"Spaced" Races And "Fresh" Horses Are Killing The Sport

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

What are you talking about? Practically every horse out out there today does it the right way. The original question had to do with horses winning big races at 2,3, and 4. If there aren't any, then that makes your argument even weaker. It would mean that what I'm saying is not extreme enough. I'm saying that a horse can last and stay in top form as a 2, 3 , and 4 year old if they are raced sparingly. If I am wrong, and a horse can't stay in top form for 3 straight years running sparingly, then they certainly can't stay in top form for 3 years straight running 15 times a year. That's the stupidest thing I ever heard.

Where to begin ... where to begin ...

First of all ... you're fortunate that I've raised two exceptional children to adulthood ........ no wait ... that was my last post.

Ummm ... Rupe ... what you're doing is making an assumption that horses who race less frequently are more sound ... and therefore ...

[a] If they run even less frequently ... they'll become even more sound ... and ...

[b] If they run more frequently ... they'll become less sound.

You're using circular reasoning to reinforce a premise which is not only false to begin with ... but which is contadicted by actual experience.

What Phalaris and I have been proposing ... all backed by actual racing history ... is that when horses begin their racing careers earlier ... receiving training and racing appropriate to their individual needs ... they'll become MORE fit ... not LESS fit ...

... and much more able to withstand the rigors of a career as a professional athlete. Do you understand that?

Let's make an imperfect analogy ... suppose Earl Woods had waited until Tiger was 21 to take him to a golf course ... how good a golfer do you think Tiger would (wood?) be today?

Take a look at all the best human athletes in every sport ... when did they start to play and how frequently did they play? Right ... they started when they were kids ... and they played until their mothers came to drag them home.

Can you understand that? An earlier start in the sport ... earlier training and earlier conditioning and frequent participation ... makes an athlete BETTER able to sustain a long career ... not LESS.