ENOUGH TALK
ALREADY
Appropriately, the first sub 1:50 trotter in history is
a Perretti Bred sold originally for just $7,500 at the New
Jersey Classic.
Enough Talk (Enjoy Lavec-Fashion Setter-Donerail) proved
a stunning eight length winner over Hambltonian champion
Vivid Photo in the Patriot at Colonial Downs winning in
1:49.3.
CONTRIBUTOR NOT SAVIOUR
Noticed in one of the glossies this little tidbit about
Revenue where the author pondered if indeed this industry
needed an “outcross savior” from across the
pond. Exampled was a horse named Quel Veinard who proved
a lackluster sire at best in the 60’s. It’s
unclear how this reference applies to Revenue as by performance
and pedigree the comparison seems more like apples and oranges.
Quel Veinbard was a horse of French parentage with questionable
and virtually untraceable (according to pathway) maternal
heritage while Revenue though French sired has a powerful
American maternal line tracing back to Scotch Love dam of
two Hambletonian winners in the immortal Speedy Scot and
brother Speedy Streak.
Moreover, Revenue’s sire Rev D’ Udon is familiar
not only for his International duels with Peace Corps but
for other famous offspring including double Prix D ’Amerique
winner Offshore Dream.. Furthermore Rev D’ Udon is
a direct grandson of Kerjacques sire of superstars Une de
Mai and Jorky.
In addition, Revenue was of championship caliber throughout
his career spanning ages 2 through 8. Even at the ripe old
age of 8, Revenue showed :27 quarters en route to a 1:51.3
mile.
If nothing else that’s indicative of the kind of
enduring quality not nearly so prevalent on our side of
the Atlantic as it used to be.
Some say, Revenue simulated our conditions more then most
of his European contemporaries being a more of a “miler”
than perhaps a “router”. Still, it can and should
be questioned if indeed he’ll produce the early 2-year-old
brilliance necessary to win American colt stakes.
Early reports from Europe indicate that those Revenue’s
sired while in training there have shown dramatic improvement
from ages 2 to 3 with Reven d’Amour attaining continental
status in Sweden.
While it remains to be seen if the Revenue’s sired
here will follow suit, the chances are they will show marked
improvement with maturity.
Actually the Revenue impact will not be fully known for
years to come though it is safe to speculate that while
he may or may not eventually prove an outcross savior, he
likely will be an outcross contributor and that in itself
is beneficial..
THE DISCLAIMER
So what would be so wrong with a program page disclaimer
indicating that the horses about to compete in stakes eliminations
are merely “attempting to qualify for next weeks lucrative
final” and need only finish in the first four or five
order to do so. Since this may diminish the actual urgency
of going all out to win this particular race bettors are
counseled to act accordingly at their own risk or some verbiage
therein better able to document the realties involved.
Or are we so callous that we’ll continue to accept
mutuel money in full knowledge that the customer is not
getting a fair shake?
OLD PEDIGREES
MODERN SPEED
Can’t help but notice Soul Chaser p,7,1:47.3 (Kentucky
Spur-Sentational Sherry-Dirk Almahurst) going as fast the
contemporary breds much like Primetime Bobcat (Abercrombie-Emerald
Girl-Most Happy Fella) did in 2006 when he paced in 1:47.2
Kentucky Spur was foaled in 1986 while Sentational Sherry
came along in 1992 thus Soul Chaser could have been foaled
in the late 90’s. Be that the case, would he have
been proportionately faster than those contemporaries or
commensurate with what a horse of his caliber usually accomplishes?
Primetime Bobcat’s ancient pedigree seems even more
pronounced with Abercrombie a foal of 1975 and Emerald Girl
born in1980. Therefore he could have easily been foaled
in the late 80’s and if so, would he have been significantly
faster than the milestone Abercrombie’s like Artsplace
and Life Sign?
As most sires get their fastest though not necessarily
greatest performers in their later crops perhaps advanced
breeding is not the sole reason for continuing speed explosions?
QUESTIONS
So what is this elusive differential between the marketing
of a spectator sport like horse racing and the other popular
spectator sports like baseball, football, auto racing etc.
As Mal Burroughs rather eloquently articulated in Las Vegas
more than a decade ago, in horse racing, the horses - the
equine athletes are for sale to the general public. In other
sports they are not.
Simply put, someone must purchase the next Hambletonian
winner. A team may draft, trade for or sign its next quarterback
but an individual owner must purchase a racehorse.
That said, the next question seems why would anyone choose
to purchase a racehorse unless they are first and foremost
a fan of horse racing?
Therefore it would appear that the mission is to recruit
racing fans in the hope that some eventually evolve into
horse ownership.
MIRACLE MILE
Not sure how it was received by the Vernon Downs public
but couldn’t help but notice the classification terminology
of miracle mile 1, miracle mile 2 etc. obviously a version
of the old ABC racing classification popular at many tracks
in the 60’s.
Not sure whether it’s an advancement or an improvement
of the existing conditional system though it was rather
comforting back then when regardless of time or earnings
an AA pacer or trotter was an AA pacer or trotter and not
a FREE FOR ALLER unlike the interchangeable and often ambiguous
open-preferred-winners over levels
ANALOGIES
Basically, the encounter between Art Official and Somebeachsomewhere
was simply an old fashioned horse race in which the here
and now took precedence over tomorrow.
Ironically that’s what bettors feel when wagering
on horse racing.
Therefore, why indeed would anyone knowingly wager on a
horse whose primary mission may be to earn while conserving
sufficient energy for next week in direct conflict with
the player’s primary mission of here and now.
When the former standardbred handicapper converted to west
coast thoroughbred player was privately asked at the seminar
prior to Hambletonian day, if indeed his running horse brethren
viewed certain races as cynically as seasoned trot players
do, the response was a emphatic negative. The reason being
that the infrequency of actual starts for thoroughbred horses
mandates that individual races matter more.
In short, there’s significantly less “next week”!
.