Quote:
Originally Posted by BONTABAM
Personally, I think the ideal pace pattern for a front runner depends somewhat on the distance and surface. At 6F on dirt it will be different than at 10F on dirt or on turf.
At 6F on dirt I would WAY rather see my speed horse run:
slow 2f, fast 2f, finish
than
fast 2f, slow 2f, finish
I am talking here about relative to average and not necessarily the actual times because most dirt races decelerate.
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Interesting, your 2nd case shows an example of the the inefficient pace pattern I first noticed in a race, which got this thread started. It is a huge energy drain on a horse to accelerate, decelerate and then try to accelerate again. CJ called this "the valley" and is doing a study on this effect.
I have also come to learn that in 6F sprint races it is an advantage to depart from the effectiveness of even pace running we see in routes. My guess is that the momentum gained in the early pace, especially the 2nd quarter, compensates to a degree for the fatigue in the final quarter caused by the uneven fast early pace.
