The Monday morning excuses

[burnsy]

If theres one thing I get a chuckle out of.....its the excuses Monday brings here after a big weekend. Oh, the rail was dead, the ride was terrible and somehow the result was flawed. I'm not going to lie these things do happen from time to time but its highly over rated. For the three year old's it started after the derby. You had people chewing the fat for over a month about it. Then when the results come in....its woulda ,coulda, shoulda. Even if their most sophisticated analysis is …."Baffert has to win hes been winning"....lol. Like the same guy is going to be lucky enough to get the fastest horses every time. Its like trying to catch lightning twice in a bottle....but its not logic. You can kind of give leeway after the derby because it is a cattle call and there are many times for legit beefs but fast forward to August and the Travers.

There are always a couple of promising new shooters, happens every year. But one really has to look at races like the Curlin and figure if these horses are fast enough. I mean they are taking a huge leap from Friday racing to Saturday in the Travers. The price you get and the quality of that race better match up or its toss city. This year, those horses couldn't carry water for the top tier that made the field.

Now today comes and the results paid really well for some very logical contenders and surprise, surprise. I get to read every excuse in the book. The inside was no good and Mucho got pressured from the start. How is that a surprise? Hes fast, but will he hold on? Hes kind of got one pace but he figures to get a piece. My friend liked him, I told him to watch replays. I always do. In what zip code does he change gears like Code Of Honor does going a distance? Then theres Tacitus, good old 9-5 Tacitus. Equipment change in late August Tacitus. People are complaining, the excuse is he got out too early. He added blinks....he was sharper.....no kidding...lol. That's not an excuse. He was too late at the gate Jim Dandy...what are you going to do?

My point is , an excuse in May is sometimes legit. Its August, pushing September and some of these horses have shown tendencies not excuses. Time to step forward cause it doesn't get any easier from here. I'm not saying its not going to happen for one of these horses that always fall a couple lengths short. But I'm saying it has to no matter how many "excuses" people make Monday morning. I read this stuff and think. People talk about these races all day...and if the result doesn't fit the bill. They attempt to negate what they just saw with the naked eye. Its hilarious. At this point its pretty clear who the best are until something else happens with the three year olds that's different. It can happen...but c'mon already with the excuses.

[zerosky]

I can't remember where I clipped this from but someone once went to trouble to list trainer excuses,
published after each race, so in no particular order:

needed the run
needs a break
ran back too quick
needs further distance
couldn't last the distance
couldn't handle the going
horse pulled
hit the front too soon
needed cover
distracted by crowd, noise
sweated up
travelled badly
too green
needed the experience
horse in heat
needs gelding
too much weight
trouble with the bit
trouble with the saddle
trouble with shoes
trouble with whip
poor ride
racing trouble
bad draw
trapped wide
pace too quick
pace too slow
trouble with kick back
missed the break
horse blocked
track configuration didn't suit
Horse injured tendon
Horse injured muscle
Horse injured foot
low blood count

[cj]

Would this thread exist if the Travers turned out differently?

I would say there is a lot of value in analyzing a race afterwards and I don't think anyone would say the best horse wins every race. Ask Mitole fans about that. Sometimes you are right, sometimes wrong. Sometimes you can be wrong and cash or right and not cash.

It isn't a simple game. It never has been and never will be. It will probably even get tougher. I'm going to keep digging as deep as I can. I'll make mistakes still, learn, and grow as a bettor. I also won't get too excited over scores either unless one is big enough I can retire to a life of luxury. Peace out.

[tbwinner]

Originally Posted by zerosky

needed the run
needs a break
ran back too quick
needs further distance
couldn't last the distance
couldn't handle the going
horse pulled
hit the front too soon
needed cover
distracted by crowd, noise
sweated up
travelled badly
too green
needed the experience
horse in heat
needs gelding
too much weight
trouble with the bit
trouble with the saddle
trouble with shoes
trouble with whip
poor ride
racing trouble
bad draw
trapped wide
pace too quick
pace too slow
trouble with kick back
missed the break
horse blocked
track configuration didn't suit
Horse injured tendon
Horse injured muscle
Horse injured foot
low blood count

don't forget:
hasn't been eating
bled
has mucous
has ulcers
horse can't breathe
tongue tie fell off
too hot
too cold
too windy
too humid
too dry
needs blinkers, needs to focus
blinkers need off, he needs to see pressure
horse needs dropped
horse needs to run on turf
horse needs to run on dirt
horse needs to run on polytrack
horse needs to run on tapeta
he's sore from polytrack
he needs more galloping
the rail was golden
the rail was dead
he took the 4 path
he missed his last work
claimed a slob
horse didn't ship well
horse sweating
horse is a thumper
didn't change leads(this was one was my favorite)
horse didn't like the stick
horse needed to be hit more
horse spooked by birds
horse spooked by horse
horse spooked by plane
horse spooked by announcer
horse spooked by rail
horse spooked by starting gate
horse spooked by outrider
horse spooked by ambulance
horse spooked by other horse
horse spooked by all horses
displaced pallete
horse threw a shoe
horse needs new shoes
horse needs no shoes
we should have run next week
we should have run last week
has to be outside of horses
needs to be inside of horses
needs to go wide
needs to be inside
needs to be inside on first turn then be wide on 2nd to avoid traffic
vice versa.

how about hearing WE WERE BEAT!!! no excuses!!!

[mikekk]

"Track was cuppy" was the prime excuse 20 years ago. Can't remember the last time I heard a trainer say it

[rastajenk]

Originally Posted by mikekk

"Track was cuppy"

That's the one I was looking for scanning these lists five days later.

[SmoothJazz98]

If there's one thing I get a chuckle out of it 's people b ##ching about b##ching

[Nitro]

Originally Posted by zerosky

I can't remember where I clipped this from but someone once went to trouble to list trainer excuses,
published after each race, so in no particular order:

I for one would like to know where any of these sort of comments are being made public after the race?

I have a funny suspicion that some players are using them personally as an excuse for making a losing bet.

[zerosky]

It was in a forgotten blog by a uk turf writer who said this list was garnered from the post race interviews with actual trainers.

[taxicab]

Originally Posted by zerosky

I can't remember where I clipped this from but someone once went to trouble to list trainer excuses,
published after each race, so in no particular order:

Top of the list....
"Stepped on a Safety Pin".

[cj]

Originally Posted by Nitro

I for one would like to know where any of these sort of comments are being made public after the race?

I have a funny suspicion that some players are using them personally as an excuse for making a losing bet.

Interviews before and after races on TVG or FS2 for NYRA, articles in DRF, Bloodhorse, etc. It is there if you want to look.

[Nitro]

Originally Posted by cj

Interviews before and after races on TVG or FS2 for NYRA, articles in DRF, Bloodhorse, etc. It is there if you want to look.

I’m very familiar with both TVG and FS2 (NYRA) . Both networks may interview trainers (and owners) prior to a race. Of course, their response may include any concerns that they might have about their horse, their competition, or the race conditions. But they’re certainly not making excuses.

Rarely does either network go out of their way to interview a trainer that just lost a race. Their focus is primarily on the winning connections when conducting post-race interviews.

I can’t say that I recall reading any detailed articles anywhere where the trainers make these sort of excuses for their horse losing a race. In all likelihood, if such articles exist both the DRF & Bloodhorse would only be interested in races where the upper class of horse is involved in perhaps a stakes type race.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by Nitro

I for one would like to know where any of these sort of comments are being made public after the race?

I have a funny suspicion that some players are using them personally as an excuse for making a losing bet.

who are they using them to? Does somebody inspect your bets?

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

who are they using them to? Does somebody inspect your bets?

They are using the excuses to THEMSELVES...to justify sticking to their own losing methods. Blaming our losses to someone/something else is a lot less painful than admitting that WE are the ones at fault.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Nitro

I’m very familiar with both TVG and FS2 (NYRA) . Both networks may interview trainers (and owners) prior to a race. Of course, their response may include any concerns that they might have about their horse, their competition, or the race conditions. But they’re certainly not making excuses.

Rarely does either network go out of their way to interview a trainer that just lost a race. Their focus is primarily on the winning connections when conducting post-race interviews.

I can’t say that I recall reading any detailed articles anywhere where the trainers make these sort of excuses for their horse losing a race. In all likelihood, if such articles exist both the DRF & Bloodhorse would only be interested in races where the upper class of horse is involved in perhaps a stakes type race.

I've plenty of interviews of horses that don't win, and particularly in print they are available. The pre-race interviews contain plenty of excuses in my opinion. I'm not a big believer in trainer speak, so maybe I'm being overly hard, but a lot of the reasons I hear for losses are outright laughable.