more breakers

[imofe]

I have no data to back this up, but it seems to me that more horses break stride than in previous years. I expect young horses, especially trotters to break a lot. But it seems that pacers are starting to break often too. Pacers over a certain age should not be back missing the gate as often as they do. Anyone else find this to be a trend or is it just me losing my mind?

[Stillriledup]

its possible because trainers are using lightweight hopples, lightweight shoes, the drivers are trying to make as much speed as possible and horses are more fragile...so, you could be onto something.

[tamaharbor]

I have tabulated the total number of race-lines and how many race-lines contain a break (for whatever reason) for both trot and pace races at all USTA parimutual tracks between 3/22/2009 and 7/13/2014, inclusive. See attached spreadsheet.

Observations:
1) The average percentage of breakers in a race has decreased almost every year of the last five for both trotters and pacers.
2) The best behaved horses are pacers at Yonkers.
3) Maywood has almost no trotting races (0.1% of total)
4) Vernon Downs and The Meadows run a lot of trotting races (44% and 43% of total, respectively).
5) I don't think I will bet on trotters any more. Lol.

[imofe]

Could not open the file, but thanks for the info Tamaharbor. I guess it was just the races I have been watching in the last month or so.

[tamaharbor]

Attached is the same info in pdf format.

[imofe]

I bet a lot of Maywood and Balmoral . Both are up. Maybe that explains why I felt that way. Thanks for putting up the PDF.

[Ray2000]

I have tabulated the total number of race-lines and how many race-lines contain a break (for whatever reason) for both trot and pace races at all USTA parimutual tracks between 3/22/2009 and 7/13/2014, inclusive. See attached spreadsheet.

Observations:
1) The average percentage of breakers in a race has decreased almost every year of the last five for both trotters and pacers.
2) The best behaved horses are pacers at Yonkers.
3) Maywood has almost no trotting races (0.1% of total)
4) Vernon Downs and The Meadows run a lot of trotting races (44% and 43% of total, respectively).
5) I don't think I will bet on trotters any more. Lol.

Good job tama, thx. I've always been curious if the break pct is really different on a sloppy track vs fast but was too lazy to do the work.
If you have the overall numbers right at hand great, but don't go to any trouble.

[tamaharbor]

Results of track conditions vs breaking horses attached.

[Ray2000]

Results of track conditions vs breaking horses attached.
Thanks a lot, tamaharbor


Looks like trotters handle the off-track better than pacers,...interesting numbers.

[wilderness]

tamaharbor,
Very interesting many thanks.

For some years, we rarely see the worst off-track conditions (heavy, muddy & slow).

Any idea what tracks those conditions are from?

[pandy]

Results of track conditions vs breaking horses attached.


Great stuff. Do you mind if I use your stats in a column?

[tamaharbor]

That would be fine, Pandy. Use whatever you need.

[tamaharbor]

wilderness,

Interestingly, most FROZEN races were carded at Balmoral, the NOT RECORDED races were at Miami Valley, most MUDDY races at Scarborough, and a majority of the HEAVY track conditions were found at either Bangor and The Meadows. SLOW and SNOW track conditions occurred once in a while at all tracks at various times.

- tamaharbor

[wilderness]

Many thanks