Re: Another View of Modern Racing From Bobby Trussell (550 Views)
Posted by:
bloodline bob (IP Logged)
Date: October 04, 2007 12:17PM
TGJB -
When I wrote the Final Turn piece I was limited to 735 words so I cut a lot out. I had a long conversation with Joe King and we talked about every track. I had a theory that the tracks had changed dramatically over the past 30 years both with limestone base replacing clay and deeper cushions being added to make up for the harder base. He said that the only tracks which have limestone bases are the winterized tracks or tracks used for Standardbreds. As for the cushions he said they have not changed appreciably and that goes for all non limestone based tracks and he specifically mentioned all 3 NYRA tracks, Churchill,Santa Anita (old track) etc. He said the cushion may be 1/4 inch more now than it was 30 years ago but he thought that was negligible. He also said you have to be very careful in how you measure the cushion. It can vary by more than an inch depending how fluffed up it is when you measure.
I think your point on steroids is right on the mark. But that is my point. The medication is counter productive. By the way I have had horses with Bobby Frankel and Patrick Biancone and they are both very anti steroid and view the fact they don't use them as a factor in their success.
And yes the breed has been weakened. I don't deny that. People are trying to breed a good looking yearling which will sell. But what sells? Yearlings which look like rocket ships, big hip, well muscled because these do often make good race horses albeit fragile. But my other point is our horses are much tougher than we think when raced in other locations where they don't medicate nearly as much. And I'm talking about legal medication. This is the real problem, not illegal medication in my opinion.
Synthetic tracks could and should change this. Horses won't bleed as much because they are less stressed. The use of Lasix should naturally decline unless this mindless drug culture persists. Minerals won't be depleted from the drugs, horses will recover faster and run back sooner, field sizes will go up. Trainers won't feel pressured to run sore horses. Horses will hang around longer kind of like many grass horses do now. Our racing should start to look more like other countries.
Bob Trussell aka
BB