Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite
Again intending no disrespect .. somehow that post reminds me of the awful Shirley Temple version of "The Story Of Seabiscuit" ... where Barry Fitzgerald ... the feisty wee Irish "trainer" of Seabiscuit ... claims he can tell a good race horse "by lookin' 'im in the oye."
I don't think looking at a horse's stride is much more worthwhile than "lookin' 'im in the oye" ... because good horses come in all sizes, shapes, and strides ... from the mighty-mite Dark Mirage to the really mighty Forego.
The only sure way to tell if a horse is good ... is to put him on a track with other horses in a competitive race for a purse ... and see what happens.
|
I'll answer that since he hasn't and I can say from personal experience that your assessment is far from the reality. I don't have to see them race against other horses to tell if they are good...I just have to see them gallop and breeze. Astute horsemen can look them "in the face", their conformation, and their movement over the track to distinguish the good ones from the not so good. It is very difficult to explain because so many elements are involved. It takes years of experience in watching two year olds mature, judging movement and conformation, watching them race, and much, much more. Most of the two year olds that turn into great horses have a quality about them that distinguishes them from the other horses.
There are exceptions to some exceptions to this though...Seabiscuit is a prime example...God what an ugly gallop! But Smith saw it in his face. Just like Lava Man. You could see it before it showed up in his performances. I'll tell you one thing, Lava Man has more heart than any horse I have ever seen. I know this may sound weird, but I can feel it when I look at him, but, then again, all true horseman can.
Some other examples of great purchases based solely on movement, character, and how they breezed over the track were in Funny Cide and Showing Up, both of whom Barclay Tagg picked out. They weren't really expensive horses and it is not a mere coincidence that both of these horses ended up in his stable. He picked them because he knew what he was looking for and knew what he was doing. There are quite a few out there in this business that have that kind of ability such as Tagg, and the really good ones are treasured in this game.