DMR Morning Workouts
 

I'm a relatively young horseplayer, but have still been doing it for long enough to know how to make some sense of posted workouts in PP's and use them to some advantage.

HOWEVER, this morning (Tuesday) was a new experience for me as I actually attended workouts at Del Mar (walked in and meandered is probably more accurate), and I'm wondering from some that know far more than I - - - when you actually watch works in person, what do you watch and what are you looking for?

I'd love to do it again sometime, but armed with more knowledge to help in the handicapping process. Thanks!

Many of the clockers are up in the press box. You get a great view from up there. Just walk up there like you own the place. ;)

Here's a workout comment from Bruno DeJulio ( www.racingwithbruno.com ) out of todays racing digest (www.todaysracingdigest.com )

This was a first time starter that ran at Del Mar on Sunday. Da Boomer paid $28.40 to win.

Da Boomer 08/19 DMR/FT 3F 35.0h

Finished in full stride late down the lane. Finished final ¼ in strong
manner. Looked good here nicely late.

"in full stride"
 

!!! I do not even see that in most horses in most races!!

First of all find out exactly WHO is working. Get a place high so you can see the entire work (some start slow and gain speed, others go hell bent from the start) realize these are NOT from a standing start unless they are gate drills. See who works in company and more importantly WHY (is one horse being used to teach something to another, is there new equipment being used, take a guess how far off the rail they are working and approximate the weigh of the exercise rider since many a trainer often work horses these days to get a adequate feel for their action).

A some point on the track (usually the "gap" opening between the barns and the main course) a horse identifier finds out who is working, what barn and how far. Just because they state a distance does not mean that is how far they are going. Sometimes they may take a longer work, sometimes shorter. See how the horse acts: is he sweating, rank, unruly etc.

Realize too that all you are going to discover (just like watching a baseball or basketball team workout) is who is fit and who CAN work out. Don't over-analyze the time since some are out there just for maintenance while others are there to learn a lesson (going inside another, getting used to dirt in their face, seeing how they react to new equipment etc.)
.
Also realize too, that there are NO DRUG TESTS after workouts

Thanks for all of the help!! We're going to Pacific Classic day, I think this'll be our 4th trip out there this year (5th maybe??) but had some extra time to kill this week and wanted to try something new.

Much thanks for the insights!! :)

The two most shocking things to me in watching them close up, was the weight of the exercise riders, and how far out from the rail they work.

first of all, i find that the racing form clockers are real good. the ones that i know put the exact times of the work in the paper. the guy from calder is as good as it gets. the guy's that do the training and the main track at churchill are real good as well.

if a private clocker was that good he would not sell his information, he would simply bet it. the key to a good clocker is to know the horse they are clocking and the trainer that has the horse out ther. good clockers recognize improvements from one work to the next, and know how the trainer usually brings around his horses. certain trainers do not telegraph how good or bad the horses are in the morning, they wait until the afternoon to show their stuff, because that is when they get paid. you are never going to figure how good or bad an assmussen horse is by watching him in the morning. i can tell you that if someone tips you on one of his horses chances are they won't win. or for every one that wins 20 don't.after spending about 25 years in saratoga listening to tips, i know how the game is played with babies. often times you might get 6 tips in the same race, none of them the favorite at 3/5 that runs right out of your television screen.

DON'T get hung up on a workout somehow being reflective of how that ISOLATED move in the cool of the morning will somehow tell you how they race in the afternoon. If they are fit they will work regularly and longer...beyond that exercise is simply exercise.

When I clocked at DMR, I hung out on the 4th floor box seats. Good vantage point and not many distractions.
First thing to do is to get a list of all trainers in So Cal. Try and figure out who uses what on their horses in the morning (saddle towels, blinkers, shadow rolls, girth straps, even how they tape bandages can help seperate one trainer from another) Looking at blinkers of horses in the afternoon can help you I.D. horses of obscure trainers in the morning.
It's not like they have a million different sets of blinkers.
The work tab you can get off the Del Mar website matches up names to trainers.
heres the link. http://www.dmtc.com/racinginfo/works/pdf/100824

Most important thing is getting markings and colors. For without the correct match up to the horses name, you'll be wasting your time.
Binocs, stop watch, voice recorder, clipboard are tools needed

Heres a link to Markings and color descriptions
http://www.deannesweb.com/horses/horsecolors/index.html

Focus more on the longer distance drills, 5/8s and up. and also gate drills.
The gate is set up at the 1/4 mile chute for morning drills so most of those drills will finish on the backstretch.
Dont go out on a Saturday until you've at least gone a couple of days during the week. Going on a Saturday will be very disheartening as many more horses work on this day and you'll be overwhelmed by the chaos.

When clocking, catch a horses work at the break off pole, then every 1/8th of a mile to the 1/4 then just the final 1/4 will do. I look for speed/ and or a good finish. However, many trainers train differently. Some trainers train horses to start fast and coast home, some train to relax early and fly home. You've got to learn the trainers tendencies before you can assess their runners drills.
Poles. Black and white are 1/16's (first pole to the left of the wire is the 1/16, the 2nd is Green and white (1/8s pole), 3rd is black white (3/16), 4th is red white (1/4 pole), 5th is b/w 5/16 and 6th is g/w 3/8s, and so on. Basically the 3 RED WHITE POLES are the 1/4,1/2 and 3/4s, the 4 GREEN WHITE POLES are the 1/8, 3/8,5/8 and 7/8s...the rest are 1/16's
Horses that drop down to the rail are working.. Horses are not allowed to jog or gallop on the rail,. That spot is reserved for workers. So if you see a horse go from the middle of the track down to the rail shortly before a pole, he'll be breaking off at that pole. That's when you start the watch.

Finally, don't overbet a good work. Some times horses show tons of ability in the morning (prior to their first race) but it takes them a couple of starts to finally break through. There is nothing like race experience.
My theory is a horse that works well can run well or bad. But a horse that works bad will almost never run well (unless he's already shown he's a bad worker that runs well). I use works as a way to toss out horses with little or no ability or horses that are just plain stupid (poor acting horses tend to due poorly in races)
Hope this helps.

I don't really pay too much attention to works other than making sure there were no unusual gaps in between. But here's a question, why does California seemingly always put works as handily whereas most other tracks outside of Cal put breezing unless they notice something. I'm guessing it's clockers' discretion?