Evaluating Warm Up: Performance

Saturday at Eureka Downs the deficiency of pre-race warming up was brought home to me again as I put my twelve year old, Groovin' Wind, through his work. Use this one as an example of what I've learned over the years, that almost always you get the horse's best performance in fast heat #3.

What Wind did Saturday is below, but, first some June pictures of the Eureka track It's 5f, and the wire is down near the grandstand. You enter the track near the bottom left of the photo.

Next photo shows middle of the track with the 3f pole on the back stretch on the left. The 4f pole (about where we pull up) is on the right out of view.

Wind's work Saturday was 2 x 3f and it turned out to be a :40 and a :38 under 158 lbs rider on a hard, very fast surface.

We entered the track and slowly picked up speed to :17/f, galloped all the way around picking up speed to about :14 at one half furlong from the wire; then gallop out and pulled up on the back stretch--7f in all for the warm up. Note the :14/sec 1/2f lick is fast heat #1.

After this warm up, what might we expect from the first heat? I'm looking smoothness of stride, signs of good breathing and cardiovascular sufficiency, willingness and ability to carry speed smoothly, acceleration and strengthof gallop.

The warm up ended with a trot at the 4f pole then 30 sec. of walk and we're off trotting to the 3f pole to start the first 3f breeze.

The first breeze in :40 went ok. The horse was strong, he accelerated, he pretty much maintained things to the wire with little urging. However, this was hardly the horse's best effort--a little herky jerky, a little anxious; the strides a bit choppy. There was some uncertainty especially in the first furlong with horse struggling to find his legs. After we finished the heat the breathing, though less than blowing, was much deeper and far more stressful than it would be after the next breeze. Again, it was ok, but it was less than Wind's best effort.

After this first 3f breeze, we galloped down and were trotting by the 4f pole. 45 sec of walk this time before he takes off again, trotting again to the 3f pole and 3f breeze #2.

Night and day difference in this second breeze from the first. Horse is into it from the very first stride, total energy, smoothness and maintaining acceleration without urging pretty much all the way to the wire. At the finish the horse of course was breathing heavily but much smoother breathing than after breeze #1.

To personally experience the difference in performance between the first and second breeze on Wind Saturday you'd really have to be on the horse. Without any doubt, the best of the three accelerations for Wind Saturday was the second 3f breeze which was the 3rd acceleration.

Training:
Friday Day 2 Burch Wind galloped strongly 1 1.4 miles at a steady :17. Sat. at Eureka 2 x 3f in :40 and :38.
Art:
8/16/07 Thurs. Day 3 Burch 4 x 1.5f riderless full speed.
8/17/07 Fri. Day 1 Burch Off.
8/18/07 Sat. Day 2 Burch: 10 min under tack. refused trot. first tack work in a few days.