Quote from
Lonnie on August 26, 2024, 11:33 PM
This thread was moved at this point from another thread so that it would garner the attention it deserves.
Quote from
Bgtolex25 on August 15, 2024, 9:31 PM
The breed is definitely evolving, especially the pacers. I see a lot less mediocre stallions today vs. 30 years ago. Track conditions and technology will likely to continue to reduce times. Today’s sulky and the rigging is light years ahead of the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s when I was around the action.
The removal of the hub rails has to make a difference. Drivers are as close as they can get to the pylons. Try that against a rail and you would be risking a major wreck.
Training techniques seem to be more about speed vs. endurance. Back when stake races were all conducted in heat racing, you could not afford to go pedal to the metal.
All are factors, so speed doesn’t impress me like a high win percentage against great competitors.
Can you think of other factors?
I miss Heat Racing. That's the way the sport was designed and how the standardbred racehorse was bred back in the day. I garned so much information from the first heat, often catching a nice overlay on horses who had tough trips, yet were full of pace but had nowhere to go. My favorite such play was with George Sholty driving Power Seat, who was full of trot but was hopelessly locked in in the stretch. She was climbing over the horses in front of her. In the Final, she went off as a 35-1 longshot. She took over in the stretch to beat the favored fillies in the third and deciding heat and win the $580,090 World Trotting Derby. I was a very happy man that day!
I'm with you, I don't care about speed. Consistency and heart are what separate the champions from the one-shot wonders.
I don't like seeing races where the horses are strung out single-file like pearls on a necklace. Watch the races from overseas. In France, Sweden, Italy, Australia, etc., horses live on the outside. Position and pace were everything. The driver had to be like a quarterback, planning and scheming to get into the best spot possible to bring home the bacon.
This thread was moved at this point from another thread so that it would garner the attention it deserves.
Quote from
Bgtolex25 on August 15, 2024, 9:31 PM
The breed is definitely evolving, especially the pacers. I see a lot less mediocre stallions today vs. 30 years ago. Track conditions and technology will likely to continue to reduce times. Today’s sulky and the rigging is light years ahead of the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s when I was around the action.
The removal of the hub rails has to make a difference. Drivers are as close as they can get to the pylons. Try that against a rail and you would be risking a major wreck.
Training techniques seem to be more about speed vs. endurance. Back when stake races were all conducted in heat racing, you could not afford to go pedal to the metal.
All are factors, so speed doesn’t impress me like a high win percentage against great competitors.
Can you think of other factors?
I miss Heat Racing. That's the way the sport was designed and how the standardbred racehorse was bred back in the day. I garned so much information from the first heat, often catching a nice overlay on horses who had tough trips, yet were full of pace but had nowhere to go. My favorite such play was with George Sholty driving Power Seat, who was full of trot but was hopelessly locked in in the stretch. She was climbing over the horses in front of her. In the Final, she went off as a 35-1 longshot. She took over in the stretch to beat the favored fillies in the third and deciding heat and win the $580,090 World Trotting Derby. I was a very happy man that day!
I'm with you, I don't care about speed. Consistency and heart are what separate the champions from the one-shot wonders.
I don't like seeing races where the horses are strung out single-file like pearls on a necklace. Watch the races from overseas. In France, Sweden, Italy, Australia, etc., horses live on the outside. Position and pace were everything. The driver had to be like a quarterback, planning and scheming to get into the best spot possible to bring home the bacon.
