Remington Park Plans To Report Horse Weights

[whodoyoulike]

Originally Posted by cj

Just a prediction, it won't tell us much about form. I remember when they did this at Freehold years ago and you'd see big swings in weight, but they didn't really have any correlation to performance.

I don't even remember a track called Freehold but was the info being provided over a lengthy period of time.

And, what about horses shipping into the track were they reported with no info?

I remember the Racing Times and can't recall a horse's weight being reported in them.

[whodoyoulike]

Originally Posted by ronsmac

You know more than me. I'll take an in shape horse you take a skinny horse. Good luck.

I don't believe this is what Cratos or anyone else has suggested.

[BreadandButter]

Originally Posted by Saratoga_Mike

I know the physiology of a dog and a horse are different, but doesn't greyhound racing report weights? When the greyhound's weight moves up or down, are there predictable performance changes? Maybe it's a bad analogy.

Greyhounds can't drop more than appx. 2.5 lbs and not be scr unless they are designated as weight losers (at one time they would carry the WL designation in the program). The racing sec will try and get those greyhounds into earlier on the card so they aren't sitting waiting as long. These dogs often drop the weight in the few hours preceding the race in the ginny pit etc.

Likewise with weight gains, i.e., a greyhound can only go up or down a few pounds off their designated weight with the racing sec. You won't see one run at 65lbs and then at 72lbs the following week.

That being said racing weights with greyhounds can be used as a strong handicapping aid in regards to specific kennel maintenance that is required and done by all racing kennels to keep the greyhounds active. This doesn't translate to horses as they are not carnivores.

[maddog42]

Originally Posted by cj

Just a prediction, it won't tell us much about form. I remember when they did this at Freehold years ago and you'd see big swings in weight, but they didn't really have any correlation to performance.

I don't know about Freehold, but The Woodlands racetrack in KC did show weight at the track on their monitors in the late 80's. I was driving up on weekends from okc and making notes and trying to correlate weight with performance. I was using Sartin pace ratings and found them much more predictive, but my data was limited to only a few pages of hand written notes and there WERE gaps in my notes about weight. I don't think weight will be the panacea that many here think it will be, but it can't hurt. I eventually only used it as a partial elimination factor with mixed results.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Cratos

It is very interesting that the poster on this forum who probably have more posts than any other never say anything but rhetoric.

However to this poster if speed is alone is as successful as you claim then prove it with fact.

Lots of studies out there showing speed figures work. Where is your proof of this inane statement?

YOU are the one making the claims YOU prove it, or just disappear again, as always.

However the "wannabes" is hung up on using an output, speed which show nothing without the required inputs.

Put up or shut up. Your constant put down of anyone not doing it your way is just classless. And not true.

[cj]

Originally Posted by whodoyoulike

I don't even remember a track called Freehold but was the info being provided over a lengthy period of time.

And, what about horses shipping into the track were they reported with no info?

I remember the Racing Times and can't recall a horse's weight being reported in them.

It is a harness track. Horses raced basically every week and they did it for a few years at least. Only weights for horses that raced at Freehold were reported, but that was the vast majority of them.

[whodoyoulike]

Originally Posted by cj

It is a harness track. Horses raced basically every week and they did it for a few years at least. Only weights for horses that raced at Freehold were reported, but that was the vast majority of them.

I'm unfamiliar with Harness racing. Again, for TB's it's usefulness IMO, will depend on it being widespread reporting.

[maddog42]

Originally Posted by cj

It is a harness track. Horses raced basically every week and they did it for a few years at least. Only weights for horses that raced at Freehold were reported, but that was the vast majority of them.

I believe there was another non-harness track showing weight besides The Woodlands at one time. Been at least 20+ years ago.

[cj]

Originally Posted by whodoyoulike

I'm unfamiliar with Harness racing. Again, for TB's it's usefulness IMO, will depend on it being widespread reporting.

I certainly don't mind more information, the more the merrier for me. I would say it needs to be widespread, and more importantly, accurate and consistent. Are we going to get weights from the morning, as they enter the paddock, or some other time?

[cj]

Originally Posted by maddog42

I believe there was another non-harness track showing weight besides The Woodlands at one time. Been at least 20+ years ago.

I remember the Woodlands by name, but that is about it.

[raybo]

Originally Posted by cj

I certainly don't mind more information, the more the merrier for me. I would say it needs to be widespread, and more importantly, accurate and consistent. Are we going to get weights from the morning, as they enter the paddock, or some other time?

As far as handicapping goes, IMO, they should be weighed in time for that data to get into the PPs, the same as when meds and equipment are reported to Equibase, and again before they reach the paddock, and reported with the late changes, like jockey changes, overweights etc..

[whodoyoulike]

Originally Posted by cj

I certainly don't mind more information, the more the merrier for me. I would say it needs to be widespread, and more importantly, accurate and consistent. Are we going to get weights from the morning, as they enter the paddock, or some other time?

As far as Remington, I thought the plan mentioned in the article was, as the horses entered the paddock and then there would be an announcement on track. Someone can correct me if I'm incorrect since I'm going off my failing memory.

[ronsmac]

Originally Posted by whodoyoulike

I don't believe this is what Cratos or anyone else has suggested.

The point I was making is all weight is not the same. There's a reason trainers used steroids to build muscle for about 40 years or so. Water weight and fat don't help you run faster muscle does. But hey if anyone can make money using the horses weight without knowing the individual horse has all my respect.

[Valuist]

This will be a big angle for horses making their 3 year old debut off a lengthy layoff.

[Tom]

And going into the BC after a hard year.

It could be a good component of form for individual horses, but until ti get put in the PPs, it will be hard to use. MY two cents, no more improvements will be made to racing information. Trakus seems stalled - anyone hear of any track considering it? I think we have peaked for information.