Quote:
Originally Posted by Spalding No!
VIRTUAL SUCKER BET STAKES – 9 FURLONGS DIRT
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I often think about the qualities that make certain horses "sucker bets".
Thy are typically horses that got over hyped in the media, overhyped by big name handicappers, or that won a prestigious race that happened to be very weak, but they also seem to lack something as racehorses.
To me it seems like an inability to overcome any real pressure or adversity and still finish well enough at the end to win at their current class level.
To win, you usually have to make a serious move into contention and sustain the run or engage and battle early. If you repeatedly come up empty late when you do that, it usually means you need a drop in class where the demands to get into contention are likely to be lower and you'll have a little more in the tank for the last 1/16th or 1/8th. Most of these horses run a lot of good races. They just can't get the job done without a drop because they lack the reserve racing energy do what it takes to win.