Help, why do my horses suck??

[Carole Hanson]

Every year without fail, as soon as the second half of the season hits, my horses drastically decline in form and my stats end up dropping massively. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong and why my horses cannot keep from for the whole year.

I race my horses every 2-3 weeks depending on soundness and give the 2 week schedulers at least one 3 week break somewhere and give the 3 week schedulers at least one 2 week turnaround somewhere too. I don’t train in between races (though I do gallop some of my lesser accomplished horses week 9 but I give them the rest needed to recover from those), I use first class shipping, my stakes and above have companion pets and it’s not like the race placement changes drastically. A couple of examples of horses that were running well to start off with but now seem to have thrown in the bit:

Lilianne
Nevermind
Rose Golden Girl

Horses from the past that I remember severely declining in the second halves of their seasons include:
Lilibet (4yo)
Queen of Atlantis (4yo)
Satono Moon (4yo)
Moon Faced (seemed to be a pattern throughout his career)

I don’t know, does anyone else get this? Or does anyone always start slow and then pick it up? I’m so tired of starting off a season well thinking it’s gonna be a good year and then having that absolutely destroyed in the second half of the year

[Cleo Patra]

Okay so this has definitely happened to me but it’s usually the start of the year that sucks and then it improves when I get frustrated and pay some proper attention to what I might be doing wrong. It definitely helps to get some outside perspective, so this thread is a great idea.

My thoughts on these horses...
Lilianne has been in some TOUGH company prior to dropping out of stakes races for her last start. Now, looking at her record I think you errored in going back to 9 furlongs. She’s always run her best over more ground. I would look for an easy stakes race over 1 1/4 or sponsor one for her. Also 3yos are tricky because a lot of them will make a week 9 jump in gallop so if you have one that doesn’t jump who is running against fields that have a few who did jump...
She’s a classy filly. I will give you ALL the money for her.

Nevermind went from facing 3yo only fields to tough open company fields. It’s a tough jump to make, especially in a talent deep division like his. Again, look for or sponsor an easy race to get his confidence back and he’ll be fine.

Rose Golden Girl is actually running pretty well. Her average winning SFs aren’t super high for a G1/G2 caliber horse. I wouldn’t drop back to allowance grade though. Target the 50k and 100k stakes races in odd places for a few easy kills and then try jumping back in the deep end. Also stick to 7 furlong where you can since that seems to be a pet distance.

Just my advice from a very quick look and only really knowing Lilianne’s division well.

[Carole Hanson]

Thanks Cleo, it’s comforting in a way, knowing that others also have frustrating periods with their runners. I definitely agree with everything you’ve outlined for each horse, and you’re probably right, I probably have gotten a bit more complacent in how I place my horses. It’s like a never ending circle haha, their results drop and I pay more attention to help them get back to winning ways. They start winning and I start getting lazy with race placement and the circle comes back around.

Certainly lots to think about, thanks for your insight Cleo!

[Andrew Chillin]

Fake horses have bad days too. Sometimes they be feelin down and blue

[Leigh Ann Anderson]

I can tell you that the 3 YO turf fillies are tough. If you look at the pp of the horses that Lilianne has beaten or was beaten by, it's a pretty perpetual merry go round of this filly wins, then a different filly gets the next win, then the first two winners are beaten by a filly that they beat in the next race, etc. From the fillies I know, Rainbow Tassels has just now figured out what she is supposed to do (Black Tassels babies are often not super precocious), Ominous Gesture, super consistent and always finishes on the board but may beat or be beaten by fillies she has beaten recently, Wondrous Wishes, another very good filly who is super competitive but not always in the winners circle (much to my heartbreak, go Take Me Black babies!), Khara is another very consistent filly (until her last race), she's posted a 100 speed figure then bounced, but other than that last race always on the board. There are many more that could be listed as fillies who are really good and of a similar (top) level like Monday, Kitty Kitty Kitten, Treasure Me, Refuse to Surrender and so many more.

[Dylan Christensen]

I don't really have any advice to offer but I will say I've been going through the same thing as my stakes wins and overall percentages have just steadily declined all year. It sucks that it happens but if you just keep working things will inevitably clear up.

[The Harlequins]

Sorry to jump your serious thread Carole,

But my horses suck because there teeth have been kicked in, every time i move up a little

[Karl Smythe]

Hi Carole,

Cleo is right about Lilliane. She looks like she would have liked 1 1/4. Also, next time you win the Prix Alary, consider keeping the filly on the French Oaks race schedule on Mondays. I think you could have taken them easily.

Rose Golden Girl may have bounced. My filly Heartfelt Promise ran 4th in her next start too, after winning that Grade 1. Might have just been tougher on them than we know.

Both lovely fillies.

Good luck!

[Carole Hanson]

Thanks all for the advice, yea I should have kept Lillianne going longer but I thought class would carry her through a NW3, then again I feel that she is a mid range stakes so I think I was being too hopeful on that assumption.

Lots to take in and I’m super grateful for all your input, yours too Frank, gave me a good chuckle

[Gwayne's World]

I'm not sure if first class shipping was meant to be used for a horse's every race?

When the shipping distance isn't that far, try using the conventional method.

I remember the Steward saying something about first class shipping affecting a horse's form?

But can't recall how exactly?

But I do think it's supposed to be used strategically?

[Dylan Christensen]

I'm not sure if first class shipping was meant to be used for a horse's every race?

When the shipping distance isn't that far, try using the conventional method.

I remember the Steward saying something about first class shipping affecting a horse's form?

But can't recall how exactly?

But I do think it's supposed to be used strategically?

I believe she only said it would affect the horses form referring to when a horse is sent all over to race against the hardest of horses.

[Laura Smith]

Re: Nevermind, I think the 3YOs are just not as good as the olders at the moment. He's nice though!