The world of horse racing handicapping is a complex game with many variables. Most handicappers are aware of the importance of time- tested data on speed and past performances. What most handicappers do not know is that a new kind of data has become available. This data, generated through a process called “equine biomechanics” assigns metrics to various aspects of horse athleticism.
Specialized analysts inspect race tapes, collecting over 50 individual observations per horse for each race. It can take up to eight hours for a trained individual to analyze a single race. The data points are then grouped into categories such as coordination, aerobic efficiency, stride quality and endurance. In each category, each horse is assigned a metric based on the data compiled. In addition to creating a quantitative measure for the purpose of comparison, the metrics can also be used to illustrate trends in performance.
While biomechanical measurement is a new development in horse racing, it has become an accepted practice in other sports. Trainers and recruiters for the National Football League, Major League Baseball and for Olympic athletes use biomechanical measurements to dissect athletic performance and ability. The NFL Combine is one of the most recognized applications of biomechanical measurement. At the NFL Combine, players perform a series of drills and tests in which their performance is measured.
In the horse racing industry, the practice of using biomechanics was first introduced by breeders. One company that has successfully used biomechanics in breeding is Monticule Farm. The best know, and most successful horse from Monticule Farm has been Big Brown, winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and 2008 Preakness Stakes.
While some handicappers have embraced the new technology, many are hesitant to make adjustments to their existing approaches. It can take years for handicappers to develop a system. That makes it difficult to integrate a new variable. However, since the spoils of handicapping tend to favor the player with an edge, many handicappers are curious to see if equine biomechanics will provide that edge.
Currently, only one company makes data on equine biomechanics available. Case the Race offers a subscription-based service providing equine biomechanical data on horses racing in California. For those who want to test the data before buying, free trial subscriptions are also available.
According to the Case the Race website, the data is designed to complement horseplayers’ existing systems, not to replace them. For example, a player who is adept at identifying winning horses by analyzing speed, pace and class variables would still employ those methods. However, they would have the additional advantage of having information on athletic ability and would be able to examine a horse’s recent trends.
If equine biomechanics lives up to the promise of providing handicappers with an advantage, it will be interesting to see how quickly horseplayers will adapt. When speed figures were first introduced, those who were the first to leverage the new information were in a position to reap the most benefits. As the use of speed figures became common practice, those who disregarded them paid a price. However, because speed figures were so widely used, the benefit of using them diminished.
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About Author
The author is part of a team that produces data and articles for a horse racing website. http://www.casetherace.com/
Nice work, you did pretty good.
You’re really good man. You’ve got excellent talent.
amazing! Willy teach me how to paint like you!
Most owners actually don't make money racing.
Only about 70% of all Thoroughbreds ever get to the races, and only about 55% of all Thoroughbreds ever win a race. It costs about $25,000, give or take a few thousand, to keep a horse in training for a year; more for the major racing centers like New York or Southern California, less for tracks away from the major population centers. roughly 10-15% of all Thoroughbreds earn enough money during the course of a year to cover their training expenses.
Some owners can recover the residual value of their horse at the end of its racing career by selling, but most racehorses– particular male racehorses– have residual value that is low or even zero at the end of their racing careers.
Basically, most people who are in racing are in it for the excitement, the fun, the competition; and the hope that maybe they'll be the one to strike it rich with a horse like Mine That Bird– or one of his relatives. It's the hope of getting that one special horse, plus the love of racing in general, that keeps people going.
As I always say, there's a village missing it's idiot somewhere and they can usually find them trolling on here. They think that if they repeatedly ask the same question and rave their PETA misinformation, that someone might actually end up agreeing with them. Let's hope not!
You need to go to a reputable trainer and tell him you're interested in buying a horse. Tell him how much you've got to spend and he'll do the rest. He might have a horse in his yard that's already for sale or he might go out and buy one for you.
Don't go buying horses over the internet!
The flat trainer Richard Hannon has had some good successes with cheaply bought horses in the past. He trains in Wiltshire.
http://richardhannonracing.tv/
Don't forget you'll have to contribute towards the horse's training expenses every week so the more people involved the cheaper it will be.
You can go to the site for the Daily Racing Form at it should answer your questions also at any track the program will have instructions inside the cover explaining how to read the form and also how to make all wagers including the exotics.
Hi,
A jockey has a very dangerous job, but a very important one. He must guide the horse in the correct way as to know how his horse runs, and performs during a race. It is his responsibility to get his horse in the correct position, and know how to guide him through traffic going at very high speeds while the rest of the field is fighting to do the same. Jockey error has played a huge roll in injuries to other jockey's and horses. The horse does the running, but it is up to the jockey to know how fast the horse runs, and when to ask the horse for his best without compromising. So the roll of a jockey is very important. Without a jockey it would be like racing a car with no driver. Hope this explains it to you.
I think this gives a good explanation of the definition of the various track conditions:
http://www.ultimatecapper.com/track-conditions.htm
That said, it's important to note that because there is no standard for track composition in terms of sand, silt, clay, loam, organic matter, and every track is different, each track plays differently. To cite one example, the track at Aqueduct has a high sand content because the dates run at Aqueduct are typically the wettest times of the year. So the track superintendent finds it beneficial to have a lot of sand in the track to assure fast drainage. The result is that when there has been a lot of rain, the main track at Aqueduct can be like a wet beach– it packs down and gets harder. You may get faster times on such a track than when the surface is rated "fast".
Churchill Downs historically has had a high clay content in the track surface, with the result that the track can be very cuppy at best of times ("cuppy" means that when a horse strides on it, the hoofprint forms a "cup" on the surface of the track; it has depth, and it holds its shape rather than immediately crumbling) and can be really sticky and tiring when it gets wet.
A lot depends, too, on how the track superintendent deals with rainfall. At Santa Anita and Hollywood Park in the pre-synthetic days, the superintendents had enough time in most cases to get out the heavy roller equipment and "seal" the track before rain came. Basically when they seal the track, they're rolling and compacting the surface so that instead of water penetrating and making the track muddy down deep, the water just runs off the surface and drains away. Of course, the problem with this is that even when they opened the track surface in preparation for the day's racing, there was some compaction and the track would tend to get harder. During some of our rare wet winters, the track superintendent would sometimes have to close the track to exercise in order to do deep harrowing and conditioning of the subsurface and base after the track had been repeatedly sealed.
With synthetic surfaces, I think everyone, including the people who manufacture and install them, is still on a learning curve of what has to be done to keep the track consistant and safe in all kinds of weather.
From a handicapping standpoint, the important thing to remember is that each track is unique, and that you have to become familiar with what the weather conditions do to the the individual track surface.
hm i couldn’t tell the difference between photograph and painting comparing the final resault.
This is sick
Brilliant Willy, Just Brilliant =D
i don't like the gambling, the horse race is alright, mainly only good in the Kentucky Derby when you are really rooting for a horse to get the triple crown
woww that’s really relax and beatiful soung .good picture of jhony depp !
Very nice!!
Perfect.
http://www.xpressbet.com
You have to sign up, but it's completely free. There's no fees for watching or betting. And they have like 60 tracks you can watch. It's a great service.
Several tracks have their own broadcasts on their website, but xpressbet is great because you can get all the tracks in one place and place a bet if you'd like.
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how is this not a real photo?
Its people like you, that pissin' an moanin', that ruin the world…………………..