Beyer On Speed by Andrew Beyer

Author:Andrew Beyer [Beyer, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

If a horse with speed figures in the 90s runs a disappointing race today and earns a figure of 75, the explanation may not be the pace or the track bias or any of the other factors that students of the Daily Racing Form regularly consider. It may be that a troublesome ankle has now started to bother the animal seriously, or that he was running a slight fever and felt listless. Conversely, a horse may improve sharply because an old knee problem is bothering him less or because the trainer "tapped" him—drained fluid from the affected joint and injected it with corticosteroids.

Judging the physical condition of racehorses and the way it may change from race to race is the most neglected important area of handicapping. Certainly, I have neglected it. Keeping records of horses' appearance is an extremely demanding, time-consuming task, and a bettor can only do so much; moreover, this is an area where a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Yet I have observed enough skilled professionals to appreciate how valuable such expertise can be. I know one New York bettor who goes to the paddock before every race and notes the condition of the ankle and knee of every horse; if a left front ankle is puffier today than it was in the horse's last start, this bettor will know it and assess the race accordingly. But the most impressive student of horseflesh I have ever seen is my friend Al Torch, who can call on his past experience as a harness trainer to sense how horses feel when they warm up before a race.

When Torch broke into the game as a youngster, a veterinarian offered some help which Torch was eager to accept. The vet's instructions would be explicit: "Give the horse a 10cc injection from the red vial three days before the race; work him two hard miles two days before the race; give him a 5cc injection from the blue vial one day before the race...." Torch was an instant success as a harness trainer, and he came to appreciate how changeable racehorses are. Moreover, he was convinced that drugs, both legal and illegal, are a crucial factor in racing, and when he looks at horses on the track, he distinguishes between a good-looking, energetic horse whose merits are "natural" and one whose exuberance may be chemically induced. I had always thought Torch's view of the game was tinged with paranoia until a day when I was sitting next to him during a post parade at Gulfstream Park. Torch is the consummate pro who almost never manifests emotions or nerves, but I saw that he was almost shaking with excitement as he watched the horses through his 30-power binoculars. "Beautiful!" Torch exclaimed. "Beautiful! You know, most trainers who use drugs really don't know what they're doing. But there's a horse out there who's the best drug job I've seen since New York in the late '70s. They've done it just right!"

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.