This week focuses on the horses that ran 15 – 30 races. Learn on to be taught extra about what to search for and which inquiries to ask.
Welcome to the subsequent installment of Thoroughbred Logic. On this weekly sequence, Anthropologist and coach Aubrey Graham, of Kivu Sport Horses, gives perception and coaching expertise in terms of working with Thoroughbreds (though a lot will apply to all breeds). This week experience alongside as Aubrey shares her logic on what constitutes an excellent race file for an off-track Thoroughbred.
Carrying on from the final two weeks, at present I sort out the bracket of horses who aren’t fairly Warhorses (50+ races — that’s subsequent week), however positively had a major racing profession. It has additionally come to my consideration that my love for probing data and gathering all of the tiny shreds of knowledge I can on a horse must be no shock. I’m an Anthropologist. The purpose in cultural anthropology is to grasp issues which may be international to us within the first place, but additionally to attempt to craft an understanding and a story that ties collectively the entire tiny bits and items, usually leaving one with extra questions than solutions. Studying race data and making an attempt to reconstruct the historical past of a horse is actually not that completely different…
Fifteen to 30 races
“What varieties of races have been they operating?” “Why did they preserve operating them?” “How did they run?” and “Why did they cease operating them?”
Ranger (Cowboy Evening, owned by Amanda Boomer) ran 17 occasions and introduced in $102,000 with a reasonably constant one-racea-month file. He left the observe in 2019 and has since made a stellar sporthorse with each the mind and soundness for the mid-levels. Oh and sure, he nonetheless makes that face when using too. Photograph by Nikki Sherman courtesy of Turning For Dwelling.
As we begin stepping into the double digits variety of races, horses are sometimes 4 to seven years previous (although they might be older). Their data could be extra various and might take a bit extra talent/time to learn. As soon as a horse has run greater than the “can you be a racehorse?” variety of races, they’ve confirmed that they get pleasure from (or at very least are keen to efficiently do) their job. Thus, the questions I pose when wanting on the knowledge shift away from matters surrounding what stored them from being wonderful racehorses. Hell, this class has confirmed that they’re quick (or a minimum of can and can run). Moderately, now the questions focus extra on how they ran, the folks concerned, why they continued to run, and what twists and turns their careers took within the course of.
Typically horses who ran greater than 15 races (give or take) fall into two classes (and sure, usually, a profession can span each): A horse that somebody (or some folks) are invested in and is doing nicely, or a horse who people really feel they’ll eek slightly extra money out of. I discover myself enthusiastic about these two traces of thought as narrative undercurrents when making an attempt to evaluate the file and the potential for soundness and the care they might want of their second careers.
Ramen (Plamen) ran 29 occasions and got here off the observe wanting no worse for ware — hoof angles apart. Right here he’s in Could of this yr. Photograph by the Kivu Crew.
However getting again to the nuts and bolts of the race file for these horses, I’m inquisitive about how they ran. Once I assume via this query, I take a look at the kind of races, the pace figures, and the notes within the charts. Once more, as I discussed final week, I’m hoping to seek out consistency and the flexibility to observe a profession transfer via highs and plateaus with some anticipated lows. I count on to see races scale back from Stakes or Allowances to greater greenback Claiming races, ultimately possibly heading to decrease greenback claimers.
I additionally count on to see horses transfer from what I might name high tier tracks to mid-range institutions, to maybe much less well-known or decrease tier operating areas. Whereas I count on a profession to peak after which wane, I like to see a horse that’s run in high quality races the place they do nicely and they’re retired from racing earlier than being burned out at decrease degree tracks and repeated runs in low-figure claimers.
Jockeys mount up within the paddock earlier than the race at Finger Lakes Racetrack and On line casino earlier this season. Photograph by creator.
The enjoyable a part of these longer-running horses is you can additionally observe their shifts and adjustments alongside the way in which. The place they might have declined on one observe or with one coach, they may rise again up within the class of the races the next yr, prompting the query: what modified? What labored nicely for them? Was it a brand new coach/proprietor? A while off? A brand new wellness and coaching plan?
If I get to be picky, I additionally love seeing horses who remained with the identical coach and the identical homeowners for a protracted time frame. I really like working with Winchester Place Thoroughbreds for that reason, as almost the entire horses they breed stay of their possession and inside a spread of three or so high quality trainers.
Neumann (Bubba Bob) ran 18 occasions for Winchester Place Thoroughbreds bringing in $73,480 in a reasonably profitable profession. Photograph courtesy of Laura Newell.
Typically when that’s the case, one can begin making assumptions concerning the take care of the horse in addition to the information of their historical past. Sure, sure, assumptions are harmful, however I’m keen to exit on a limb and assume {that a} horse that runs 27 occasions for a coach is sorted rigorously. I can’t assume that a method or one other for a horse who runs twice for one individual and is claimed – they merely might or will not be afforded the identical care. A whole lot of data will get muddled round when horses change palms. Scars lose their explanatory tales, bumps and thickenings change into non-issues except they impression the horse’s race capacity.
Inevitably, as a result of variety of races and the years that they span, there will probably be some gaps in these well-run horses’ racing data. And, like every hole, these should be probed for potential medical points and vet listing visits. As one approaches this greater variety of races, one thing is sure to have occurred in some unspecified time in the future, whether or not on the human entrance or the horse entrance, that breaks up a constant race file. The nice factor with the gaps for these horses is that there’s a lot of knowledge to assist flesh out a story that both supplies confidence in buying a horse or makes me surprise what occurred and would possibly provoke some extra thought.
Ramen (Plamen) ran 29 occasions however had a niche in his file close to the second half of his profession. Screenshot from Equibase.com
For example, if I see a six-plus-month break in racing in an excellent runner’s file, I can assume certain, one thing wanted to be mounted. The nice half about this class of horses, although, is that if I take a look at their return to racing, I will see how they got here again from no matter it was that sidelined them. If they’re operating comparable races with the identical coach to earlier than the break and handle to get again in a rhythm of racing each couple weeks efficiently, I’m happy with it and I’m going to imagine no matter occurred was correctly managed. Sure, sure, numerous assumptions – however we’re developing a story and a historical past from ins and outs of knowledge, so … that’s what we have now.
Ramen (Plamen) is certainly one of my RRP Makeover hopefuls for this yr who has additionally begun a profitable fox looking profession. He has a large hole in his file from April of 2022 to December of 2022. OK. I famous the hole, however then checked out his return to the observe. At that race earlier than the break in his file, he ran third with a pace determine of 86 at Laurel Park. He returned eight months later to the same degree claiming race on the similar observe with a pace determine of 89. From there, he ran month-to-month for one more 13 races, all with largely comparable stats.
Ramen obtained an opportunity to chase alongside behind the hounds final month with the Genesee Valley Hunt. Photograph by creator.
Ramen’s race file break doesn’t trouble me – there’s nothing within the sport horse world that can match the stress of racing on a physique, and in the event that they maintain up for one more 13 races, they’re possible good to go. On the flip facet, if they arrive again from a giant race, run twice extra with minimal success after which retire, I may need extra questions on what that gap-related concern may need been and would possibly assume that they precipitated retirement and maybe might proceed to trigger points in a second profession.
One other data-driven narrative I take a look at is a return to operating after a niche with a brand new proprietor/coach and a major lower within the class of races or the standard of the tracks. This would possibly make me squint a bit and attempt to dig additional into the “what occurred there?” query — and ensure I get good jog video of the horse or encourage a purchaser to PPE earlier than sticking them on a trailer.
Monk (Sydster) is now fortunately retired with the Stephanie Finnell, however I maybe ought to have appeared more durable on the variety of occasions he was claimed and the related file. Sadly, his stifle was past medical intervention in a second profession, however he stays fortunately pasture sound and fortunate sufficient to have the sphere he wants. Photograph by the Kivu Crew.
Equally, if a horse is claimed and isn’t run quickly after being claimed — inside just a few weeks — I elevate questions on what the coach wants to repair. The great factor about racing is that it’s an income-driven trade. Horses often are there to make folks cash. Needless to say horses value cash every day (don’t we all know this all too nicely?), and trainers usually pay a stall fee, so the longer that claiming horse waits to run, the much less best the state of affairs. So if a horse is claimed and runs every week or two later, I don’t make a lot of a fuss. But when they’re claimed and every time there’s a hole of their file (possibly even two to a few months), I’m going to imagine that the trainers are attempting to get them sound sufficient in mind and physique to achieve success. Thus, I’ve extra inquiries to ask.
Monk is now fortunately retired with Stephanie Finnell and her herd in Georgia. Photograph by creator.
And to shut up this week’s litany of questions which regularly lack correct solutions, one factor I need to learn about these horses is why they have been retired after they have been. There’s all the time yet another race these guys can run, so the selection to retire them shouldn’t be arbitrary. There’s often an excellent reply right here – they merely slowed down, they advised the coach it was time, their coronary heart was simply not in it anymore, the proprietor simply didn’t need to threat operating them at a decrease degree the place they’d nonetheless be aggressive, or they determined to retire them earlier than having to winter them once more and must convey them again for just a few extra races within the spring. There are many causes right here and preserving with the undertones I discussed above, I all the time hope that these horses are retired for the proper causes, with good timing, whereas within the palms of people that need to do proper by the horse. That isn’t all the time the case, however generally the file can level out when it’s.
Go experience people and benefit from the narrative reconstruction from a race file. I’ll be again round subsequent week with some Warhorse tales and questions concerning the significantly dedicated, long-running (time clever, not furlongs) racehorses.
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