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Originally Posted by Capper Al
If class is stamina then the first thing that pops into my mind is the stretch. How much juice does the horse have at the end of the race. But is this fair to a front runner that just hangs on by a nose to win at the end? Pace theory goes in depth discussing this. Early energy used is twice as asaperating as late energy. Yet doesn't common sense tell us that a horse gaining in a finish while winning at the same rate as a horse losing ground has more class then the early speed horse? How else might we look at this?
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Basically, yes. Regardless of the fractions, the classier horses finish better against the pace of the race than their less classier rivals, and that's why they win the photos. But, you can't just look at late-pace ratings or fast final quarters and declare all fast finishers as "classy" horses. Obviously, a lot of horses can finish well when they go slow early. But the classy horses finish well even when they're used prior to the quarter pole.
One of the best explanations of this was found in harness handicapping books written by the late Steve Chaplin. These books, Bettor's Guide To Harness Racing and Advanced Harness Handicapping, were published in the 1970's. Chaplin wrote about comparing "stretch speed" to the energy used prior to the stretch.
My new thoroughbred book will delve into this in great detail, although there's more to it, as well.
