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  1. #1

    Horse Racing 2021

    Greetings Red Boarders, Punters, Racing Fans, and Gamblers,

    The goal of this Forum is to talk of all things equine, especially as it comes to horse racing and related breeding topics. I hope that you folks will enjoy subjects that are introduced and will be motivated to participate, poke fun (when appropriate.. and not), ask questions, and predict outcomes. I will play with names and bump around different breeds on occassion, and dapple (mis-spelling intended) in racing history and tangents as I often do.

    For the Thoroughbred (TBred) 3YO Colts (3YOC) it starts for the Kentucky Derby 2021 on January 1st with the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1050920
    You can have your fill of Swill or Eagle Orb. Eagle Orb won the Notebook at Aqueduct last time out, on a good track. There is moisture in the air and the forecast.
    Previous winners include: Housebuster, Firenze Fire, Afleet, Ogygian, and last year Independence Hall; top steeds.

    On Saturday, you get the Mucho Macho Man at the Gulfstream Park, with Pickin' Time:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1434910

    Also on Saturday is the Sham, with Baffert stable's next super-star Life Is Good, and Uncle Boogie on the beat:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1341944

    We'll see if we can find a candidate for the Kentucky Oaks in the Glitter Woman at Gulfstream Park:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...&param3=717455


    Here is the end of the previous thread in case you need to reference something:
    https://forums.dukebasketballreport...ng-2020/page14

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Last edited by DevilHorse; 12-31-2020 at 05:32 PM.

  2. #2

    In Memoriam - 2020

    In the throughbred world, here is an In Memoriam:
    https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne...st_in_2020_123

    Here is an In Memoriam for the standardbred world:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOTn-2C6nt4

    In terms of impacts:
    For Thoroughbreds, A.P. Indy had a full life, and his legacy is assured. His stamina and brilliance bred through. As the top son of the surprise and immense triple crown winner Seattle Slew, out of the amazingly fecund broodmare Weekend Surprise (dam of 2 Preakness winners, and tons of quality) have produced classic line horses, producing broodmares, and appears in the lines of Top Ten studs. We all have to go sometime, but this horse left a legacy and justified paying top dollar for yearlings as he was the top priced yearling of his generation.

    For Standardbreds, Joe Defrank passed away, you may not know him, but he became the Race Secretary for the Meadowlands which grew into the premier harness track in the world for decades. Writing the conditions for races, and putting the stakes schedule together, and the related promotions, helps to bring the stars of the sport together and builds fans. That is how a sport prospers. All horse sports needs guys like Joe Defrank.

    Muscles Yankee was a great race horse, but a better sire than a race horse. He dominated at each stage of his life. Including being able to top his generation on the race track, top the sire list for many years as a trotter, and to produce a son who exceeds his sire in speed and siring ability in Muscle Hill. A great accomplishment.

    There were other horses and people in the industry of whom I was a fan of or acquainted with, who passed. Some by COVID-19. I read yesterday that there will be 2 new series run at Freehold Raceway, both for 2 people that I knew who passed last year. A fitting bittersweet memorial to these folks. One was a driver (Harold Kelly) who won 2 races for me at the Meadowlands and the other (Vincent Fusco Jr.) a Trainer who shared a barn with us and died along with several members of his family early in this pandemic when multiple family members perishing in a family was still unheard of.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    Greetings Red Boarders, Punters, Racing Fans, and Gamblers,

    The goal of this Forum is to talk of all things equine, especially as it comes to horse racing and related breeding topics. I hope that you folks will enjoy subjects that are introduced and will be motivated to participate, poke fun (when appropriate.. and not), ask questions, and predict outcomes. I will play with names and bump around different breeds on occassion, and dapple (mis-spelling intended) in racing history and tangents as I often do.

    For the Thoroughbred (TBred) 3YO Colts (3YOC) it starts for the Kentucky Derby 2021 on January 1st with the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1050920
    You can have your fill of Swill or Eagle Orb. Eagle Orb won the Notebook at Aqueduct last time out, on a good track. There is moisture in the air and the forecast.
    Previous winners include: Housebuster, Firenze Fire, Afleet, Ogygian, and last year Independence Hall; top steeds.

    On Saturday, you get the Mucho Macho Man at the Gulfstream Park, with Pickin' Time:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1434910

    Also on Saturday is the Sham, with Baffert stable's next super-star Life Is Good, and Uncle Boogie on the beat:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1341944

    We'll see if we can find a candidate for the Kentucky Oaks in the Glitter Woman at Gulfstream Park:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...&param3=717455


    Here is the end of the previous thread in case you need to reference something:
    https://forums.dukebasketballreport...ng-2020/page14

    Larry
    DevilHorse

    Glad to see a few dozen eyeballs viewing this Forum. Would like to see some banter.

    The Jerome took place on a Muddy track, in a relatively slow time.
    One horse liked it. A maiden winner named Capo Kane took the lead early and did not look back.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
    Swill or Eagle Orb looked like they were running in syrup in the stretch.

    Capo Kane gets 10 KY Derby (KYD) points for that win in the Jerome. We'll keep an eye on his progress.

    We will add Sunday's Santa Ynez for 3YOF to the watch list. Baffert only has 4 fillies in there.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1341944
    Kalypso and Varda look like the best. Varda came from off the pace to beat Kalypso in a mile race last time out, but this is a 7f race, and Varda picks up 2 lbs. We'll see.

    Are you familiar with reasons why horses get coupled in a race.
    Always it is either because the two horses are owned by the same person/group, or they have the same trainer. This is to protect the public from tactics that would stem from collusion between the jockeys to cause one horse to have extra favor to win.
    Well here is something new:
    Jockeys Trevor McCarthy and Katie Davis were married earlier this month. Per @NYSGamingComm, any time both have a mount in the same race, those horses will be coupled including stakes. This comes into play twice on Friday, three times Saturday and once on Sunday.

    Wow, imagine a husband and wife colluding.
    You know there are different rules about owners, trainers, and jockeys/drivers betting on races where they have horses in the race; also different rules depending on stakes races or not. Limits on exotics, betting at all, limits to win bets on their horses only. I remember Pocono Downs had a Betting Window right in with the horseman; I thought that was terrible!!! Some states don't couple horses from the same trainer or owner. YMMV. Keep an eye out for different rules in different states.

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Last edited by DevilHorse; 01-02-2021 at 09:04 AM.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post

    On Saturday, you get the Mucho Macho Man at the Gulfstream Park, with Pickin' Time:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1434910

    Also on Saturday is the Sham, with Baffert stable's next super-star Life Is Good, and Uncle Boogie on the beat:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1341944

    We'll see if we can find a candidate for the Kentucky Oaks in the Glitter Woman at Gulfstream Park:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...&param3=717455

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Interesting day for the 3YOs:

    The nice Into Mischief colt, Mutasaasbeq, won the Mucho Macho Man.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
    He was the odds-on favorite, trained by Pletcher, so no news there. Pickin Time was squeezed at the start. Good time on a fast track. One of several Authentic look alikes on the day.
    I tend to stay away from horses that I can't spell without repeated looks at the program, or have trouble pronouncing. This hurts my picks terribly since Godolphin has such great racing stock
    Consider this an anti-tip; don't stay away from horses who's names you don't like or that don't belong on a trophy at Churchill Downs. A lot of them win.

    In the Sham Stakes, Life Is Good won, but it didn't LOOK easy. He took a commanding lead, especially when going 4 wide in the first turn and 2 wide in the final turn. On cruise control the whole way, and shown the whip when Medina Spirit came at him in the stretch. Life Is Good prevailed by a length. All parties concede that this is more like Authentic loafing on the lead (in the Haskell, remember that?!) rather than Life Is Good getting tired. This is the colt's 2nd race, and first 2 turn race. He also got the top Beyer figure for a 3YO on the day (101), compared to Capo Kane's 84 or Mutasaasbeq's 87. And Medina Spirit, may be a REAL race horse too. Medina Spirit is trained by Baffert, had a 94 maiden win (his only previous race), has oodles of route in his pedigree (Unbridled, 3 crosses to Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Deputy Minister), and a little speed on the dam side with Holy Bull, so he is good to go, but only sold for $35K, possibly because Protonico (his sire) is not well known, but he won almost $1M. The next closest horse was 13 lengths behind Life Is Good and Medina Spirit. Striking! There will be some great 3YOC racing in California this spring, unless Baffert splits them up.

    There was also a very interesting Maiden Race at the Fair Grounds. Lots of buzz because there was pedigree and price in the firsters starting.
    Defeater looks like a new horse to follow based on his 2 1/2 length victory in that one:
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
    This is a son of Union Rags.

    In the Glitter Woman, Competitive Speed, out of the nice New York stallion Competitive Edge, won by 3 and paid $20.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on

    Here is an update on the 3YO KYD picture:
    Probably missing some horses:
    https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne...prep_races_123



    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Last edited by DevilHorse; 01-03-2021 at 09:45 AM.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post

    We will add Sunday's Santa Ynez for 3YOF to the watch list. Baffert only has 4 fillies in there.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1341944
    Kalypso and Varda look like the best. Varda came from off the pace to beat Kalypso in a mile race last time out, but this is a 7f race, and Varda picks up 2 lbs. We'll see.


    Larry
    DevilHorse
    With the scratching of Varda, Kalypso had an easy time of it in the Santa Ynez:
    http://www.brisnet.com/-bin/instant...e=inc&print=on

    Frosteria took the place for a Baffert exacta paying $5.60.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  6. #6

    Saturday 1/9/2021 Action

    On Saturday 1/9/2021, a couple of those high priced yearling/2YOC's, on the KY Derby trail, are in for the first time at Gulfstream Park:

    In Race 3, Gulfstream Park, is Lamutanaatty. Purchased as a yearling for $700K. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the horse has a couple of bullet works.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...240&param3=720

    In Race 7, Gulfstream Park, is Rosenquist. Purchased as a yearling for $750K. In against a more seasoned group with a lot of first time lasix horses.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1004437


    Both colts trained by the superb Chad Brown.

    In other news, Maxfield will NOT go in the Pegasus, according to his connections.

    And Shancelot has been retired with a tendon injury. This horse showed amazing speed, but was trained by Navarro, who was later arrested for using banned substances. He never raced again, but trained for a whole year.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    On Saturday 1/9/2021, a couple of those high priced yearling/2YOC's, on the KY Derby trail, are in for the first time at Gulfstream Park:

    In Race 3, Gulfstream Park, is Lamutanaatty. Purchased as a yearling for $700K. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the horse has a couple of bullet works.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...240&param3=720

    In Race 7, Gulfstream Park, is Rosenquist. Purchased as a yearling for $750K. In against a more seasoned group with a lot of first time lasix horses.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1004437


    Both colts trained by the superb Chad Brown.


    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Well, looks like we had one stud and one dud based on yesterdays performance (anyway).

    Lamutanaatty fought against a one time starter and looked very tough and game in winning his first lifetime start in a nice 1:11 4/5, in a protracted stretch duel that saw the top 2 horses blow away the remaining horses. He is.. a son of Into Mischief (broken record). Second place Sainthood looked really good too.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on

    Rosenquist started slow in his race where everybody wanted the front; it was a good set-up for him. But he wasn't up to the task and finished mid-pack.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on

    Here's some insight into KYD and early New York preps contender Capo Kane:
    https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne...ucky_Derby_123

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Franklin TN
    Thanks for the information and links. As a newly retired person I have enjoyed horse racing during these pandemic times. I don’t follow it as closely in December and January, but will probably watch more when Oaklawn opens. It was great having America’s Day at the Races on Fox Sports this past year. Some how racing without a crowd is not as depressing as human athletes with no fans. Keep up the good work!

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by TheDevilMadeMeDoIt View Post
    Thanks for the information and links. As a newly retired person I have enjoyed horse racing during these pandemic times. I don’t follow it as closely in December and January, but will probably watch more when Oaklawn opens. It was great having America’s Day at the Races on Fox Sports this past year. Some how racing without a crowd is not as depressing as human athletes with no fans. Keep up the good work!
    Thanks for that feedback. I really appreciate that.
    Maxfield is doing OK, but they're obviously being careful with him

    Here is something else for you to follow today, if the football games get (too) boring.

    One of the early 3YOs of interest last year was Mischevious Alex. He won the Gotham and the Swale Stakes (both Grade 3's) on the road to the KYD; then he faltered in some Grade 1 stakes later in the year. He re-appears today in Race 10 at Gulfstream Park.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1434910

    This is "Alex's" first race in 5 months. He races in a sprint, from the 'golden' 1 hole, against mostly lesser animals. He is now in the barn of a good trainer, Joseph Saffie Jr., mentioned several times in this thread, and has Irad (top Jockey from last year) in the saddle. The works have been average for a horse of this quality.

    This is a 6f race, but Alex had been competing at 7f and 1Mile as a stalker.
    His competition are older horses, some of whom had better speed figures, but they were months ago, or on the turf.
    If ready, Alex should 'walk'. (my foot is inserted in my mouth).

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  10. #10

    Catemaco - Feel Good Story

    From time to time there is a feel good story that comes to our attention. On Jan 1, a horse named Catemaco made his first parimutuel start, at Santa Anita and won. Great for the owners and trainer (same person Kristin Mulhall) for sticking with this horse. They were rewarded.

    The remarkable part of this story is that at 4 months old (the horse, not Kristin), Kristin had to perform an emergency tracheotomy on this foal as it was in distress and near death. What a story!

    Catemaco is a grandson of A.P. Indy and is 3x4 to Mr. Prospector. He has some license to go on.

    Check out the link and the live video at the bottom:
    https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-rac...aving-measures

    You guys want more like these?

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    Thanks for that feedback. I really appreciate that.
    Maxfield is doing OK, but they're obviously being careful with him

    Here is something else for you to follow today, if the football games get (too) boring.

    One of the early 3YOs of interest last year was Mischevious Alex. He won the Gotham and the Swale Stakes (both Grade 3's) on the road to the KYD; then he faltered in some Grade 1 stakes later in the year. He re-appears today in Race 10 at Gulfstream Park.
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1434910

    This is "Alex's" first race in 5 months. He races in a sprint, from the 'golden' 1 hole, against mostly lesser animals. He is now in the barn of a good trainer, Joseph Saffie Jr., mentioned several times in this thread, and has Irad (top Jockey from last year) in the saddle. The works have been average for a horse of this quality.

    This is a 6f race, but Alex had been competing at 7f and 1Mile as a stalker.
    His competition are older horses, some of whom had better speed figures, but they were months ago, or on the turf.
    If ready, Alex should 'walk'. (my foot is inserted in my mouth).

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Mischevious Alex put in an excellent effort in his return to the races after 5 months.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on

    Leaving with moderate speed, he got caught on the rail. He had to take back, move 4 wide, and made a strong move at the head of stretch to easily kick past the leaders by 4, in a spiffy 1:09 3/5 time.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    Mischevious Alex put in an excellent effort in his return to the races after 5 months.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on

    Leaving with moderate speed, he got caught on the rail. He had to take back, move 4 wide, and made a strong move at the head of stretch to easily kick past the leaders by 4, in a spiffy 1:09 3/5 time.

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Mischevious Alex stretch run taped on twitter:
    https://twitter.com/i/status/1348387908722548736

    He had yesterday's top Beyer at 103: Nice for a 6f, which is a common race distance that is run.

    Big start of Derby trail coming this weekend with the Le Comte at the Fair Grounds. The PPs are up, but I'll wait till later when more work outs are updated.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  13. #13

    The LeComte

    As promised mes amies, the weekend pawnees.

    It is the LeComte at the Fair Grounds (10 KYD Points to the winner!!):
    Race 13, at 6:49 EST:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1839110
    The headliner is the undefeated and 11th ranked son of Into Mischief, Mandaloun.

    It is well worth mentioning that Mandaloun is owned and bred by Juddmonte farms whose owner, Sheik Prince Khalid Abdallah, passed away this past week. He was a big supporter of the sport and was liked by many people.

    There are other interesting horses in the LeComte. But it is a bit of a crap shoot; there will be prices available. Lot's of jockey switching.
    Santa Cruiser is improving; Manor House had a tremendous maiden win and has many bullet works.

    Also on the card is the Silverbulletday for 3YOF's:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1697640
    Souper Sensational looks like your post time favorite. Sun Path will give her a run from the outside post for Juddmonte and Brad Cox.

    We have a couple of horses from the High Priced group (that article on 2YOs to watch from 2 months ago):

    Race 4 Gulfstream Park: Alexander Valley:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...&param3=573964
    The $2.1M colt tries the turf after throwing a dud in his maiden race.

    Race 7 Gulfstream Park: Shaftesbury:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1004437
    The $675K colt also tries the turf. His first try was an even effort, but they are changing surfaces, so how happy could they have been.

    Without improvement, I will lose interest in these two (for the purpose of this thread) fast (faster than these two horses anyway).

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  14. #14

    Another Race + Pegasus Prep

    Folks,

    I noticed another race of interest on Saturday at the Fair Grounds.
    The Louisiana Stakes for older horses has a couple of familiar names:
    https://horseracingnation.ontraport.net/tl/1672

    Wells Bayou, who won the Louisiana Derby at this track, last March, is back again. After a less than stellar performance against Nadal (who else looked stellar against Nadal) in the Arkansas Derby, he disappeared until Saturday.

    Silver Prospector won last year's Southwest Stakes, but was tripped up in higher profile stakes against the likes of Nadal in the Arkansas Derby (also). Wells Bayou had a better performance that day, but Silver Prospector continued to compete in another race.

    Wells Bayou and Silver Prospector are now 4YOs, but this is their first race back. Wells Fargo won at first asking as a maiden.

    Title Ready competed in last year's BC Classic, but seems to mostly race above his head. However, his figures seem more than competitive with this group. This older horse could have just been sucked along with superior talent.

    My Boy Jack's last win was in the Lexington Stakes the year Justify won the Triple Crown. He then competed in, and was way back in the KYD. "I heard of him!", he said about this overbet horse.


    Also, this interesting post position analysis about the 1 1/8 mile Pegasus to be run next Saturday (1/23) at Gulfstream Park:
    https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne...contenders_123

    The Pegasus will have a full field, but then I've found that when top stakes horses are involved, post position statistics are less important.

    I'm pretty sure that the statistics are based only on 1 1/8 mile races during the time periods (based on back of the envelope calculations) even though the article does not explicitly say so.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  15. #15

    LeComte and KYD wrt Lasix

    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    As promised mes amies, the weekend pawnees.

    It is the LeComte at the Fair Grounds (10 KYD Points to the winner!!):
    Race 13, at 6:49 EST:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1839110
    The headliner is the undefeated and 11th ranked son of Into Mischief, Mandaloun.

    It is well worth mentioning that Mandaloun is owned and bred by Juddmonte farms whose owner, Sheik Prince Khalid Abdallah, passed away this past week. He was a big supporter of the sport and was liked by many people.

    There are other interesting horses in the LeComte. But it is a bit of a crap shoot; there will be prices available. Lot's of jockey switching.
    Santa Cruiser is improving; Manor House had a tremendous maiden win and has many bullet works.

    Also on the card is the Silverbulletday for 3YOF's:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1697640
    Souper Sensational looks like your post time favorite. Sun Path will give her a run from the outside post for Juddmonte and Brad Cox.

    We have a couple of horses from the High Priced group (that article on 2YOs to watch from 2 months ago):

    Race 4 Gulfstream Park: Alexander Valley:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...&param3=573964
    The $2.1M colt tries the turf after throwing a dud in his maiden race.

    Race 7 Gulfstream Park: Shaftesbury:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1004437
    The $675K colt also tries the turf. His first try was an even effort, but they are changing surfaces, so how happy could they have been.

    Without improvement, I will lose interest in these two (for the purpose of this thread) fast (faster than these two horses anyway).

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Folks,

    Here is a professional review of today's LeComte:
    https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne..._and_picks_123

    I noticed America's Day At The Races are on FS1 from 6 to 7pm EST, so perhaps the Fair Ground's races will be on there.

    For those of you who are tracking things recreationally, as I am, looking for that Derby Horse I read this week that this is the year that the KYD, and the KY Oaks, is going to be Lasix [a.k.a., Furosemide] (free. As such, any prep race that is run will not award KYD points to any horse that runs on Lasix.

    For example, remember Senor Buscador who won the Sprinboard Mile impressively? He was on Lasix and receive no points for that effort even though he was eligible. Don't worry, his connections understood the rules and were not blindsided. But this opens up another betting angle.

    Looking at today's LeComte, there are 5 horses who ran on Lasix in their last race and are NOT on Lasix for this race. This could be viewed as a disadvantage/risk for these horses. Going on Lasix is not just a decision by trainers; a veterinarian has to put a horse on Lasix based on putting a scope down a horse's throat and seeing evidence of pulmonary bleeding in the throat or lungs. It happens in various amounts with every horse when they are stressed (need I say that there are ways to get blood into a horse's throat, but I won't go further with that statement). The belief is that if a horse takes lasix, he is less likely to bleed and/or holds less water because he urinates more, and performs better because of either of these reasons. But a horse can also bleed through Lasix (very bad), or dehydrate because of Lasix, so there are other things to consider. But I digress.

    None of today's horses are on Lasix in the LeComte, so all horses will get their Derby points if they finish in the top 3. But #4 - Proxy, #5 - Regular Guy, #6 - Game Day Plan, #8 - Red N Wild, and #11 - Dyn O Mite all used Lasix in their last race. None of these horses showed reversals of form with Lasix (a betting angle when a horse goes ON Lasix), which suggests that they might have bled and needed it. Just something to consider. Horses do come off Lasix all the time and perform well, based on trainer's decisions; usually because of change in venue (e.g., going to a state that doesn't allow Lasix, running in a race that doesn't allow Lasix), and they do fine.

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Last edited by DevilHorse; 01-16-2021 at 10:32 AM.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Franklin TN
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    Folks,

    Here is a professional review of today's LeComte:
    https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne..._and_picks_123

    I noticed America's Day At The Races are on FS1 from 6 to 7pm EST, so perhaps the Fair Ground's races will be on there.

    For those of you who are tracking things recreationally, as I am, looking for that Derby Horse I read this week that this is the year that the KYD, and the KY Oaks, is going to be Lasix [a.k.a., Furosemide] (free. As such, any prep race that is run will not award KYD points to any horse that runs on Lasix.

    For example, remember Senor Buscador who won the Sprinboard Mile impressively? He was on Lasix and receive no points for that effort even though he was eligible. Don't worry, his connections understood the rules and were not blindsided. But this opens up another betting angle.

    Looking at today's LeComte, there are 5 horses who ran on Lasix in their last race and are NOT on Lasix for this race. This could be viewed as a disadvantage/risk for these horses. Going on Lasix is not just a decision by trainers; a veterinarian has to put a horse on Lasix based on putting a scope down a horse's throat and seeing evidence of pulmonary bleeding in the throat or lungs. It happens in various amounts with every horse when they are stressed (need I say that there are ways to get blood into a horse's throat, but I won't go further with that statement). The belief is that if a horse takes lasix, he is less likely to bleed and/or holds less water because he urinates more, and performs better because of either of these reasons. But a horse can also bleed through Lasix (very bad), or dehydrate because of Lasix, so there are other things to consider. But I digress.

    None of today's horses are on Lasix in the LeComte, so all horses will get their Derby points if they finish in the top 3. But #4 - Proxy, #5 - Regular Guy, #6 - Game Day Plan, #8 - Red N Wild, and #11 - Dyn O Mite all used Lasix in their last race. None of these horses showed reversals of form with Lasix (a betting angle when a horse goes ON Lasix), which suggests that they might have bled and needed it. Just something to consider. Horses do come off Lasix all the time and perform well, based on trainer's decisions; usually because of change in venue (e.g., going to a state that doesn't allow Lasix, running in a race that doesn't allow Lasix), and they do fine.

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    So I have a question. The two year old maiden races at major tracks were run this past year medication free. Was that part of a long term plan to get at least the better stakes horses running medication free? If so I salute the change. It also appeared to me from watching a lot of races this past year there were fewer horses breaking down on the tracks. Do you think my observation was correct about the health of the horses? When I first started watching horse racing at Keeneland in the early 70’s I don’t remember hardly ever seeing a horse being scratched at the gate. Now it is a relatively common occurrence. I am interested in your observations.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by TheDevilMadeMeDoIt View Post
    So I have a question. The two year old maiden races at major tracks were run this past year medication free. Was that part of a long term plan to get at least the better stakes horses running medication free? If so I salute the change. It also appeared to me from watching a lot of races this past year there were fewer horses breaking down on the tracks. Do you think my observation was correct about the health of the horses? When I first started watching horse racing at Keeneland in the early 70’s I don’t remember hardly ever seeing a horse being scratched at the gate. Now it is a relatively common occurrence. I am interested in your observations.
    Whoa! Did you mean medication free or Lasix free? Big difference. It is rare to find a horse without aches and pains, and a bit of Aspirin or Bute is well within the boundaries. Lasix has long been an issue. New York used to be a Lasix free state and they changed 20 or so years ago.

    But you have a great memory about there being Lasix free and some medication (steroid/NSAID) free races. Different rules in different states (more later). There were also a limited number of Lasix free stakes races last year. Here is an article that covers some of the ground:
    http://blog.horseracingreform.com/po...-spring-primer

    Of course, the Kentucky Derby is the big fish and requires preparation and thought because it is the north star for the breeders, owners, and trainers, and much money is involved. Their programs start years before the KYD and need the lead time choose mares and stallions without a history of bleeding, good performance and health, if they want to contend.

    The racing world (all of the types of racing) used to be ruled by the individual state commissions. You can see from the article that there is still no commonality on where to be on this Lasix issue. Simple things like the colors associated with numbers (on saddle cloths) were different in each state. The medicines allowed in each state were different (waiting periods, what meds, etc..). This made it difficult to go from state to state and stay eligible and even to watch a race and understand what was going on. If a red saddle cloth in Maryland is the #4, but in New York is the #1, you might be rooting for the wrong horse if your oriented toward a red #1; Ouch!! They still don't have a single set of rules or a commissioner (sounds like NCAA Basketball), but they DO (finally) have negotiated coalitions of agreements where many state racing jurisdictions have commonality on some issues. Like multi-state licenses, saddle numbers, and some medication.

    Years ago, I used to have to buy a different horse racing license in every state I raced in, every year. That included getting finger printed (FBI). If you owned several horses that raced across several states, the beginning of the year was a horror show to get this done so your horse could race. I'm glad things improved. But I digress.

    Thanks for that question.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by TheDevilMadeMeDoIt View Post
    So I have a question. The two year old maiden races at major tracks were run this past year medication free. Was that part of a long term plan to get at least the better stakes horses running medication free? If so I salute the change. It also appeared to me from watching a lot of races this past year there were fewer horses breaking down on the tracks. Do you think my observation was correct about the health of the horses? When I first started watching horse racing at Keeneland in the early 70’s I don’t remember hardly ever seeing a horse being scratched at the gate. Now it is a relatively common occurrence. I am interested in your observations.
    I think I may have skirted over some of your questions when I got onto the meds issue (sorry about that). The meds issue was an interesting one.

    I'm not sure if the medication free/Lasix free races is an explicit program feeding into the KYD, but it might be a general trend. As mentioned earlier, New York State relatively recently (20 years or so - is that recently once you get old?) allowed Lasix, so a lot of horses that ran on Lasix in the KYD and Preakness may not have run in the Belmont for that reason (that and the killer schedule). So using painkillers and performance enhancers (Lasix might be considered that) has long been something that has been a point of contention.

    I haven't seen overall statistics on breakdowns of horses that I can quote. Certainly there was a huge hub bub recently over the Santa Anita track and the break downs there (much improved in recent meet). There are break downs and injuries at all tracks, and training facilities I might add. I should also say that injuries occur also for non-impact things as well: administering medications and tubing accidents (tubing is a way to administer nutrients and meds) have killed horses in their stalls. So what the medication is is not at issue there.

    I think that scratching horses at the gate is a process improvement that has been adopted in recent years, not that the horses have changed any. Kudos to the tracks for protecting the horses and of course the betting public who deserve not to bet on a horse that is in distress or show 'bad behaviors' that are not in the program (e.g., blood on the leg, got kicked, limping). Did you notice in recent years that they now load horses in 2 sets of horses (from the 1 and 6 holes at the same time); another improvement to reduce the time horses have to wait in the gait. They used to only load 1 horse at a time from 1 to N.

    Fewer horses breaking down on the track might be a result of better track (dirt) management (more consistent soil); you know the jockeys will not race on a bad surface. When the temperature is around 32 deg F, and there is moisture in the ground, some parts of the track can be frozen and some not. Furrowing can only do so much. You might see jockeys fall (or almost fall) in a race due to unsure footing by the horse. This happens a bit more often in the winter at tracks like Aqueduct. The jockeys will tell the stewards to cancel the races after the 1st or 2nd race; that is it!

    It is great to see that type of input from all members of the racing participants. It protects the horses, the betting public, and the people who invest so much in the sport.

    On another subject, having the better stakes horses run medication free is useful and important, but I'm not sure that will happen altogether. Why is that important? Because how do you know which horses have the best pure talent? Those are the horses that you want to breed to. This also tells you things like: Which horses are the toughest (run through pain), and which can't make it onto the track because of minor or major injuries. These are all elements that feed into breeding choices. For example, Ruffian was by Reviewer, who was known to breed weak ankles into his progeny, but they were wicked fast. As a breeder or buyer, you were armed with the knowledge that if you bought one of these horses, or bred to one of these horses, that is what you might get. Similarly for Meadowlake.

    On the other hand, if you put too much of a restriction on these medications, you might keep too many horses from racing and you might be seeing smaller fields and a reduced horse population. You need horses to run at the race tracks. Bettors like full fields of 12. Handle goes up significantly when you get 5-1 favorites and not 3-5 favorites, and big combos for the exactas, pick 5s, and trifectas. You need large fields for that, even in stake races. A 5 horse KYD won't cut it. Having capable horses, but with some pain medication, or allowable aids, has been around for a while. This is a wide grey area and keeps the sport going. And I would not that different breeds of horses should have different rules; harness racing is much lower impact than thoroughbred and is not as apt to have life threatening injuries on the track, so maybe different rules (but HISA never talked to Standardbred people). The horse population, because of a number of economic factors has shrunk by about a factor of 2/3 over the last 10 years. So how are you going to keep these track operating if you have fewer horses breeding and you take away the medications needed to keep them on the track, but still do not endanger them? Like I said, this is a grey area. Honest people can differ in their opinion.

    Larry
    DevilHorse

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilHorse View Post
    As promised mes amies, the weekend pawnees.

    It is the LeComte at the Fair Grounds (10 KYD Points to the winner!!):
    Race 13, at 6:49 EST:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1839110
    The headliner is the undefeated and 11th ranked son of Into Mischief, Mandaloun.

    It is well worth mentioning that Mandaloun is owned and bred by Juddmonte farms whose owner, Sheik Prince Khalid Abdallah, passed away this past week. He was a big supporter of the sport and was liked by many people.

    There are other interesting horses in the LeComte. But it is a bit of a crap shoot; there will be prices available. Lot's of jockey switching.
    Santa Cruiser is improving; Manor House had a tremendous maiden win and has many bullet works.

    Also on the card is the Silverbulletday for 3YOF's:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1697640
    Souper Sensational looks like your post time favorite. Sun Path will give her a run from the outside post for Juddmonte and Brad Cox.

    We have a couple of horses from the High Priced group (that article on 2YOs to watch from 2 months ago):

    Race 4 Gulfstream Park: Alexander Valley:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...&param3=573964
    The $2.1M colt tries the turf after throwing a dud in his maiden race.

    Race 7 Gulfstream Park: Shaftesbury:
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1004437
    The $675K colt also tries the turf. His first try was an even effort, but they are changing surfaces, so how happy could they have been.

    Without improvement, I will lose interest in these two (for the purpose of this thread) fast (faster than these two horses anyway).

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    OK, where do we start?

    Shaftesbury and Alexander Valley did alright.
    They each showed marked improvement.
    Each finished a strong second. More than enough to merit continued following.
    But really, I'm not big on turfers going back to dirt. But we'll keep an eye on them.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on

    The Silverbulletday was won by longshot Charlie's Penny (80 Beyer). The pretty grey looked strong in the stretch winning by 3.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on

    The Louisiana Stakes was won by Title Ready in solid performance (98 Beyer):
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
    Well's Bayou was 3 to 5 wide the entire trip and finished third.

    The big race of the day was the LeComte, with KYD points for the top 4 finishers.
    The winner was Midnight Bourbon, who received a moderate 91 Beyer Figure for his effort.
    http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/insta...e=inc&print=on
    The relatively slow pace was understandable with the scratch of 2 horses that were expected to set the early pace. This also hurt the favorite Mandaloun (who finished a decent third) who was counting on a fast early pace so he could close; he will have better outcomes in more hotly contested races. Midnight Bourbon got away with a slow pace and sprinted home. Pace makes the race is a true maxim.
    Here's more background on the race. Midnight Bourbon has some significant pedigree.
    https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne...in_Lecomte_123

    Larry
    DevilHorse
    Last edited by DevilHorse; 01-17-2021 at 10:46 AM.

  20. #20

    Oaklawn - Smarty Jones Stakes - and Brisnet

    Quote Originally Posted by TheDevilMadeMeDoIt View Post
    Thanks for the information and links. As a newly retired person I have enjoyed horse racing during these pandemic times. I don’t follow it as closely in December and January, but will probably watch more when Oaklawn opens. It was great having America’s Day at the Races on Fox Sports this past year. Some how racing without a crowd is not as depressing as human athletes with no fans. Keep up the good work!
    Did someone say they watch more when Oaklawn opens?
    That will happen this coming friday!

    That could only mean that the Smarty Jones Stakes for 3YOs is happening.
    Here is an advanced copy of the Past Performances, courtesy of Briswatch (a Brisnet service):
    http://www.brisnet.com/php/bw_pdf_vi...param3=1277272

    This would be a good time to allow me to express my appreciation to Brisnet whose URLs I cite often in our forum. It is a public service, paid for by stables, tracks, owners, and breeders, with the hope that it enhances the enjoyment of fans, including our readers here. I certainly enjoy it. There are other PPs available from the Daily Racing Form (DRF), Equibase, and others, but none as plentiful as Brisnet. There have been some secondary sources, that have attempted to rearrange the pointers to Briswatch to make it even easier to find the individual race PPs. I only wish Brisnet allowed those Fans to continue on with their efforts.

    Also, I can see why the Smarty Jones Stakes are at Oaklawn Park. Although he started at Philadelphia Park (his connections are in PA and stands stud there), he ran 3 of his 9 races at Oaklawn Park taking that path to the Kentucky Derby. That is worthy of a Stakes Race.

    But explain to me why the Secretariat Stakes is run at Arlington? He ran/won one race there? Were they that desperate for a big name for a race?

    Larry
    DevilHorse

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