Why Harness Racing is a minor sport to TVG.

[sonnyp]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I'm not disagreeing with you, but I have a tough time believing that a breed can improve so much after just a few generations. It seems more likely that the improved final times have more to do with better equipment (sulky and other), training, nutrition, drugs etc... than genetics.

all of the things you mention are,certainly, a factor to the faster times but the animal itself has become more refined and athletic. as a breed there are many more good racehorses and on appearance, those once referred to as "jugheads" have acquired a much more attractive appearance.

way back when, breaking a pacer to hopples was like a dam day at the rodeo, now most will pace naturally. much easier and less time consuming.

[LottaKash]

Originally Posted by sonnyp

all of the things you mention are,certainly, a factor to the faster times but the animal itself has become more refined and athletic. as a breed there are many more good racehorses and on appearance, those once referred to as "jugheads" have acquired a much more attractive appearance.

way back when, breaking a pacer to hopples was like a dam day at the rodeo, now most will pace naturally. much easier and less time consuming.

For those of you who might not know....SonnyP, was (is) a very accomplished and successful Trainer and Driver of harness horses....Who competed and beat the best of them in the prime of it...A very talented horseman, imo....

best,

[dinque]

Originally Posted by LottaKash

For those of you who might not know....SonnyP, was (is) a very accomplished and successful Trainer and Driver of harness horses....Who competed and beat the best of them in the prime of it...A very talented horseman, imo....

best,

fight the foe ???

from what i see so many of todays great t-bred cappers learned their lessons at the hallowed grounds of roosevelt raceay

[toetoe]

Originally Posted by Canarsie

... good enough to work for NBC.

Wow. I wish I could truthfully put that into my resume. ...

[Hanover1]

Originally Posted by Tom

I've been going to Batavia for 30+ years. Love the place.
If you sit way down the end near top of the stretch, if seems like 1958 there!
Nothing beats night racing. We used to leave FL and head straight to Batavia, about a 45 minute drive, 3-4 nights a week.

Quite surprised, and pleased, that you have an experience that scant few of us remember or care to have. Sadly, the greatest days of harness are long behind all of us. Roosevelt at night with an average 15k on ANY night did it for me.....Used to enjoy Pompano at night, and it was second tier racing as well.

[Hanover1]

Originally Posted by sonnyp

all of the things you mention are,certainly, a factor to the faster times but the animal itself has become more refined and athletic. as a breed there are many more good racehorses and on appearance, those once referred to as "jugheads" have acquired a much more attractive appearance.

way back when, breaking a pacer to hopples was like a dam day at the rodeo, now most will pace naturally. much easier and less time consuming.

While Sonny alludes to the pacer as his example, I will define how the breed is responsible by describing the trot, something I know "a little" about.
Gone are the days of toe weights, hinged quarter boots, filled with lead, and the propensity for nearly all of them to interfere. I recall when Brisco Hanover set the world mark for a 2yr old at .57. That was considered freakish! (Jim Miller is with Erv now, and still looks good btw...) Now Erv has a colt that set the WR at 1:53.2 as a 2yr old, and he has gone more than that this year. Its not just equipment and drugs. You can look at the flesh and see a bigger, longer barelled specimen, that is fluid, sleek, and not as rough around the edges to the eye when squared up for inspection i.e. sales ring. It IS the breed.

[cj]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I'm not disagreeing with you, but I have a tough time believing that a breed can improve so much after just a few generations. It seems more likely that the improved final times have more to do with better equipment (sulky and other), training, nutrition, drugs etc... than genetics.

It is probably a combination, but the percentages, who knows? Surely artificial insemination speeds things up.

[sonnyp]

Originally Posted by cj

It is probably a combination, but the percentages, who knows? Surely artificial insemination speeds things up.

great point. artificial insemination does speed the process, but it can work both ways. the process allows both stallions and mares to participate in the breeding of foals who really have no desirable qualities to reproduce.

[David-LV]

Originally Posted by Tom

I love harness racing. Batavia opens shorty and I will be there. Nothing like a nice juicy hot dog, ice cold beer, leaning on the fence watching the pacers on a hot summer's night.

Tom,

You bring back the memories of many a great summer night spent at Roosevelt Raceway in the 1960's when harness was king of night time entertainment.
Great racing this Saturday night at Mohawk, enjoy.

__________
David-LV

[LottaKash]

Originally Posted by David-LV

Tom,

You bring back the memories of many a great summer night spent at Roosevelt Raceway in the 1960's when harness was king of night time entertainment.
Great racing this Saturday night at Mohawk, enjoy.

__________
David-LV

Jack Lee, the "Million Dollar Tote", and, one of the best Grandstands anywhere, for watching a race on a fine summer night....I remember you Dave !...That was you Dave, wasn't it...?


best,

[Canarsie]

Originally Posted by Hanover1

Quite surprised, and pleased, that you have an experience that scant few of us remember or care to have. Sadly, the greatest days of harness are long behind all of us. Roosevelt at night with an average 15k on ANY night did it for me.....Used to enjoy Pompano at night, and it was second tier racing as well.

The one thing that always stood out with me concerning Roosevelt were that the State Police's job was to make sure traffic kept moving off the Meadowbrook into Roosevelt. The weekends were mob scenes and way back then you had to bet on one side and cash of the other. If I recall correctly the trifecta started there at least for NY last race only.