Tactical speed

[Smarty Cide]

Whats the difference between "Tactical speed" and running fast?

[Stillriledup]

I think it means that a horse with tactical speed can show as much speed as he needs for the jock to be able to put him in the position he wants. With a deep closing plodder type, he doesnt have any speed to change his 'tactics' but horse with tactical speed does.

Anyway, that's my guess.

[fmolf]

I think it means that a horse with tactical speed can show as much speed as he needs for the jock to be able to put him in the position he wants. With a deep closing plodder type, he doesnt have any speed to change his 'tactics' but horse with tactical speed does.

Anyway, that's my guess.
i agree tactical speed means the horse has the ability to attend to a fast pace and still be able to finish strongly.this would prevent a horse from getting loose on the lead...or if the jock sees a speed dual developing up front the horse with tactical speed can lay back and still have enough gas to make a closers run in the stretch....If you watch 2 yr old races with unraced maidens these horses just run as fast as they can for as long as they can till they learn to rate

[tanner12oz]

Ability to start stop...run a lick to position oneself...kick it back on to then blow past

[Cratos]

Whats the difference between "Tactical speed" and running fast?

Andy Beyer answered this question very well many years ago in one of his books when he stated the "moves" that a horse can make during a race and the more moves, the better it's tactical speed.

[Rex Phinney]

A horse with tactical speed has more than one speed and:

Doesn't need to be on the front
Doesn't need to be on the rail or outside horses
Doesn't need a fast pace to close
Doesn't come from the clouds

Most important, he can go, stop, and then go again.

[thaskalos]

Hey...I thought the content here was copyrighted.

First Beyer steals from us...and now this?

http://www.runhorse.com/tactical_speed.htm

[raybo]

"Tactical", of course comes from the word "tactic" and can relate to "strategy" or "strategies" (meaning options for the basic strategy depending on what happens after "first contact"). In military operations, it is often said that no static strategy or plan will survive the first contact with the enemy. One must have "contingency" plans in place before first contact, to offer options should things go wrong (and often they do).

So, a horse with "tactical speed" has more options in its bag of tricks, that may enable it to overcome all the events that happen in races. These trainers/jockeys/horses start with an initial strategy or plan, by the trainer and/or jockey, but if things happen that defeat that initial plan, the horse has the capability to "counterattack", or take advantage of those race developments by being able to use a burst of speed, or lay back, etc., in order to gain an advantageous position regarding the way the race is being run at the time. As was mentioned, they have more than one gear, and some of them have several gears they can use, at any time. These are the most dangerous horses in the game, except for the lone speed horse who breaks well against lesser speed horses.

[Robert Goren]

True tactical speed is pretty rare. Most of the horses running 3rd, 4th or 5th would be on the lead if they were fast enough coming out of the gate. After the first furlong and until the top of the stretch or at the middle of the final turn, all the horses are running pretty much running at the same rate of speed as the front runner. There nothing tactical about it. They are just trying to keep up. Most EP or P horses win because the horses in front of them stop to a near walk not because they have a burst of speed left in the tank. IMO

[pondman]

They're fast enough to get to the lane, get out of trouble, slip through, or get around. Sometimes all in the same race.

[raybo]

True.

I think "tactical" speed is more about the ability to gain preferential position early and mid, not necessarily later in the race.

[Smarty Cide]

Vicar's In Trouble got that tactical speed... can come from off the pace and can rate on the lead....

[Fingal]

Whats the difference between "Tactical speed" and running fast?

Think of it in sport terms.

You have the fireballer that throws gas & tries to blow everyone down.
And then you have those that are sneaky fast where the ball explodes & he hits his spots.

Or in Football, a Barry Sanders or Gayle Sayers, someone who could cut & spin versus those who are just run into the line with the metaphor of 3 yards & a cloud of dust.

Good, sometimes great horses like other sport players have tactical speed. Same goes with jockeys.