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Originally Posted by cj
It isn't a one off.
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By "one off" I meant an obscure horse setting a record without a prior or subsequent performance that validates the effort.
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Look at the track records at most tracks and the horses are obscure for most distances. Obviously the best horses set track records more than not very good horses.
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Not sure if there's a typo here, but these 2 sentences clash. If the best horses set the track records then most track records should not list a bunch of obscure horses.
From a sample of 4 East Coast tracks (selected off the top of my head) it seems as though indeed the best horses--many of which are contemporary horses--set track records:
Monmouth (6f, 8f, 8.5f, 9f, 10f): Idiot Proof, Forty Niner, Sharp Azteca, Cyberknife, Carry Back
Belmont (5f, 6f, 6.5f, 7f, 7.5f, 8f, 9f, 10f, 12f): Kelly Kip, Artax, Bear Fan, Clearly Now, Commentator, Najran, Secretariat, In Excess, Secretariat
Gulfstream (6f, 6.5f, 7f, 8f, 8.5f, 9f, 9.5f): Big Drama, Forest Danger, Clearly Now, Normandy Invasion, Social Inclusion, Arrogate, Fort Larned
Saratoga (6f, 6.5f, 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f): Imperial Hint, Quality Road, Darby Creek Road, Key Contender, Lawyer Ron, Arrogate
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Obviously I'm too young to know that from personal experience, but I've heard it from multiple people I trust from different segments of the game. It is very hard for modern horses to break track records that have been around a long time for reasons that don't have a lot to do with the ability of the horses IMO.
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That may or may not be accurate, but regardless, does that mean the corollary is true, that is was easy to break track records in past eras?
In the case of Ruffian, her records appeared to be exceptional:
Astoria - 1:02.8; broke the previous 5.5f mark by 4/5s; the only sub-1:03 performance in the history of the race both before & after
Sorority - 1:09 flat; broke the previous 6f mark by a full second; only 3 sub-1:10 performances subsequently, none faster than 1:09.6
Spinaway - 1:08.6; broke the previous 6f mark by over a second; only 3 sub-1:10 performances (never mind sub-1:09) later on before the race was extended to 7f
Comely - 1:21.2; broke the previous 7f mark by 2/5s; one of only 3 sub-1:22 performances when the race was run at 7f
Acorn - 1:34.4; broke the previous 8f mark by 1/5s set by Susan's Girl; at the time only the 3rd sub-1:35 performance in the race; it was also the last time the race was run at Aqueduct
Mother Goose - 1:47.8; broke the previous 9f mark by nearly 2 seconds but it was one of only 7 editions of the race run at Aqueduct
CCA Oaks - 2:27.8; tied the previous mark which were the only 2 sub-2:28 clockings when the race was run at 12 furlongs
