15 in a row for Tracys Song

[showbet]

Tracys Song, an 8-year-old pacing mare, won her 15th consecutive race today at Monticello. Congratulations to all involved.

[cmp92]

Nice story on US Trotting.

http://xwebapp.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/templates/article.aspx?articleid=53506&zoneid=1

You can find some nice horses at these lower level tracks.

[showbet]

She just won her 16th in a row.

[Magister Ludi]

She just won her 16th in a row.

I hope that the pool was favorable for you and that you had a sizeable show bet on her.

[showbet]

I hope that the pool was favorable for you and that you had a sizeable show bet on her.
They didn't offer show wagering on the race, and I never bet on "bridge jumper" horses anyway, even those that have won 15 in a row.

[Magister Ludi]

They didn't offer show wagering on the race, and I never bet on "bridge jumper" horses anyway, even those that have won 15 in a row.

That's very wise. They're almost never positive expected value on either side of the coin.

[cmp92]

She just won her 17th in a row. 1:59.

[lamboguy]

she just won her 18th race in a row. she paid $2.70 to win and she was in the same class as she has been in.

[DeltaLover]

Long winning streaks, most of the time if not always, represent a very careful and conservative campaign.

Horses like Pepper's Pride and Rapid Redux for example, were both able to go through very long winning streaks taking advantage of the conditions, driven by the desire of their connections to maintain a silly undefeated record.

Even in the case of top notch horses, like Black Caviar, the connections clearly give the impression that they are dodging the competition, always seeking for the soft spot.

Zen, the top mare of our era, could certainly had shown us more, if her connections had the courage to test her against top horses more often. Either if we want to accept it or not the fact remains that she only beat such a field only once during her lengthy career (please, I do not try to start a flame war not another thread about her, I am merely using her as an example...)

Above everything else owners should be sportsmen, willing to test their animals to their full capacity instead of taking advantage of the restrictions applied to their stack... This tactic is also bad for the betting aspect of the sport as it tends to produce unbalanced races thus not offering good competitive fields... It might only be good just for the owner if seen from the financial prospective only. All the other participants, including the horse as well, have nothing to gain from this type of streaks..

[lamboguy]

hey delta, a friend of mine has a 10 year old horse, JOHNS BERGER. he runs that horse for a straight $5000 every race. he could put the horse in and win a starter, but it would take to much out of him and he would have to retire him before he hurt himself. the horse loves to run, it gives the horse something to look forward to every month. if you take that away from him he would be heartbroken.

we all forget that this is horseracing, not gambler racing. in this game the horse has to come first.

[melman]

Delta the HUGE majority of owners in horse racing LOSE money and lose a lot of it. So you really want to make it even harder for the owner to make a buck? I can go along with you on the very top class horses who for the most part have super rich owners. Notice how many times it's the same select few trainers also. The connections of Tracy's Song are making no claims to her being a champion. Can't you just enjoy a consistent older horse who loves to race and win?

[LottaKash]

Can't you just enjoy a consistent older horse who loves to race and win?

Mel, gotta say, I love to see the older ones that still love to RACE & WIN !..In any class for that matter....I would definitely go to the local track if I resided nearby,just to root for them....

I haven't cheered for an older horse on a winning streak, in quite some time...

I miss those days when trips to the races were a very regular thing, and yelling at them coming down the lane was a very common thing for us to do ....:cool:

[DeltaLover]

hey delta, a friend of mine has a 10 year old horse, JOHNS BERGER. he runs that horse for a straight $5000 every race. he could put the horse in and win a starter, but it would take to much out of him and he would have to retire him before he hurt himself. the horse loves to run, it gives the horse something to look forward to every month. if you take that away from him he would be heartbroken.

we all forget that this is horseracing, not gambler racing. in this game the horse has to come first.

This is correct.

In theory the purpose of the game lies in the improvement of the breed and I agree that care for the horse comes first. Very few (if any) of us horse bettors will seriously disagree with this maxim.

I remember that this is what I was trying to explain to a lady representing PETA :ThmbDown: when they protested in Belmont after Eight Bells had broken down coming second to BB. Of course she did not seem to get it but this is another story....

BUT

Either we want to accept it or not, the whole horse racing system relies on the anonymous bettor who puts his money in action maintaining trainers, jockeys, track personel, breeders, journalists and pretty much every one else. The improvement of the breed and the care for the horses is not a responsability of the bettor but of the professionals of the industry.

Oddly enough, I think that in the real world the roles are reversed; the bettor cares more about the horse than the pros who view the sport solely as an occupation leaving any sportmanship and I dare to say romantism aside!

The bettor's interest for high quality and less racing, no drugs, longer careers for top horses, transparent medical records , large fields, less 2 yo and more past 4 yo racing are things that are opposed by the pros who view the game with a myopic vision, only considering the short term profit, a tactic that degenarated the breed to the point it is today....

Maybe we (bettors) should have a tell about how this industry is driven?

[Charlie]

This horse is something special. Didn't even have its regular driver due to a huge 2nd race accident at Monticello. Had to switch from Aldrich 21% win rate to Beeler 8% win rate. Broke from PP5 with an inside horse showing some front speed in 27.4 and 57.3 and still went to the front with hardly any effort. Just wonder how any horse can hold its form for such a long time. Unreal.

[melman]

Delta you are attempting to make the bettor sound like some noble people. Some are and care about the horses and admire the ones who are consistent and give a big effort from each start. So few horses of any class put together win streaks. Yet when some do it's "unsportsmankike". Many "bettors" are far from caring about the horse or the people involved. How many times over the years have I heard a horse referred to only by it's number. As in "beat the four, beat the crap out of him". Or "they take turns and only win when they want to". I'm all for the regular player but let's be real the "pros" have given there main focus to the slot machines. How many tracks would even be open without them. I just fail to see how making it even harder for the smaller owners to win money or at least break even makes it a better game for the player.

[showbet]

Long winning streaks, most of the time if not always, represent a very careful and conservative campaign.

Horses like Pepper's Pride and Rapid Redux for example, were both able to go through very long winning streaks taking advantage of the conditions, driven by the desire of their connections to maintain a silly undefeated record.

Even in the case of top notch horses, like Black Caviar, the connections clearly give the impression that they are dodging the competition, always seeking for the soft spot.

Zen, the top mare of our era, could certainly had shown us more, if her connections had the courage to test her against top horses more often. Either if we want to accept it or not the fact remains that she only beat such a field only once during her lengthy career (please, I do not try to start a flame war not another thread about her, I am merely using her as an example...)

Above everything else owners should be sportsmen, willing to test their animals to their full capacity instead of taking advantage of the restrictions applied to their stack... This tactic is also bad for the betting aspect of the sport as it tends to produce unbalanced races thus not offering good competitive fields... It might only be good just for the owner if seen from the financial prospective only. All the other participants, including the horse as well, have nothing to gain from this type of streaks..
And here I thought this was just a nice, "feel-good" story about a mare who has won a bunch of races in a row.

Sometimes it seems that nothing, no matter how innocuous, can be posted here without someone putting a negative spin on it.

[DeltaLover]

Delta you are attempting to make the bettor sound like some noble people. Some are and care about the horses and admire the ones who are consistent and give a big effort from each start. So few horses of any class put together win streaks. Yet when some do it's "unsportsmankike". Many "bettors" are far from caring about the horse or the people involved. How many times over the years have I heard a horse referred to only by it's number. As in "beat the four, beat the crap out of him". Or "they take turns and only win when they want to". I'm all for the regular player but let's be real the "pros" have given there main focus to the slot machines. How many tracks would even be open without them. I just fail to see how making it even harder for the smaller owners to win money or at least break even makes it a better game for the player.

Mel, it is difficult for me to disagree with you. Of course you are right and maybe I overdid it a bit presenting the bettor as 'noble people'. I agree we are not, at least not all of us.

Besides this, I still believe that what is beneficial for me as a bettor, is aligned with what is beneficial for the breed and the game as well.

As a bettor I like less drugs, public medical records, mandatory layoffs for lame and sick horses, less racing which means better regulation, quality and transparency and the list can go on....

My motivation as a bettor is to create a better and more honest game where I might have better chances to win money. I admit that. But it looks that what is good for me will be good for the game as well....

Take for example, the case of a mediocre horse who happened to reach a long winning streak. For me as a bettor this is certainly not a good thing to happen since it degenerates the interest of the race so I do not get a good betting product. We as bettors are paying the purse of the race and every other expense because we want to bet. A racing secretary who is giving the opportunity to some connections to find an easy spot converting the race to a show, is certainly not favoring me as a bettor, he is rather making a favor to the horsemen than anything else.

This does not mean that I represent a betting machine.. Far from this, I am still thrilled every winter eagerly expecting the new Secretariat and I am still an admirer of great horses. It is not only me... The majority of us, we love horse racing and we are fans of great champs. I would have no problem seeing the next MAN O WAR winning 20 races at odds of 1-9 beating the best of the best; in contrary I would have been thrilled...

But silly consecutive win records under 'cooked' conditions is a completely different story...

[LottaKash]

[QUOTE=DeltaLover]
Take for example, the case of a mediocre horse who happened to reach a long winning streak. For me as a bettor this is certainly not a good thing to happen since it degenerates the interest of the race so I do not get a good betting product. QUOTE]

Delta I get your drift, and can't say that, for the most part, I disagree with anything you say, except about this particular horse as an example, I think it's much todo about nothing....

I mean, these days at all the tracks, do you know how many races I have been sitting out because of all of the conveyor belt streams of NW's of 1 or 2, and bottom line claimers....These races consist mostly of horses who show no desire or ability to win any race....Sometimes it surprises me that somebody has to win those races at all....Endless numbers of races and fields consisting of these types of races, are what really irk me and dengerates the interest of a race for me, reducing the outcome to a guessing game, if you will...

Three cheers for "Tracy's Song" and all of the horses just like it...

[DeltaLover]

I have to admit that I know very little when it comes harness racing so I can very well be wrong about the specific horse.

As far as your frustration when it comes to bottom level racing where the favorite has finished 6th in his last ten races I can only say that we are in the same boat. These needs to stop if we want racing to survive and reclaim the crown of the best form of gambling.

[melman]

Delta I think one of the LAST and I mean very last things wrong with racing today is "silly winning streaks" Under "cooked" conditions or not. I DO agree with you on your points only for the very top horses. In the last ten years a lot of "dodgeball" has been going on so that very good horses do not meet. You cited the connections of Zen. While I can somewhat agree at least they brougt her back after her three year old season. So many just disappear to the breeding barn. That for me at least is far more of a problem then any older non star horse putting together a long winning streak. Monticello had another one earlier this year that won nine in a row. And a few years back one that won 14 in a row. I say hooray for the "old war horse" that wants to race and win. There are far worse things as you stated that are wrong with today's game. For us harness fans this should be a really fun year. Unlike what has happened so often in the recent past most of the really good three years olds have come back this year. Should make for some very good racing at the highest level.