When handicapping horse races, a lot of credit is given to cheap speed when some people discuss West Coast racing, but is the "cheap" label deserved? In the past, before the introduction of all weather tracks, it was true that a lot of races were won at Hollywood and Santa Anita race tracks by horses running on the front end. But just because some California horses failed to win when shipped East, it doesn't mean that speed wasn't classy.
What really happens to horses shipping to the East Coast is that they need time to acclimate to the weather and track conditions as well as the running styles of the horses and jockeys who compete at the major venues in New York and New Jersey. When people fly 3,000 miles it takes them a while to acclimate to the difference in time and the same is true for animals.
Their internal clocks need to be reset and they also have to adjust to deeper tracks that require a different running style. Admittedly, some East Coast tracks do favor front runners at certain distances and on particular surfaces, but they are still running on deeper tracks.
Now that all weather poly tracks have been introduced the problem for horse racing handicappers is which running style will work best on the new man made surfaces. You can buy a list of sires that seem to pass on a gene that enables their progeny to run well on the synthetic surfaces and that will help you to pick some winners. You must also realize that shipping across the continent to compete against the best horses on the East Coast is a lot to ask of any athlete.
It is interesting to note that major league football teams that ship from the West to the East also experience problems. There is definitely a time component that works against them biologically. Football teams, because of their tight schedules, do not have the luxury of shipping in weeks earlier and gradually getting accustomed to the change in time zones.
Smart trainers, on the other hand, ship their horses East weeks ahead of a big race in order to work them over the track and to let them gradually get accustomed to the difference in time. Now obviously, horses can't tell time, but their bodily rhythms, like the rhythms of all living creatures, are determined by the sun and other natural forces. An abrupt change of venue means their internal clocks have to be reset and that takes time.
Therefore, when it comes to handicapping horse races with West Coast shippers, always check to see how long ago a horse shipped in. If you can't find out, be cautious when picking winners and err on the side of caution. You must get a good price on a West Coast horse in order to back it. It isn't because they are of inferior quality, but rather because they have had to deal with a big recent change that will affect most of them physically.
If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://horse-racing-handicapping.co/ and get the truth about betting on horses and winning. Bill Peterson is a former race horse owner and professional handicapper. To see all Bill's horse racing material go to Horse Racing Handicapping, Bill's handicapping store.
No comments:
Post a Comment