Asfuth:

There is no question that the ways to discourage an animal from running his/her best race are numerous. The most obvious is for the jockey to "take a good hold" of an animal during a race, just as effective is "sending" a horse who has no inclination to run early. The result will be the same.

The jockey's involvement is not necessary. Horses are usually given limited access to drinking water on race day. Too much water, animal probably won't perform properly. Rather simple. Horse A has won 2 straight races using a shadow roll and a "d" bit; all of sudden A shows up in the paddock with a plain nose band and a "ring" bit. Horseplayers are not privy to these subtle equipment changes unless they are keeping a paddock book the way I'm sure all the sharp claiming trainers do, the way Leatherbury and Alfano and Dutrow Sr used to do in Maryland.

Other ways to assure poor performance: Enter your horse in a race he doesn't have a chance to win. Wrong surface, wrong distance. Or you can run your horse in a race he is not prepared properly for. Case in point: Did anyone else think that Galloping Grocer had NO chance of winning a 9 furlong stake off a 10 week layoff with only a half mile turf work and a 3 furlong breeze? As long as there are bettors who will drive an animal like this down to 6/5, I will have my chances to cash a bet.

I think TGJB is more concerned with PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT than the various ways horses can be "gagged". TGJB, in the 6 or so months I have been following this board, has instigated a brilliant dialogue regarding the relative speed of horses today and yesterday, a dialogue which encompasses both the issues of performance enhancing medication and the condition of track surfaces.

Part of the reason for my post was to state my opinion that "recreational" gamblers/ racing fans such as myself don't really care if there are haves and have nots in every race which is run. TGJB is concerned with using his figures to identify move up trainers and subject them to heightened scrutiny, I would rather use the information to identify wagering opportunities.

What I call "chicanery" has been a part of racing probably for as long as horses have been matched up competitively. The man they called "Doc" Harthill who passed away a couple weeks ago was recognized as the game's greatest vet, but was also a master race fixer. Ask me about Bracadale one day.

[EDIT]Let me answer your post more directly. Why do I get off on these anecdotal tangents? There are many benign, undectable ways of discouraging a horse from running his most efficient race, with the intention of allowing the horse to issue his best effort on a day that would be mutuelly desirable. IMO the increase in purses at many tracks, and especially some small tracks, has curtailed this practice. I dont think there are many trainers/ jockeys holding horses for months, maybe a year, trying to set up the score of the Century. Purses too high and the animals are not starting as many times per year as they used to.

Two ridiculously close photos in the last couple of days have cost me BIG. Miami Princess in the 9th Wednesday, Trapped Again 7th race yesterday. I give Javier Castellano a good deal of credit for getting Go Now to outfinish Trapped Again; Go Now was really trying to hang, as usual.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2005 02:40PM by richiebee.