The "Eased" Phenomenon

[Stillriledup]

Is it just me, or does it seem like there are dozens and dozens of horses around the country on a daily basis that are just "eased" and barely finish or don't finish. I'm not talking about horses who are seriously injured, just horses who get 'exhausted" and the jock wraps up and the horse loses by 30, 40 or more lengths.

I don't remember this many "eased" horses due to "being slow" in the past.

Has it always been this way and i'm just noticing it now?

[chadk66]

when I trained there were a fair number. you see it mostly in state bred races in states where the quality isn't very good.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by chadk66

when I trained there were a fair number. you see it mostly in state bred races in states where the quality isn't very good.

I just saw a 10-1 shot eased at Santa Anita in a sprint race. The horse just "couldnt run at all" and walked across the line. This happens a lot that i'm noticing. Swissarella. She looked sharp on paper, maybe a smidge outclassed, but she had been racing well, she didn't figure to be eased here or lose by a billion lengths, yet, she couldn't run at all, sharp form she was running mid 60s beyers, and now her Beyer today might be 0 or close to it.

I know what you're saying about state bred races, some of those runners are barely "horses" and can't run a lick and normally run beyers in the teens and close to 0, but when "normal horses' who have lifetime earnings and lifetime wins and appear to be sharp on paper "just can't run" with no warning, i'm wondering if this has always been happening and i just never noticed it.

[Robert Goren]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Is it just me, or does it seem like there are dozens and dozens of horses around the country on a daily basis that are just "eased" and barely finish or don't finish. I'm not talking about horses who are seriously injured, just horses who get 'exhausted" and the jock wraps up and the horse loses by 30, 40 or more lengths.

I don't remember this many "eased" horses due to "being slow" in the past.

Has it always been this way and i'm just noticing it now?

It been that way since at least the mid 1960s when I started betting. It is not only the horse who beat by 30+ lengths that are being eased. Many horse who a chance to near the finish line are eased when it becomes clear they no can win. Often they may end up 5 or 6 lengths back, but would have been only 2 back if the horse would not have eased. I used have a formula to adjust for this when I made my own speed ratings. As I remember, I subtract 1.5 from the lengths back and multiplied by a number between 0.75 and 0.80. I am sorry I do remember the exact number. I though I got good ratings for any horse that finished less than 12 lengths back.

[ultracapper]

When the jock asked her to compete at the 5/16th pole, she just couldn't keep up and he wrapped her up at the 3/16ths. I think you're now just noticing it. Horses that have no run in them after they've been given the "go" signal in the far turn are usually lagging in on an easy gallop.

[outofthebox]

Anytime i see an eased or DNF is reminds me of the summer i was working for Gary Jones at Del Mar. We had a horse running for @ 25k on the grass with Sandy Hawley riding.. The horse was in contention when all of a sudden he was pulled up on the turn. We all ran to the top of the stretch to see how our horse was doing and were surprised that it was the jockey and not the horse that was ailing. Somehow a couple of bees found a way into Hawleys silks and began stinging him and he couldn't finish the ride. Gary told Hawley and all of us to not say a word to anyone so that he could drop and cash on him. Which we did two weeks later.

[Tom]

Like Big Brown.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Tom

Like Big Brown.

Or Shared Belief.

[nearco]

this is a timely thread.

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by nearco

this is a timely thread.

My first reaction when he stumbled was him being eased..Weird timing as you said...

[OCF]

I pulled off the dutch-every-horse-to-show-but-the-bridgejumper feat. Paid just under 8 to 1.

Sure hope SB's OK though.

[Dark Horse]

Hardly the first time for Smith to ease a big favorite. 'Just looking out for the horse'. Almost without exception there's nothing wrong with the horse. Give me a guy like Martin Pedroza, who is riding for the bettors, any day of the week.

And no, that doesn't mean that I don't want horses to receive the best care. That goes without saying. It means that I don't belief Shared Belief came into the race at anything but his best. Weeks of careful preparations, and Smith decides on a whim. That's my problem with him.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Hardly the first time for Smith to ease a big favorite. 'Just looking out for the horse'. Almost without exception there's nothing wrong with the horse. Give me a guy like Martin Pedroza, who is riding for the bettors, any day of the week.

And no, that doesn't mean that I don't want horses to receive the best care. That goes without saying. It means that I don't belief Shared Belief came into the race at anything but his best. Weeks of careful preparations, and Smith decides on a whim. That's my problem with him.

Smith is a jack of all trades, he's a jock sometimes and a trainer other times.

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Smith is a jack of all trades, he's a jock sometimes and a trainer other times.

He eases favorites more than anybody else. I'm not saying his intentions are bad. I'm guessing that he doesn't want the trauma of a horse breaking down, and that's understandable. The problem is that he errs so far on the side of caution that it hurts the players. (I wasn't on this race, btw. But it brought back memories).

[breezing]

per Ray Paulick @raypaulick · 59m 59 minutes ago

Dr. Elizabeth Daniel, WV State Veterinarian “When I got to (Shared Belief), I saw a little soft tissue swelling in the right stifle."

too bad, i was hoping to see him in the met mile.