Differences in Handicapping Horse Races For Older or Younger Horses
A lot of handicappers just look at speed figures, class, form, running style and connections when they evaluate the runners in a race.
We have to remember that the runners are actually living and breathing animals that are maturing and learning from each race.
One of the biggest problems I've had with my horses is that once they learn something, you can't unlearn them very easily.
If what they've learned is good, that's no problem, but if what they've learned is detrimental to their health or winning races, that's bad.
Young horses, like children, learn quickly and have to learn in order to survive and make their way among the other horses.
Don't forget, horses are herd animals.
Early in their racing careers it's usually all about raw speed and energy.
That's why so many speedballs win the races for two year olds.
Horses, like people, also mature at different rates.
Some horses don't reach their prime as runners until they are five or six years old.
Others peak at two or three compared to the other runners.
Granted, that champion two year old may keep progressing through his three and four year old campaigns, but his progress may be much slower than the other horses who were very green as two year olds.
The result is that it appears the champ has lost it, while the truth is, he just had a burst of energy, growth, ability and now has slowed down.
The ideal situation is to find the three year old that is peaking for the big triple crown races.
Very few two year old champions win those races because they've slowed down and the others are catching up or passing them.
The same is true of running styles, which I mentioned briefly earlier.
Young horses have a tendency to expend a lot of energy early in the race and have little left for the finish.
As they grow older and mature, some build stamina and also develop the mindset of what we call a "grinder.
" A grinder is a horse that will just keep coming at the leader, gaining a little ground over the entire course of the race until he or she wears down the front runner.
The horse who went to the front early as a youngster and won that way will never forget that and it will be hard to teach that one to rate off the pace.
As I said before, to "unlearn," that one from expending too much energy early.
On the other hand, the horse that learns to keep racing at its own pace and stays contained within itself, often becomes a winner later in its career.
We have to remember that the runners are actually living and breathing animals that are maturing and learning from each race.
One of the biggest problems I've had with my horses is that once they learn something, you can't unlearn them very easily.
If what they've learned is good, that's no problem, but if what they've learned is detrimental to their health or winning races, that's bad.
Young horses, like children, learn quickly and have to learn in order to survive and make their way among the other horses.
Don't forget, horses are herd animals.
Early in their racing careers it's usually all about raw speed and energy.
That's why so many speedballs win the races for two year olds.
Horses, like people, also mature at different rates.
Some horses don't reach their prime as runners until they are five or six years old.
Others peak at two or three compared to the other runners.
Granted, that champion two year old may keep progressing through his three and four year old campaigns, but his progress may be much slower than the other horses who were very green as two year olds.
The result is that it appears the champ has lost it, while the truth is, he just had a burst of energy, growth, ability and now has slowed down.
The ideal situation is to find the three year old that is peaking for the big triple crown races.
Very few two year old champions win those races because they've slowed down and the others are catching up or passing them.
The same is true of running styles, which I mentioned briefly earlier.
Young horses have a tendency to expend a lot of energy early in the race and have little left for the finish.
As they grow older and mature, some build stamina and also develop the mindset of what we call a "grinder.
" A grinder is a horse that will just keep coming at the leader, gaining a little ground over the entire course of the race until he or she wears down the front runner.
The horse who went to the front early as a youngster and won that way will never forget that and it will be hard to teach that one to rate off the pace.
As I said before, to "unlearn," that one from expending too much energy early.
On the other hand, the horse that learns to keep racing at its own pace and stays contained within itself, often becomes a winner later in its career.
