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WinninTix
03-10-2009, 01:35 PM
Hello all.. Just getting into horse racing. I should say it has actually been just under a year. I like following Northfield track and Driver Aaron Merriman. He won 7 races last night out of 13. Is this guy that good or do guys like that always get the good horses? I was also wondering how do drivers get set up with the horses? Do the owners approach the drivers or do the drivers have agents that seak out the best horses for the drivers? Either way I made some money last night off this guy so I'll take it. Thanks guys... Hope to contribute more in here... 1 more quick question before I go. I always hear about a horse "dropping in class"... This seems like a major factor to me.. Where can this info be found? Is it in the racing form or do you have to pay somewhere for this kind of info... I know I have asked a lot but I didn't want to spread questions across the board... Thanks.

I have another question about the form itself that I will post up later... LOL

whyhorseofcourse
03-11-2009, 02:25 AM
Aaron merriman is a great small track driver..
But will never be nothing more. Matt kakaley is great too but he will not be at northfield much longer. He was a lot of potential.....

FWIW Brett Miller was ruler of this oval not too long ago. I remember him winning 10 in one race day a few times.

Ray2000
03-11-2009, 07:31 AM
WinninTix


I always hear about a horse "dropping in class"... This seems like a major factor to me.. Where can this info be found?



Quick answer, just guessing but a lot of programs use this method of showing class shift

On the program in your other post, where you have circled the 7, there is a small triangle pointing up which means this horse is moving up in class, pointing down means a drop in class, no symbol means staying at same level. (All horses in this race were moving up to "prefered open class" with a purse of $40,000, another indicator of class shift).

whyhorseofcourse
03-11-2009, 09:02 AM
WinninTix


Quick answer, just guessing but a lot of programs use this method of showing class shift

On the program in your other post, where you have circled the 7, there is a small triangle pointing up which means this horse is moving up in class, pointing down means a drop in class, no symbol means staying at same level. (All horses in this race were moving up to "prefered open class" with a purse of $40,000, another indicator of class shift).

Its absolutely amazing.... I see drop in classes plenty...
But why is there so many class changes at cal expo?
Seems like every horse every race is either moving up or moving down in class

Ray2000
03-11-2009, 09:54 AM
The class shift symbol is disappearing from use since TrackMaster uses ave speed ratings of prior races to set the class for today's race.

Here's an example of old time, at the track, program using diamonds and triangles.

http://www.horseracingprograms.com/SampleHarnessProgram.pdf


I don't have a Calx program, except those by Trackmaster, but I'll take a wild guess that the slight change in TM class is showing up as a class shift.

camfella
03-11-2009, 11:04 PM
Hello all.. Just getting into horse racing. I should say it has actually been just under a year. I like following Northfield track and Driver Aaron Merriman. He won 7 races last night out of 13. Is this guy that good or do guys like that always get the good horses? I was also wondering how do drivers get set up with the horses? Do the owners approach the drivers or do the drivers have agents that seak out the best horses for the drivers? Either way I made some money last night off this guy so I'll take it. Thanks guys... Hope to contribute more in here... 1 more quick question before I go. I always hear about a horse "dropping in class"... This seems like a major factor to me.. Where can this info be found? Is it in the racing form or do you have to pay somewhere for this kind of info... I know I have asked a lot but I didn't want to spread questions across the board... Thanks.

I have another question about the form itself that I will post up later... LOL
You are an endangered species,a new harness fan, wow do I remember that !,quick answers Merriman is just a small track guy with horse power (gets the good horses) most of the other guys are pretty much just hacks,so he has little competition, how he gets the good ones? he may have trainers he prefers,or a connection,but usually the trainer enters a driver's name on his entry card into the race"box", the good drivers will often then be able to decide which horse they want to drive from those listed on the first entry sheet,usually called an "overnight", when final scratch and changes are made,his name will be listed on only one of the horses.
Dropping in class-simple way-racing for a higher purse,within a similar classification or condition, or non winners(n/w) of 3 races is a higher class than a n/w of 2 races for example...usually, the easiest way for consistent determination of class is to just use the trackmaster program, the class rating on the top left of race past performances is the rating for this race, on each line for each individual horse,the left hand 2 digit number is the class rating, the right hand number after the individual line is the "speed rating", class ratings are much more reliable than the speed ratings. (ex 83 82,class rating is 83,speed rating is 82). When judging similar races, male races are better than female races, older horses 5yrs and up are considered better than races for just 4 yr old or 3 yr olds,so that is just common sense determinations. Remember one thing,when they protect a class by some sort of limitation (non winners of $150,000 lifetime,for example) keeps better horses out of those races. So let common sense rule the day- Cam Fella

Mazerati
03-19-2009, 10:31 PM
well Aaron is a good kid
i think Kakaley tho really has great potential
he's very young and will only get better
and probably will end being one of the top drivers in the country

bishlap
03-25-2009, 01:34 PM
wYou are an endangered species,a new harness fan, wow do I remember that !,quick answers Merriman is just a small track guy with horse power (gets the good horses) most of the other guys are pretty much just hacks,so he has little competition, how he gets the good ones? he may have trainers he prefers,or a connection,but usually the trainer enters a driver's name on his entry card into the race"box", the good drivers will often then be able to decide which horse they want to drive from those listed on the first entry sheet,usually called an "overnight", when final scratch and changes are made,his name will be listed on only one of the horses.
Dropping in class-simple way-racing for a higher purse,within a similar classification or condition, or non winners(n/w) of 3 races is a higher class than a n/w of 2 races for example...usually, the easiest way for consistent determination of class is to just use the trackmaster program, the class rating on the top left of race past performances is the rating for this race, on each line for each individual horse,the left hand 2 digit number is the class rating, the right hand number after the individual line is the "speed rating", class ratings are much more reliable than the speed ratings. (ex 83 82,class rating is 83,speed rating is 82). When judging similar races, male races are better than female races, older horses 5yrs and up are considered better than races for just 4 yr old or 3 yr olds,so that is just common sense determinations. Remember one thing,when they protect a class by some sort of limitation (non winners of $150,000 lifetime,for example) keeps better horses out of those races. So let common sense rule the day- Cam Fella
wow, cam... that's the best, most succint tutorial since the days of Stan Bergstein.

wilderness
03-25-2009, 01:39 PM
There was a Monday article on the USTA site:
http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=30972&z=37

FlyinLate
03-25-2009, 02:10 PM
Aaron merriman is a great small track driver..
But will never be nothing more. Matt kakaley is great too but he will not be at northfield much longer. He was a lot of potential.....
.

Bold statement about Merriman. Whose to say he won't be good at a more predominant oval until he makes his move?

whyhorseofcourse
03-25-2009, 08:53 PM
Bold statement about Merriman. Whose to say he won't be good at a more predominant oval until he makes his move?


He has made a move...
And it did not work like he hoped.
He is not a stupid driver.... He will not blow the good thing he has going at northfield...

camfella
03-25-2009, 09:21 PM
Stan B was the first "expert" that I ever heard talk Harness racing , in his old Racing from Roosevelt show, it was on at 11:30 at night in New York, afterwards we could pick it up on cable. Thanks for the compliment,but the longer I do this,the more I believe that wagering knowledge is the weakest part of our arsenals, how to,rather than what to ,good luck-Camfella

wilderness
03-25-2009, 11:54 PM
Stan B was the first "expert" that I ever heard talk Harness racing , in his old Racing from Roosevelt show, it was on at 11:30 at night in New York, afterwards we could pick it up on cable. Thanks for the compliment,but the longer I do this,the more I believe that wagering knowledge is the weakest part of our arsenals, how to,rather than what to ,good luck-Camfella

Camfella,
Stan is relentless. At 84 or 85 and still going. Reads everything that comes across his desk. We communicate frequently.

I'll provide an insight which you'll find interesting.

In the late 50's, Stan began the Harness Racing Institute in Chicago.
He was asked to come aboard at the United States Trotting Association in the early 1960's, where he initiated color into their Hoof Beats magazine.

The USTA had a gag order then (and even today) on employee's regarding both Newspapers and Television.

When Stan was approached to do the NY TV show, he was informed by the USTA that accepting would be a violation of his employee agreement.

Stan believed he could provide much better exposure and benefit to harness racing on TV than he could at the USTA and moved on.

The following excerpt from Stan's longtime "In Harness" article in the January 2009 Hoof Beats.

It (Trotting Book Shop collection) went with us when we moved to New Jersey, housed in a second building on our property, and remained there until one snowy morning in 1993, after the 17th blizzard that season in New Jersey and while shoveling our driveway, I asked my wife if she would like to move to Arizona.

"Are you serious?" she asked, and when I told her I was, she replied, "How about tomorrow afternoon at 3:30?"

We didn't do it quite that fast, but we did it, and knowing I would never have a place as big and spacious as our New Jersey home, I sold the entire library, and my Carrier & Ives collection of more than 100 originals, to Russell Williams of Hanover Shoe Farms. We knew he would appreciate the treasures, and he still has the vast collection.
end of quote

The above provides some insight into the appreciation of Stan Bergstein's humor as well as his dedication.