Southern California racing product

[bob60566]

Del Mar has reported a training death this morning. Koa, a 3-year-old gelding trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, broke down and had to be euthanized.

[clicknow]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

Have you been talking to my ex-wife?

I had to double check the username. More comments like this and you'll soon be catching up to Tom,m who posts the most "I spit coffee onto my computer monitor when I read this" quips.

[clicknow]

I don't know if this was brought up in the topic, but from an article in 2017 about racing in CA and NY:

"The “most significant” trend connecting the horses that died last year is that five of the 17 had gaps in training of 60 days or more prior to their fatal injury, he said.

(Though one of the 17 horses, it should be noted, died as a result of a freak accident.)

This trend tallies with broader state-wide findings from recent years. From 314 fatalities (among Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds where the horse had at least one start) in California over the past three years, 86 had training or racing gaps of at least 60 days. And, of those 86 horses, 45 had gaps of more than 120 days in racing, in training or both prior to their fatal injury.

Of those 314 horses described above that experienced a 120-day or more layoff, 36 percent had been on the vet’s list at some point in their career."

So apparently, standing around in the barn too much, with interrupted work patterns, is certainly an indicator that the horse needs to be gone over triple-carefully before racing.

In these cases, the onus would be on the trainers, not the track itself, etc.

https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/a...-and-saratoga/

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by clicknow

I don't know if this was brought up in the topic, but from an article in 2017 about racing in CA and NY:

"The “most significant” trend connecting the horses that died last year is that five of the 17 had gaps in training of 60 days or more prior to their fatal injury, he said.

(Though one of the 17 horses, it should be noted, died as a result of a freak accident.)

This trend tallies with broader state-wide findings from recent years. From 314 fatalities (among Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds where the horse had at least one start) in California over the past three years, 86 had training or racing gaps of at least 60 days. And, of those 86 horses, 45 had gaps of more than 120 days in racing, in training or both prior to their fatal injury.

Of those 314 horses described above that experienced a 120-day or more layoff, 36 percent had been on the vet’s list at some point in their career."

So apparently, standing around in the barn too much, with interrupted work patterns, is certainly an indicator that the horse needs to be gone over triple-carefully before racing.

In these cases, the onus would be on the trainers, not the track itself, etc.

https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/a...-and-saratoga/

This correlates with a decades old piece of handicapping wisdom, which is one of the most important things you can see in a work pattern is consistency- a workout every week, even if it isn't very fast, is so much better than a workout line with a bunch of gaps in it.

[clicknow]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

This correlates with a decades old piece of handicapping wisdom, which is one of the most important things you can see in a work pattern is consistency- a workout every week, even if it isn't very fast, is so much better than a workout line with a bunch of gaps in it.

well, its the same for humans, esp. as you get older. Even if you are arthritic, you have to KEEP MOVING. Otherwise you "rust out" like the Tin Man.

[horsefan2019]

Racinos would've probably saved the socal racing product, but I believe it was voted down years ago.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by horsefan2019

Racinos would've probably saved the socal racing product, but I believe it was voted down years ago.

Temporarily saved racing. That gravy train is going to run out I believe has in some places

As predicted btw

[Tom]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

Temporarily saved racing. That gravy train is going to run out I believe has in some places

As predicted btw

Gave tracks the opportunity to do nothing for a few years.

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by Tom

Gave tracks the opportunity to do nothing for a few years.

wrong, gave a lot of them the ability to pound their chests on the "gains" in handle the sport was making.

[AskinHaskin]

Originally Posted by bob60566

Del Mar has reported a training death this morning. Koa, a 3-year-old gelding trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, broke down and had to be euthanized.

Meanwhile, at Grants Pass (where 6 1/2 furlongs is three turns) they had more starts than did Dmr fall season and zero horses died of racing injuries during Grants Pass fall (no severe injuries either).


PETA probably wasn’t present there as well.

[Jeff P]

Michael Wrona was present at Grants Pass.

All kidding aside --

How did Grants Pass (cheaper horses) achieve lower catastrophic breakdown rates than Santa Anita (classier horses) or Del Mar?


-jp

.

[clicknow]

Originally Posted by AskinHaskin

Meanwhile, at Grants Pass (where 6 1/2 furlongs is three turns) they had more starts than did Dmr fall season and zero horses died of racing injuries during Grants Pass fall (no severe injuries either).

This is really interesting.

[AskinHaskin]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Michael Wrona was present at Grants Pass.

All kidding aside --

How did Grants Pass (cheaper horses) achieve lower catastrophic breakdown rates than Santa Anita (classier horses) or Del Mar?


-jp

.

Tiny sample size
better weather (in the obvious case)
fewer babies
dirt/sand mix more appropriate for the weather they did have
and you can’t go as fast when 6 1/2 furs is 3 turns


PM, racing on sand with the wettest racing around, also had relatively low fatality data for much of this decade.

[JustRalph]

Times

What do GPass horses run for 6 F?

I’m thinking they might be lots slower? Does that matter?

[Fager Fan]

Originally Posted by AskinHaskin

Tiny sample size
better weather (in the obvious case)
fewer babies
dirt/sand mix more appropriate for the weather they did have
and you can’t go as fast when 6 1/2 furs is 3 turns


PM, racing on sand with the wettest racing around, also had relatively low fatality data for much of this decade.

I'm sure we've all walked over a dirt track and seen how it's tiring. I've always wondered why the composition we've chosen is the one that must be best.

I read in an old racing book that tracks (some, all?) used to plant winter wheat over the track during the winter break, and then they'd till it up to prepare it for the upcoming meet. The result was a really loamy dirt which would have all the cushion of the root system. Reading that, it seemed so much more logical and kind as the surface for dirt racing.