Anybody know what Steve Haskin has been smoking?

[AskinHaskin]

Check out this poorly-conceived, linked story, dated August 25, 2016:

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2016/08/25/american-dirt-records-a-thing-of-the-past.aspx



In it, Haskin writes the following:


"horses no longer set American dirt records carrying their speed beyond six furlongs and especially around two turns"


"there are no more American dirt records being set at distances over six furlongs, even with the consistently fast times being run"


"we haven’t seen any American dirt records being set anymore."


"Let’s face it; that is a long time for not one of those American dirt records to be broken"


"no American dirt records have been broken in so many decades"



Haskin then took the time to lambast many of the hundreds of people who commented on the story when it was he himself who had no idea what in the heck he was writing about.


For the North American record for a 2-turn mile on dirt had been set mere days earlier, on August 14th.


One wonders whether Haskin can even figure out why two-turn records are slower than one-turn records at the same distances.


Illustrating the shaky frame of mind known to Haskin at the time, he ended his story with the line:

"Oh, by the way, the track record for 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga is 2:00 flat set by General Assembly 37 years ago."

(* at least that was accurate at the time it was written)


So just what kind of mind-altering substance was Haskin on?

[Spalding No!]

Illustrating the shaky frame of mind known to Haskin at the time, he ended his story with the line:

"Oh, by the way, the track record for 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga is 2:00 flat set by General Assembly 37 years ago."

(* at least that was accurate at the time it was written)
Even that line was stupid in the context of the article. One of his main points was that older horses historically set records. In an effort to push his other point that records are a thing of the past, he forgot to consider that General Assembly was a 3yo at the time.

He also suggested that this year's Travers was one of the most competitive in a long time. This, too, was utter nonsense. Of the last 20-odd Travers, I would say only the Thunder Gulch, Point Given, Bernardini, and Street Sense editions were probably foregone conclusions. In fact, last year's was probably the most "set in stone" beforehand, and yet, American Pharoah was defeated. All other recent Travers have been quite contentious IIRC.

Whatever. He might have known about the two-turn mile thing (perhaps it even stimulated him to write the blog), but we're talking about a Coolmore reject besting a record set in a Golden Gate Fields allowance race, so he can get a pass. I'm not even sure if any major racetracks consistently run many two-turn miles on the main track anyways.

[AskinHaskin]

I agree with you that the Travers has been quite competitive more often than not. And the 2015 Travers made far more sense from the perspective of 10 months later than may have been the case at the time.

As to that last part - the previous (to GG Alw) record had been held by Citation. I don't know how much more legitimate it would need to be.

The record had been matched during every decade since (GG), so Haskin is wrong quite frequently, especially considering that with timing in fifths of a second, some of those 'ties' may have indeed set new standards had they been timed in today's hundredths of a second.

[cj]

I agree with you that the Travers has been quite competitive more often than not. And the 2015 Travers made far more sense from the perspective of 10 months later than may have been the case at the time.

As to that last part - the previous (to GG Alw) record had been held by Citation. I don't know how much more legitimate it would need to be.

The record had been matched during every decade since (GG), so Haskin is wrong quite frequently, especially considering that with timing in fifths of a second, some of those 'ties' may have indeed set new standards had they been timed in today's hundredths of a second.

Maybe I'm confused. Where was the record set and by what horse?

Never mind, I found it, Point Piper in the Longacres Mile. Shows how little records mean IMO.

[Spalding No!]

As to that last part - the previous (to GG Alw) record had been held by Citation. I don't know how much more legitimate it would need to be.

Fair enough, but note that Citation set the mark also at Golden Gate, which again begs the question, what top tier tracks consistently run two turn miles?

[PaceAdvantage]

Wow, it takes dedication to register for this forum using the name of the person whom you're about to make one of your first critical threads about.

If that doesn't scream agenda, I don't know what does. In any event, I'm going to ask you to change your screen name. I actually thought you might be Steve when I saw you had registered...I should have known better... :lol:

[cj]

Fair enough, but note that Citation set the mark also at Golden Gate, which again begs the question, what top tier tracks consistently run two turn miles?

Only Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Keeneland (and it is new there) that I can think of off hand. And I can't think of any top level races at a mile in Southern California on dirt.

[Spalding No!]

Only Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Keeneland (and it is new there) that I can think of off hand. And I can't think of any top level races at a mile in Southern California on dirt.
Big Cap winner Ruhlmann had the one mile record at Santa Anita for several years, precisely because he won a rare restricted one mile stakes that wasn't renewed. Santa Anita didn't run flat miles again until very recently, I presume because they started running the BC there more frequently and added the Dirt Mile race.

[cj]

Big Cap winner Ruhlmann had the one mile record at Santa Anita for several years, precisely because he won a rare restricted one mile stakes that wasn't renewed. Santa Anita didn't run flat miles again until very recently, I presume because they started running the BC there more frequently and added the Dirt Mile race.


The funny thing is neither Del Mar nor Santa Anita should be running dirt miles. The run up at both tracks is ridiculous.

[Track Phantom]

The funny thing is neither Del Mar nor Santa Anita should be running dirt miles. The run up at both tracks is ridiculous.
What is the reason for a "run-up" anyway? Why wouldn't the clock start when the gate opens at every distance, at every track? What is the purpose of a run-up?