Oct 10
2014
Champion CIGAR, retired in Kentucky
In a prior article we explained the various Age restrictions that occur in every thoroughbred horse race. They include 2-year old only, 3-year old only, 3 years old and upward, and 4 years old and upward. We also provided examples on how this information is presented in the Daily Racing Form. Click here to review that article.
In this article we are going to consider a strategy you can employ when factoring Age into your handicapping process. It might seem like common sense, but Age is one of those little details that sometimes gets lost in the handicapping process. For example, there have been many times when looking back at a race, I’ve noticed “Hey, the winner was the only 4-year old in the race.”
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Oct 7
2014
In a prior article we introduced TimeformUS as “The new racing form in town!” Click here to read our overview of TimeformUS and our list of top ten features. Included in the list of features we provided was “Speed figures that incorporate pace into the calculation.” In this article we will explain TimeformUs speed figures and provide an example of a specific race at Saratoga to illustrate how they differ from Beyer Speed Figures.
The race we will be using in our article is the Grade 2, Bernard Baruch Handicap run at Saratoga on August 30,2014. The race was run at a distance of 11/16 mile (8.5 furlongs) over a firm turf course. We are going to focus on the resulting TimeformUS speed figures for three horses in this race. The horses are Sayaad (#9), Optimizer (#2), and Wise Dan (#4).
In order to better understand our explanation of the speed figures, it will be quite helpful to watch the video replay of the race and take note of the race call provided by Tom Durkin and the position of our three horses during the running of the race. Below is the video race replay.
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Sep 30
2014
Storming Rome (Kathy Barraclough Up)
The third horse in our “Follow A Firster” series is a 2-year horse named Storming Rome who is trained by Michelle Nihei. We first met Michelle in January 2014, and later published an extended interview with her. In fact, it was Michelle who provided the genesis for doing this series when she said, “Racing is about horses and the stories behind the faces of the horses are really cool.” Click here to read our interview with Michelle.
Back in July, Michelle singled out Storming Rome as a horse we might want to write an article about. At the time, she introduced me to the managers (Steve Komp and Matt Pappis) of the partnership that owns Storming Rome. Turns out that Storming Rome will be the first horse to run for their partnership, Whodoyoulike Stables. Both Steve and Matt had been involved in ownership with different partnerships in the past and recently decided it was time to start their own. Read More >>
Sep 29
2014
Or …
How did you do?
Did you have a good day?
Did you make any money?
After a day at the race track, you inevitably get one of these questions from family, friends, and co-workers.
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Sep 28
2014
Ancient Goddess with Simon Harris
In a previous article on the topic of horse ownership, we introduced you to Sovereign Stable. Click here to read more about them. As explained in that article, the majority of horses purchased by Sovereign are unraced 2-year olds and yearlings purchased through auctions. However, once in awhile, Sovereign has purchased what Rich Cristiano (Director of Business Development) terms a “ready-made” horse. By his definition, this is a horse that has shown great promise in one or two debut races.
Meet Ancient Goddess, a 2-year old French filly, and the latest “ready-made” horse purchased by Sovereign Stable. She won her second race in France, on June 15, 2014. And, according to Matt Gatsas (President of Sovereign), it was an impressive win. Matt said, “That field was supposedly loaded and it was also against colts; the horse that ran second was supposed to be one of Andre Fabre’s best two year olds, explaining why he was almost even money. He has since come back to win on July 17th.”
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Sep 26
2014
Miguel Clement and Gio Ponti
Miguel Clement is the 23-year old son of head trainer Christophe Clement, who trains Tonalist, the winner of the 2014 Belmont Stakes. During the summer meet at Saratoga I was lucky enough to spend some time with this engaging young man. To say Miguel is “beyond his years” would be an understatement. To say he was born with a “silver spoon in his mouth” would be a gross misjudgment. To say he is destined for great success would be equivalent to making an odds-on bet … one that I would rush to the window to lay down.
Lest we put the cart before the horse, let’s begin with a few bits of information about Miguel’s background. He was named after his grandfather, who was Basque, and a trainer in France. Miguel explains, “A lot of names in south of France and northern Spain are alike. You wouldn’t believe how many people think my native tongue is Spanish.” It happens to be English.
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Sep 16
2014
In a prior article we discussed the dynamics of a horse “stretching out” from a short race (sprint) to a longer race (route). In particular, we covered the paradox that often occurs when a horse closes in a sprint race, comes up short, and appears to just “need a little more ground.” Click here for review of that article.
In that article we provided an example of a horse named Pan Dulce, who finished 2nd in a 6-furlong race at Belmont, and subsequently was the 9-5 favorite in an 8-furlong race at Saratoga. Unfortunately, for supporters of this horse, she tired in that race and was a well beaten 3rd. But, the story doesn’t end there, and in fact her next move back into a sprint race provides material for the cutback angle. Read More >>
Sep 9
2014
Most major racetracks in North America now offer a minimum Trifecta wager of only 50-cents. This lower minimum wager enables bettors to construct tickets that cover more horses and keep the cost of the tickets affordable. With this in mind, we’re going to introduce a Trifecta wagering strategy we call the “Sandwich Play.” Read More >>
Sep 5
2014
In a prior article we introduced TimeformUS as “the new racing form in town!” Click here to read our overview of TimeformUS and our list of top ten features. In this article we will explore their Trainer Ratings and spot check a few specific examples in an attempt to verify their rating numbers. Before we do that, let’s explain the TimeformUS ratings system when it comes to trainers.
Below is an sample of a TimeformUS display for North American trainer, George Weaver.
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Sep 1
2014
Maggie Wolfendale on the job, in Saratoga.
On a hot summer day, Maggie Wolfendale was generous enough to grant me an interview while she was at work in the paddock in Saratoga. First, for those of you that don’t know her, Maggie is the Paddock Analyst for NYRA. Her job is to assess the physical attributes of each horse in a race, and then report to the betting public what she sees (both good and bad).
I suggested to Maggie that she has become a “rock star” to eager listeners in the crowd. My wife and daughter are both fans, and will hush people around them when Maggie comes on the air. I talk, and they roll their eyes. Maggie talks, and they listen.
From my perspective, Maggie brings a unique dimension to racing that is unmatched by any other racing circuit. Every track has public handicappers that read the Daily Racing Form and provide analysis and selections based upon the printed form, video race replays, etc. But what they are looking at is based on the past. Maggie sizes up the horses today … 15 minutes before they are going to run.
Another thing she does is compare how a horse looks today versus the last time she saw them in the flesh, and if there are any differences (again good or bad) she reports that to the crowd.
We had the following dialogue over the course of several races in the paddock at Saratoga.
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