15 in a row for Tracys Song

[showbet]

Originally Posted by DeltaLover

Long winning streaks, most of the time if not always, represent a very careful and conservative campaign.

Horses like Pepper's Pride and Rapid Redux for example, were both able to go through very long winning streaks taking advantage of the conditions, driven by the desire of their connections to maintain a silly undefeated record.

Even in the case of top notch horses, like Black Caviar, the connections clearly give the impression that they are dodging the competition, always seeking for the soft spot.

Zen, the top mare of our era, could certainly had shown us more, if her connections had the courage to test her against top horses more often. Either if we want to accept it or not the fact remains that she only beat such a field only once during her lengthy career (please, I do not try to start a flame war not another thread about her, I am merely using her as an example...)

Above everything else owners should be sportsmen, willing to test their animals to their full capacity instead of taking advantage of the restrictions applied to their stack... This tactic is also bad for the betting aspect of the sport as it tends to produce unbalanced races thus not offering good competitive fields... It might only be good just for the owner if seen from the financial prospective only. All the other participants, including the horse as well, have nothing to gain from this type of streaks..

And here I thought this was just a nice, "feel-good" story about a mare who has won a bunch of races in a row.

Sometimes it seems that nothing, no matter how innocuous, can be posted here without someone putting a negative spin on it.

[DeltaLover]

Originally Posted by melman

Delta you are attempting to make the bettor sound like some noble people. Some are and care about the horses and admire the ones who are consistent and give a big effort from each start. So few horses of any class put together win streaks. Yet when some do it's "unsportsmankike". Many "bettors" are far from caring about the horse or the people involved. How many times over the years have I heard a horse referred to only by it's number. As in "beat the four, beat the crap out of him". Or "they take turns and only win when they want to". I'm all for the regular player but let's be real the "pros" have given there main focus to the slot machines. How many tracks would even be open without them. I just fail to see how making it even harder for the smaller owners to win money or at least break even makes it a better game for the player.

Mel, it is difficult for me to disagree with you. Of course you are right and maybe I overdid it a bit presenting the bettor as 'noble people'. I agree we are not, at least not all of us.

Besides this, I still believe that what is beneficial for me as a bettor, is aligned with what is beneficial for the breed and the game as well.

As a bettor I like less drugs, public medical records, mandatory layoffs for lame and sick horses, less racing which means better regulation, quality and transparency and the list can go on....

My motivation as a bettor is to create a better and more honest game where I might have better chances to win money. I admit that. But it looks that what is good for me will be good for the game as well....

Take for example, the case of a mediocre horse who happened to reach a long winning streak. For me as a bettor this is certainly not a good thing to happen since it degenerates the interest of the race so I do not get a good betting product. We as bettors are paying the purse of the race and every other expense because we want to bet. A racing secretary who is giving the opportunity to some connections to find an easy spot converting the race to a show, is certainly not favoring me as a bettor, he is rather making a favor to the horsemen than anything else.

This does not mean that I represent a betting machine.. Far from this, I am still thrilled every winter eagerly expecting the new Secretariat and I am still an admirer of great horses. It is not only me... The majority of us, we love horse racing and we are fans of great champs. I would have no problem seeing the next MAN O WAR winning 20 races at odds of 1-9 beating the best of the best; in contrary I would have been thrilled...

But silly consecutive win records under 'cooked' conditions is a completely different story...

[LottaKash]

[QUOTE=DeltaLover]
Take for example, the case of a mediocre horse who happened to reach a long winning streak. For me as a bettor this is certainly not a good thing to happen since it degenerates the interest of the race so I do not get a good betting product. QUOTE]

Delta I get your drift, and can't say that, for the most part, I disagree with anything you say, except about this particular horse as an example, I think it's much todo about nothing....

I mean, these days at all the tracks, do you know how many races I have been sitting out because of all of the conveyor belt streams of NW's of 1 or 2, and bottom line claimers....These races consist mostly of horses who show no desire or ability to win any race....Sometimes it surprises me that somebody has to win those races at all....Endless numbers of races and fields consisting of these types of races, are what really irk me and dengerates the interest of a race for me, reducing the outcome to a guessing game, if you will...

Three cheers for "Tracy's Song" and all of the horses just like it...

[DeltaLover]

I have to admit that I know very little when it comes harness racing so I can very well be wrong about the specific horse.

As far as your frustration when it comes to bottom level racing where the favorite has finished 6th in his last ten races I can only say that we are in the same boat. These needs to stop if we want racing to survive and reclaim the crown of the best form of gambling.

[melman]

Delta I think one of the LAST and I mean very last things wrong with racing today is "silly winning streaks" Under "cooked" conditions or not. I DO agree with you on your points only for the very top horses. In the last ten years a lot of "dodgeball" has been going on so that very good horses do not meet. You cited the connections of Zen. While I can somewhat agree at least they brougt her back after her three year old season. So many just disappear to the breeding barn. That for me at least is far more of a problem then any older non star horse putting together a long winning streak. Monticello had another one earlier this year that won nine in a row. And a few years back one that won 14 in a row. I say hooray for the "old war horse" that wants to race and win. There are far worse things as you stated that are wrong with today's game. For us harness fans this should be a really fun year. Unlike what has happened so often in the recent past most of the really good three years olds have come back this year. Should make for some very good racing at the highest level.