Cheering for horses - Page 2 - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

thaskalos · 08-25-2020, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay68802

I did that for a while also. Quit after a duel down the long stretch at the Fairgrounds, my leg hurt to much. Walked with a limp for a week after that.

Yes...this happened to me too when I was using the simulcast program. That's mainly why I switched to the much softer Daily Racing Form.

jay68802 · 08-25-2020, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Yes...this happened to me too when I was using the simulcast program. That's mainly why I switched to the much softer Daily Racing Form.

Never enter my mind.......

RunForTheRoses · 08-25-2020, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thaskalos

I'm not into "cheering"...but I've adopted an effective way of "coaxing" my horse to the wire when it has secured a contending position while turning for home. I'll roll up my Racing Form and hold it whip-like in my hand...and then rhythmically strike it against the side of my thigh while maintaining a slightly bent-over stance. Vocal encouragement is optional. Call me crazy, but I've found that it helps if I increase the frequency and force of the flailing movement as my horse nears the finish line.

My father did that. Lately, I find that in the stretch if there is a duel I'll grab the reins (imaginary) and try to get my horse home.

I'm sure that is completely normal behavior.

RunForTheRoses · 08-25-2020, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBYRacer

Interesting. On the one hand I don't want to be obnoxious, on the other hand it's good to have a little fun. Agree though that the cheering should be proportionate to your projected winnings to some extent. With that said, when the kids are with me and they have $2 to win on the leader, it's tough to keep things in perspective.

When I go with my folks, my mom has a knack for betting $2 to win on the favorite and then wildly cheering for her horse down the stretch as it battles the 10-1 shot that Dad and I just bet $40 on. Inevitably, she ends up winning and there's that brief moment of, "Come on, Ma! Take one for the team!"

Its no big deal, you should have fun. The other extreme of just sitting passively would not be fun. At a sporting event you root. But visit mainline one at Meadowlands one day...

CBYRacer · 08-25-2020, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay68802

I did that for a while also. Quit after a duel down the long stretch at the Fairgrounds, my leg hurt to much. Walked with a limp for a week after that.

The big question though Jay is did you win? I'd probably endure a few days with a sore leg to get a 5-1 shot home...not sure about an odds-on favorite though!

CBYRacer · 08-25-2020, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wiley

When I was a younger man at the track, I always used to invoke the jockeys name for encouragement or maybe to more so not screw up. Something like "Come on Perret, bring him home" or "Keep him together Cordero".

Two years ago at the Breeders Cup, my first live racing in years, I found myself yelling out the horses name though, like "Roll by em Yoshida" or "Get up Wow Cat" - neither of those worked out too well for me...

At that Distaff race, we were sitting next to the former trainer of Wow Cat and he and his group of owners from Chile were no help either in booting her home. They were yelling much louder than me and my friend, though mainly in Spanish.

You might be in the same boat as me, Wiley. No amount of cheering is going to make up for poor handicapping!

I might have to resort to the imaginary riding approach a la Thaskalos.

Wiley · 08-25-2020, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBYRacer

You might be in the same boat as me, Wiley. No amount of cheering is going to make up for poor handicapping!

I might have to resort to the imaginary riding approach a la Thaskalos.

I think that it only helps us, doesn't do anything for the horses or jockeys. More like cheering at any sporting event, the horse bettor has an active interest in the outcome, so why not yell and get involved.

Always loved Beyer's line that if you won anything over $10,000 on the race you were allowed to scream and do anything you wanted after or I guess during the race, including proclaiming that you were "King of the World". I think that threshold has to be higher now after 45 years of inflation!

SkunkApe · 08-25-2020, 01:13 PM

Wait...nobody here confesses to being the finger-snapping guy?

lefty359 · 08-25-2020, 01:30 PM

I never cheer out loud. Only in my mind.

CBYRacer · 08-25-2020, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkunkApe

Wait...nobody here confesses to being the finger-snapping guy?

How is the finger-snapping guy perceived by the average handicapper?

SkunkApe · 08-25-2020, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBYRacer

How is the finger-snapping guy perceived by the average handicapper?

This needs a poll, I think.

But I can’t vote, because I’m a below average handicapper.

jahura2 · 08-25-2020, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBYRacer

Hopefully a fun question...

How do you all cheer for your pick during a race? Are there certain habits you have (sayings, actions, etc.)?

Took my kids to the track today and they were really loving it and it made me reflect on whether I'm having enough fun just being in the moment and enjoying the race. Of course, having a few contenders and winners helps!

One of my tendencies is to cheer for the horse by name vs. by number. Just feels a little more personal to me.

Would love to hear some of your stories.

I'm pretty subdued most of the time, a quiet fist pump when I hit a nice ticket.
However I will get vocal when I have a horse on the lead inside an eighth of a mile to go, I usually lose all concept of the finish line, if my horse starts to flounder and back up to the rest of the field, I will break in to a repetitive chant of WIRE, WIRE WIRE WIRE, WIRE.....
As many as it takes

rastajenk · 08-25-2020, 03:04 PM

I did the race-riding thing with a rolled-up racing form once. It was during the filming of the match race scene in Seabiscuit. I was a paid extra on the apron of Keeneland during the takes and re-takes of the stretch run. I thought I'd engage in a little scene-stealing, so to speak. Alas, my efforts were not appreciated enough to make it into the final cut.

CBYRacer · 08-25-2020, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jahura2

I'm pretty subdued most of the time, a quiet fist pump when I hit a nice ticket.
However I will get vocal when I have a horse on the lead inside an eighth of a mile to go, I usually lose all concept of the finish line, if my horse starts to flounder and back up to the rest of the field, I will break in to a repetitive chant of WIRE, WIRE WIRE WIRE, WIRE.....
As many as it takes

I love 'wire wire wire' as a desperate plea for the wire to magically shift up a couple of lengths. I've been there many times...on the brink of another heart wrenching defeat after stressing the whole stretch.

CBYRacer · 08-25-2020, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rastajenk

I did the race-riding thing with a rolled-up racing form once. It was during the filming of the match race scene in Seabiscuit. I was a paid extra on the apron of Keeneland during the takes and re-takes of the stretch run. I thought I'd engage in a little scene-stealing, so to speak. Alas, my efforts were not appreciated enough to make it into the final cut.

Haha...do you think the editing crew saw your bit and said, "What the heck is that guy doing? Did we screen these extras? Man. Ok, let's cut it and move on."