First Race Improvers?

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Gavin Guile
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First Race Improvers?

Post by Gavin Guile »

Anyone have any 2 y/o TB horses improve after their first race? I remember when the gallop change was going to happen, one of the reasonings was that some great horses never got the chance to show what they could do because a trainer would discarded them, or never run them, based purely on their gallop designation.

I decided this year to race every horse I bred, unfortunately no first race improvers. Debating if I continue this method based on the time commitment to money earned from the lower tier gallops (<allowance). I think if trainers see a thread of the 2 y/o improvers then it may encourage them to race their lower level horses.

Thanks all!
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Nick Gilmore
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Nick Gilmore »

I find most of my improvers come when they turn 3, new year, new gallop. I have had those first race improvers though. Electric Blue was one. An allowance going into his first race, he won his first race with a 97 sf and then galloped freak. It does happen, but maybe routers are more prone to it than sprinters.
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Cleo Patra
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Cleo Patra »

If I recall correctly, the improvement happens at post time for their second race so you have to give them 2 runs before the improvement shows
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Shannon Hunt
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Shannon Hunt »

None so far this season, though I've been a bit busy and haven't run everything in my barn just yet (though it's entirely possible something did improve, but like... solid --> productive so it wasn't something I noticed in the results).

I have had two major improvers:
Follow the Lights allowance bloomer who went stakes peak in her first race
Sea Ghost allowance bloomer who jumped to freak bloomer in her first race, adjustment set her to stakes bloomer, and she went freak peak at the beginning of this season

I know this guy went productive to freak in his first race.

I suspect we do have more first-race improvers than we realize, but that they're maybe going progressive -> peak in the first race in the same gallop tier, or jumping one tier, so we don't really take huge note of the improvement. Just a theory though, I haven't checked every low-gallop runner after debut to see what's happened.
Last edited by Shannon Hunt 1 year ago, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Shannon Hunt »

Cleo Patra wrote: 1 year ago If I recall correctly, the improvement happens at post time for their second race so you have to give them 2 runs before the improvement shows
I've heard of horses doing this but there are definitely horses that "explode" in their first race.
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Eric Gray
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Eric Gray »

Not this year, but I have had two happen that I know of in my time here. Deputy Dog jumped from allowance to high stakes and eventually freak in her first race and then a couple years ago, Sacrificial jumped from claimer to high stakes and eventually freak in her first race.
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Kent Saunders »

It's been so long I can't even remember a major mprovement on the first start. It has happened to me but not for a long while
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Ash Tarasin
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Ash Tarasin »

I rarely see it, but they have been there. Historically I've found it too disheartening and tiring to race -all- my sub-par gallopers (I tried it for two years and decided I don't wish to continue doing it) but I do sometimes try some of them if I particularly like the pedigree. Hope Like Fire upgraded from productive to stakes somewhen between first start and 3yo preseason (this ought to have been a first start upgrade) and then again at 3.5 yrs old. Echovesna upgraded in several steps. She started out as a solid, turned stakes at 1.5yrs old , upgraded to freak after first start and then peak freak at 4.

I've also had an early claimer colt turn stakes at first start, and actually (this was a little confusing) an appy go from allowance something to allowance peak in the middle of nowhere when she shouldn't really do that.
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That appy was found during the two years when I was racing everyone. Apart from her, I had no other upgrades during these two years, so I don't think it's very common.
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The Steward
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by The Steward »

There are definitely more 2nd race jumpers than 1st race jumpers, but they do both exist.
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Carole Hanson
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Carole Hanson »

The Steward wrote: 1 year ago There are definitely more 2nd race jumpers than 1st race jumpers, but they do both exist.
Do you have any examples? Because I’ve literally never seen one, but I have seen lots of first start ones and even had some of those myself.
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Carolyn Eaton
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Carolyn Eaton »

thanks for the reminder to enter some productive progressives
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The Steward
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by The Steward »

Carole Hanson wrote: 1 year ago
The Steward wrote: 1 year ago There are definitely more 2nd race jumpers than 1st race jumpers, but they do both exist.
Do you have any examples? Because I’ve literally never seen one, but I have seen lots of first start ones and even had some of those myself.
I'll have to use my brain, hopefully some others step in here. But there have definitely been some good ones, I used to write about them in the Edge all the time. I would say something like "Ran sixth first out, but that's okay, because then...."
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Gwayne's World
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Gwayne's World »

Wondering if improvers are less common among the thoroughbred ranks?
I'm thinking I have a better chance of spotting Bigfoot than I have at having an improver. :shock:
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Tim Matthews
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Tim Matthews »

I've never had a major first start improver. I think since apparently 9% of horses are first start improvers according to Em it just means they usually jump a small amount, like low solid to high solid or productive. Not typically a claimer who turns to freak. Those are way rarer.
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Carolyn Eaton
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Re: First Race Improvers?

Post by Carolyn Eaton »

I've probably had the opposite be true more often - "allowance" running horse will put up an eye-popping initial speed figure breaking its maiden, then never come close again (Christmas Mourning: https://www.simhorseracing.com/horse.ph ... ID=1262895 )
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