambling millions -- I’m going public with my wagering. I place a bet, and it comes up in the group feed,"Handride: $5 W/S on #5 in race 2 (stats)."

What is that "Stats"? Well the site will use my prior history to publish how I do on these type of wagers. Think of the trainer line at the bottom of PP's -- but for gamblers. Cool, right? So I can watch other players make wagers, and if I see something I like from someone who has a good record I'll probably jump on his bandwagon; maybe if I don't like the bet I can "back" it. It's fake money of course so this type of exchange is no big deal.

Why would a good gambler put their picks out there? Why not! I don't think everyone will do it, but there are some people who like to open with their bets to gain popularity and credibility, so people will do it. Popularity and credibility aren't all a public wager will get you. A gambler earns "points" by all manner of things: Obviously with money earned, but also hitting the biggest exacta of the day, or hitting a super, backing the most of other's peoples bets and coming out on top... you can take your points and gift them to other users who helped you score, or you could turn in your points for something from the site, like an upgrade on your next purchase of PP's or other types of discounts. We're talking A LOT of points; most social sites just have points/karma/likes that get you nothing. While I'm betting at Monmouth I can check into Saratoga and have the same experience and now I'm getting the feeds of both tracks and placing wagers and interacting w/ other people from both places. It's as close to being on the rail, and in some ways would be better. The key for any successful website isn’t making an experience like something else, but by making it better.

Why would a site do it? This idea obviously will take resources, including money. Maybe they sell PP's, or other wagering information which this site/app would help create demand for. Maybe they are an ADW and do this for their fake money site as it does link to ADW’s for real betting. Either way the site creates a captive audience which is what all sites want. The more time users spend on the site, the better it is for the site itself.

The Lily Queen: Blind Luck Proves Pollard's Vision Correct in Finding the Lucky One.

2010-08-11T19:25:00Z

By Jennifer Wirth, The Saturday Post

Luck is an interesting thing.

You find it when you least expect it.

And, in some moments, luck finds you.

In the case of Blind Luck, it arrives when you’re not looking.

In April of 2007, a mare named Lucky One gave birth to a foal in Kentucky at Fairlawn Farm.

The foal’s father, Pollard’s Vision, was blind in one eye and had been named for sharing the same trait with Red Pollard, Seabiscuit’s Jockey.

After multiple graded-stakes victories during his career, Pollard’s Vision was eventually retired after his final race at Saratoga in August of 2005.

It was the same track where he had begun his career with a 12½ length maiden victory.

A few years after Pollard’s Vision ran his last race at Saratoga, the daughter of the half-blind horse and the one “lucky” mare was entering the sales ring.

She was initially sold as a yearling for $11,000 at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale.

Roughly a year later, the two-year-old filly was back in the ring at auction.

In April of 2009, she was entered in the Ocala Breeder’s April sale. After failing to garner serious attention from bidders, the filly was bought back for $10,000.

Roughly two months later, the filly set foot on the track for a $40,000 maiden claiming race at Calder Race Course.

It was the first time her name appeared in a program.

“Blind Luck.”

As she entered the gates, the $10,000 filly faced odds of 5 to 1 from the betting public.

But, luck doesn’t mind odds.

The sheer nature of luck is beating them.

As Blind Luck claimed a 13¼ length maiden victory, she began to mirror Pollard’s Vision in finding the Lucky One.

Blind Luck cleared her maiden race in the same runaway fashion as her father had done in his 12½ length maiden race at Saratoga.

Yet, few saw Blind Luck when she appeared in the gates – she didn’t get claimed in her debut.

The nature of luck can elude the eyes.

Yet, luck didn’t elude Pollard’s Vision.

And, after the race, Blind Luck didn’t escape the vision of Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

After she broke her maiden by 13¼ lengths, Hollendorfer privately purchased Blind Luck.

He saw a stakes-bound horse.

And, Blind Luck agreed.

In her next eight starts, Blind Luck captured five victories – four of which were in Grade 1 races.

In April of 2010, Blind Luck was shipped from California to Kentucky to challenge a field of rivals in the Kentucky Oaks.

As the gates opened, Blind Luck hung at the back of the pack as the rest of the contenders bulleted around the oval.

It appeared her luck had run out.

Then, Blind Luck took hold in the race.

As the field turned for the wire, Blind Luck picked off her rivals in a heart-stopping victory.

She won by a nose.

As Blind Luck was draped in a Garland of Lilies, she proved Pollard’s Vision correct.

Blind Luck had just claimed her fifth Grade 1 victory.

And, it appears her luck isn’t running out.

In her last race, Blind Luck nipped her rivals at the wire in the Delaware Oaks to claim her eighth victory in twelve career starts.

As Blind Luck heads toward Saratoga for the Alabama Stakes, she will race around the same circle where Pollard’s Vision started and finished his career.

And, as she stamps out her own hoof print on the Saratoga track, she is a perfect vision of luck.

Blind Luck.

2009 Is Over, It's 2010 Now

2010-07-15T16:00:00Z

By Laura Pugh, of Horsin' Around

“I'll bet Eclipse voters are really regretting their decision now." "Now what do the voters think of Horse of the Year." "Bet voters wish they could change their minds." This is not even a tenth of what is being said or what has been said, seven months after the Eclipse Awards were announced. Did you get that last bit SEVEN MONTHS.

Yet again, in 2010, we have not one, but two mega mares and all people can do is bash one or the other. Every single blog that mentions the name Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta deteriorates into a bunch of name calling and insult slinging. Steve Haskin, has now announced he will not be opening any of the pieces he writes on Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta to comments. Yeah, that is how bad it's gotten.

The constant bashing of these two magnificent mares has got to end. How can anyone with half a brain insult a filly who has run eight straight 100 plus Beyer speed figures in a row? How do you slam a filly who ran against males not once, not twice, but thrice in one year and never once tasted defeat? How do insult a filly who was so quick that she owns three stakes records and comes within fifths of setting track records?

By the same token how does anyone with half a brain insult a mare who is unbeaten lifetime? How do you slam her when she runs down every single horse in front of her, including those in the Breeders Cup Classic? How do call Zenyatta names like polyzen and Rachel Alexandra a miler when both have proven otherwise?

I know what each side wanted last year. I know the arguments and rebuttals for each side so well I could probably argue with myself which horse is better. I understand that Zenyatta's side was let down for a second year in a row and I understand that Rachel fans were shell shocked to see their champion lose her first two races back. What I don't understand is the need revert back to the past and slam Rachel for losing or rub in the fact that Zenyatta did not get Horse of the Year.I understand the questioning of connections, the defending of your favorite, pointing out flaws because that is what debating is about. It is not about who can come up with the most wildly, ridiculous insult.

As of 2010 we have both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra back. One continues to keep on trucking along, while the other is just starting to regain her form. So far both are taking rather bizarre paths toward their ultimate goal, the Breeders Cup Classic, but you can rest assured that both connections will have their mares at their peak to give us a show that will never be forgotten.

We need to forget the bitterness of 2009 and look at what we have now and what the future holds. Right now we have two superstars that are on a collision course to Churchill Downs. There they will meet the likes of Quality Road, Rail Trip, and Blame in one final race where winner takes all. People, 2009 ended seven months ago, it's time to move into 2010.