Handling 8f races

[andicap]

this is a Twilight Zone area for me.
In 8f races, do you use races from 7f or 8.5 or 9f in your handicapping? I realize it depends on whether the 8f races are one turn or two turns.

Similarly,
in 7f, 8.5f and 9f races, do you use 8f races from the PPs to judge the horse?

Do you use them if they are both 1 turn or 2 turns? Or are 8f races of whatever # of turns so different from 7f, 8.5f and 9f races that they can be misleading??

[so.cal.fan]

I can only answer for Santa Anita and Del Mar where they have mile races.

We don't use 7 furlong races. We prefer to equate 1 mile races with 1 1/8 mile races in preference to 1 1/6 mile races.

Early speed is more important at a mile AND a mile and an eighth than it is at 1 1/6.

Interesting question, Andi.
I have thought for decades that there is a correlation between different distances and some are better compared than others.
Again, I am only talking about So. Calif. tracks.....I have NO knowledge of other areas.

I sure would be interested in reading you handicappers comments on this.

[Valuist]

I think one turn miles are some of the truest races run. I think speed is much better at 1 1/16 and 1 1/8 around 2 turns than 1 mile around 1 turn....too much running on the same lead at the one turn mile. Anything between 7f and 9f is usable for handicapping purposes, IMO. At tracks like the FG or the Aqu inner, the mile races start almost on the club turn so I definitely prefer to use horses from inner posts.

[betchatoo]

Personally i seperate 7 furlong races from everything else. It is such an odd distance and horses seem to either love it or hate it. As far as races usable for a mile, I use races up to a 1 1/16 in my handicapping, if the mile is around 2 turns

[cj]

Andy,

I try to stick with races within 1/2 furlong AND around the same number of turns, but we don't always have that luxury.

[so.cal.fan]

I know a man at Santa Anita who is one of the top handicappers.....he maintains that there is a HUGE difference in handicapping races with half a furlong difference.
He sites 6 fur. races with 6 1/2 furlong races as very, very different.
My husband concurs with this theory.
I don't handicap sprints, so I'm not sure.....however, as I said in my first post....there IS a difference between a mile a mile and a sixteenth.
I have also noticed many years ago, don't know if it is still true....a correlation between 5 1/2 furlongs and 7 furlongs??? Don't have a clue why.

[midnight]

I'll use 7f races if the 8f race is also run around one turn. Otherwise, they're two different things.

[keilan]

I know a man at Santa Anita who is one of the top handicappers.....he maintains that there is a HUGE difference in handicapping races with half a furlong difference.
He sites 6 fur. races with 6 1/2 furlong races as very, very different.
My husband concurs with this theory.
I don't handicap sprints, so I'm not sure.....however, as I said in my first post....there IS a difference between a mile a mile and a sixteenth.
I have also noticed many years ago, don't know if it is still true....a correlation between 5 1/2 furlongs and 7 furlongs??? Don't have a clue why.

I think that your post is very much on the money. Very often horses trying to get that additional 1/2 furlong simply can't.

I have no idea about any correlation between 5.5f and 7.0f because I avoid any race less than 6.0f

[Overlay]

I treat one-mile races (regardless of the number of turns) as route races from a distance-category and probability-assignment standpoint, but I factor in the influence of performance in shorter races through my consideration of early speed, speed figures at any distance (as long as the races were on the same surface (dirt or turf) as today's race), and form factors (that is, I don't discard or discount form indications (especially positive ones) from recent sprint races in projecting performance in a route today).

[RunningWild]

1M/ 8f

Are the same as a Sprint races..Handicap the race the Same as you do a 6F race..

Good Luck.