Talk about a true handicap race
 

Beulah Park today has carded a 2-mile event in Race 7. Now that is unusual enough, but weight is the kicker. In this marathon, weight allowances are given in huge spreads from $22,000 claiming prices down to $4,000. Count on My Word, the high weight in the field, will carry 147 pounds while entered for the highest level, spotting the rest of the field anywhere from 28 to 36 pounds.

For those who say the concept of a handicap is gone, this is a very interesting concept.

Paul

They should all be arrested for this race. I assume their will be several horse vans available.:mad:

They have done this type of race several times and it has been successful.

That is true. This is a very common race for them. Fun to watch, too, because they go round and round.

We used to have a 2-miler here in Tucson, before I watched the races at Rillito. But here is the kicker - it was on a 5/8 mile track. Most everyone was dizzy at the end of that one...

ALostTexan

It's not so bad. Many horses often carry that kind of weight in the mornings and live to tell about it. Many horses in the past, while not at 147 lbs, have raced with a lot more weight then they do now. I don't know how long u have been watching the game but I'll tell u that u would be surprised at some of the things these horses would be able to do........if asked or allowed to do them.

I don't consider a horse gasping for air, their legs wobbling, walking home the last 1/4 mile, a fun race.

Heck, we can't even get the SO Called higher priced horses to run 6fl under 114.

I don't think it would be a fun race to watch but I don't think they are doing any danger to the horses.

Actually there's much less chance of a breakdown in a 2-mile race than a 6F race. The impact on a horse's feet/legs/body of running :26 quarters is MUCH MUCH MUCH less than :22 quarters in a sprint.

I can't speak for the quality/health of the beasts running at Beulah, however.

People are morons. I weigh 175 pounds and when I ride the horse drags me around like a blowup doll. A 147 pound impost is nothing...

If you have TVG, watch the race. This is a somewhat common race for these horses, and they condition for it. Well, at least as well as the trainers at Beulah can get them to train for it...

ALostTexan

Yea, lets start with the racing Sec first.

:)

It's Beulah Park, aka the worst racetrack in America. What do you expect?

At least make it interesting, make them pull a Beer Wagon, or something

Hope they have time to set up for the next race

:)

I got it now

You guys act like they are taking a bunch of 2YO sprinters and asking them to go 2 miles. This is a normal race for these horses, and of all the times I have watched this race (which is several) I have yet to see a horse break down. Plus, it is actually competitive in the final furlong.

Have any of you critics ever watched this race?

ALostTexan

Lets see, we need a race for the horses who jog in the morning. Should be fun the last 1/4.

OK you win, have fun

:)

It's like the special olympics marathon but with horses.

I was just talking about 1 1/4 races at Portland Meadows the other day. That's nowhere near 2 miles, but watching 4000 claimers at PM run 1 1/4, slogging home through a final quarter in like 30 seconds was ridiculous

What is really interesting to me about this race is to see if a $4000 claimer is better than a $22,000 claimer with a 36 pound weight break.

Paul

The Jockey Club Gold Cup was a 2 mile race until 1975.

Yea, I think the early 70's was the last time they breed real horses. Now they are pansy's, head to the shed row, before we break down

:)

I like the six, Honor Prayer.

something funny you don't hear very often, the one horse picks up 30lbs from his last race!!

:)

I'll give you an over/under of 3:31 on this race. Take your pick.

The 1 was scratched. Guess they didn't like the 147 pounds.:D

I'll take the over all day long on that one.. I'm guessing 3:36 or 37

I imagine the jockey was bummed-- "Man! I was SO going to eat lunch today!"

The race is so long, that TVG might have to go to a commercial break during the race.

"We'll be right back with the finish..."

Do they have replays, never know when you need to review these.:)

These races run on the turf are much less pounding on the horse. The horse does not hit with near as much impact because they cant run that fast. And you dont think horses dont wobble after a good tough 6f race...?

Thank you, pgardn. Don't know about you, but the majority of horses I've seen after a race have been a bit wobbly afterwards... lol.

Case in point... Nobiz. So 'wobbly' that he was resting his right hind in the winners circle.

Yea, like I said, can't even make 114 in 6fl, without huffing and puffing, it's a joke. Easy on the horse on the turf? OK, seems 2 miles anyway, is to tough to me.

The jumpers carry that much and more, and run that far or farther all the time.

Nice call. 3:36.99. They went the first mile about 5-6 seconds slower than I guessed they would (1:42 was my guess for the mile + a 1:49 second mile.)

I haven't watched a whole lot of jumpers, but based on what I've seen, breakdowns are commonplace.

More so in Europe where they are running up and down hills on some pretty rough tracks (not to mention 25 horse fields). On the flats at Saratoga and (I think) Colonial it's not really that bad. I gotta believe it's the jumping more than the weight.

Yeah I was speaking of the hilly races in Europe with lots of jumps.
It looks grueling.

They had one late last year or early this year where about half the field broke down. There are a few hilly tracks here but they don't look to be as rough as in Europe.

I think the phrase is "Speed kills" and a horse carrying more weight just isn't going to run as fast as he would under lighter weight (ergo the whole theory of handicapping, right?). So, actually, in terms of stress, the slower the horse goes, the less stress on the legs. I've actually thought it would be interesting to see if raising the minimum weight horses can carry would reduce breakdowns because they just couldn't go as fast, though I imagine a 5-pound or even 10-pound increase might not be enough to make a difference, though it'd be healthier for a lot of jockeys.