The Starting Gate

[Pace Cap'n]

Andy Beyer in one of his books commented or speculated that many races are won in the first 50' or 100' out of the gate.

The trainer Carla Gaines has stated "Not feeling comfortable and confident at the starting gate will cause a horse more problems in the race than anything else.".

Has anyone here ever attempted to track which horses consistently get the better starts?

Any thoughts or comments on the subject?

[Observer]

I know this is going to sound crazy .. but here it is anyway .. from playing the various Gallop Racers on Play Station .. it becomes extremely clear how important a good start is.

In general (real life), it seems horses who tend to race from the back of the pack are less effected than horses who tend to be more forwardly placed .. but that's pretty much common sense.

And any horse that has a tendency for trouble (at the start, in the race, etc) .. is an "approach with caution" type .. especially if they keep getting hammered at the windows.

Getting out quickly and cleanly (real life & game) .. especially outbreaking the field .. gives the freedom of picking the right place to be rather than having to struggle to get to where you were supposed to be had you even had simply a clean start.

And I can agree with the quote you posted .. when a horse is distracted, for any reason, it can be difficult to get them to settle .. which means wasted energy.

[Dave Schwartz]

We use a "start rating" which is basically a reflection of the horse's ability to break well. It has some value for early runners but means very little for horses who typically run late.

I recall that I did some research a few years back that indicate it was of especially good value when looking at "E" horses in PP1 in races run from a chute. Those E's that scored poorly on breaking were typically destroyed at race tracks which penealized PP1.

Of course this is no surprise.


I do not think you will find anything meaningful in looking at "start rating" without considering the running style of the animal. By itself it is a relatively weak factor.


Regards,
Dave Schwartz

[kenwoodallpromos]

I always figured it is possible to lose a race in the 1st 50-100'.
I look in the PP's for gate problems only as an indicator of a overworked horse. A doped may not be as alert in the gate IMO. Poor surface can cause a problem at the gate.

[Dave Schwartz]

Observer,

Check the times of our posts. Seems we were typing the same thing at the same time.

<G>

Dave

[Observer]

Some might say "great minds think alike" .. not so sure that applies here, though!

[CryingForTheHorses]

IMO!
The starting gate is very important for a speed horse,If he has several speed horses in the gate, That fast break or missed break will either help u win or lose the race. If a speed horse is in with a bunch of closers he has to slow it down so the come from behind horses are just behind him. If the speed horse goes the 1/2 in 45 then the closers will catch him. The trick to a good closer is how fast the pace stops after the 1/2 in a 3/4 race.If the speed horse can slow the 1/2 to a 47 1/2 the come from behind horse wont catch him.