FR Formula--A Closer Look

4F in 12/5 sec./f every 7 days = FR

Is the formula valid? Would faithful adherance to this exercise schematic achieve fracture resistance (FR) and keep the bones together through any normal race?

Emphasize what's being looked at is "minimums"!!! This formula is anything but touted as something the horse should do. Instead it is a formula identifying the "bare edge", the point where the arrow has just barely crossed over the red line on our FR odometer from unsafe to safe in terms of FR. What does that mean? If the horse does any less with any of the three variables the horse will be on the wrong side of FR. In terms of the real world and this formula and getting to FR more will certainly be better!

For further clarification--all three of the variables have to be met in most of the breezes. Should e.g. the horse do 3 months of this prior to it's first race and a couple of them go say in :13s instead of :12.5s, the horse would probably be there, but would avoid making doing less with any of the three variables a habit!

Each aspect of the formula was given careful consideration on this blog--with the aspect "careful consideration" having a bit of weight--and, this formula has had some real world testing. The typical Bobby Frankel work of the '80s and '90s was a 4f in :48 once a week after racing had begun. Nick Zito and 4f works in :12s are synomymous and some of Zito's horses do survive(Sun King comes to mind), although Zito intervals are normally 9 days. And there are numerous others probably including all the Frankel copycats.

Also note, that for Frankel, this was the formula after racing began! Prior to race #1 Frankel horses would do 5 and 6f works in gradually increasing speed mostly for 3 months at the race track. I was always impressed with Frankel's extensive prep!

I have zero idea of Frankel's injury rate except by observation it was undoubtedly significantly better than average. Yet, using Frankel's stable as a guinea pig, you'd have to say that by Frankel it's the formula + every 2-3 weeks racing! I.e. Frankel did more than than the formula. And, Zito does less. Zito has a horrific injury rate which possibly tells us something about "strict adherance" to each variable!
More testing of the formula, next post.
Training: first day of Spring in KC turned in to -2 degrees last night. But, if the forecast is right, we have 4 hours to go as I type before Spring indeed has sprung here in KC!