Horse Racing

Is this horse racing? Sort of. And wow how much stronger my Groovin' Wind looks in that photo in 2007 after a summer of breezing at the farm than his 16 yr. old self today despite that he works every day riderless with the youngster. The camera phone just shot craps so we're absent farm video for a while.

A few thoughts on the sport before continuing on the subject of "performance". Everything churns before us on a daily basis thanks to excellent Paulick report, blogs, a lot of knowledgeable people commenting and so forth. Perpetually problems seem to be posted instead of solutions, and quite daunting it seems to me for someone that wants to get involved in the sport. Something out there, makes things as difficult as possible certainly in the mental sense of visualizing yourself in the sport.

From my farm here in KC its more the bottom up viewpoint literally hanging on to a connection by our fingernails, problems being combos of economics, the expiration of racing in Kansas, and a difficult horse.

If you're a potential owner, or trainer, partner or other sort of participant, why bother? Without giving this Q deep thought, two reasons:

1. Financial--purses are so high if things break right you can transform your status -- pauper to wealthy overnight.

2. Professional athletics--horse racing is the only pro sport that all can get in with a little innovation--and, I might say, let's do everything to keep it that way!

In terms of making money off the sport, let's face it that most owners are in the sport for that reason. I think it's the wrong reason, and that that motivation leads to failure of analysis and hence failure period, a subject on which on might write a book.

We do however have purses at all time high levels. Take note--if u could make money with purses at $100,000/day in the year 2000, how can u possibly fail now days with purses twice that high in many jurisdictions? Begin by noting, as every experienced owner/trainer knows, when you enter that well trained animal this weekend, they don't just give it to you. When the rubber hits the road, and you're there in a race with your horse, you're going against the top stables on the ground, trainers with unlimited horse numbers whose performance strategy is a numbers game. Regardless what a good job you've done with your horse it will be racing against others that are at the top off their game being piloted by the best jocks, etc. etc. Even expert training with a talented horse has a lot going against it in any particular race.

How to get around odds? With purses at these levels I'd think the strategy would be finishing in the money. You can do that with good training, and, if you can keep the horse going, it will win. Easier said than done, I know, but that's where its at. Continue next post.

Training:
Sat. 6/25: Off after Friday speed work. Inevitably, doing too much yesterday my thought is we better rest the horse for a number of reasons, mental and physical. Preston Burch type training, permits this--trainer on off days does what they think best that day.