Can we open gallops early?

[Andrew Chillin]

It do. You’re not wrong

[Brian Leavitt]

Em just said in chat that the races opening are based on how many hours there are until the first results.

And since there's one less hour than normal until the first results, then there should be one less hour until races opening and gallops.

In other words EARLY GALLOPS ARE REAL (by one hour)

[Laura Ferguson]

Em just said in chat that the races opening are based on how many hours there are until the first results.

And since there's one less hour than normal until the first results, then there should be one less hour until races opening and gallops.

In other words EARLY GALLOPS ARE REAL (by one hour)

The calendar says the normal time, however. I'm not sure how it counts the spring forward hour - it may just count the normal time until spring forward actually occurs, rather than factoring it in before it happens. It'll be one of the two, but it may not be the earlier of the two options.

[Gwen Morse]

My newest foals are mere hours old, but they are ready to stretch their legs on the track.

This reminds me of a line from a book on TB racing I read as a teen that explained that sometimes breeders will try to maximize the months their foals are alive before they turn 2. Sometimes they cut things too close and a foal will be born late December instead of in January. The book had some line like "This horse will now be counted as a yearling even though it can barely stand on its wobbly legs".

[The Steward]

Em just said in chat that the races opening are based on how many hours there are until the first results.

And since there's one less hour than normal until the first results, then there should be one less hour until races opening and gallops.

In other words EARLY GALLOPS ARE REAL (by one hour)

The calendar says the normal time, however. I'm not sure how it counts the spring forward hour - it may just count the normal time until spring forward actually occurs, rather than factoring it in before it happens. It'll be one of the two, but it may not be the earlier of the two options.

We THINK it's going to be the early one... we're like PRETTY sure but not 100% sure

[Andrew Chillin]

Lol trying to predict the sim is like playing plinko

[Eric Gray]

Not to on this thread, but as was said earlier, Festivus is tonight/Saturday morning. Time change is Saturday night/Sunday morning.

[The Steward]

Not to on this thread, but as was said earlier, Festivus is tonight/Saturday morning. Time change is Saturday night/Sunday morning.

The whole thing works by counting back number of hours from races opening or running for the first time during the year - so it does bother the regular opening time.

[Eric Gray]

Oh, got ya

[Andrew Chillin]

Less poop more cats and faking cats

[Art K Stables]

Well I hope it’s normal time , but if it’s an hour early I guess I have no choice but to deal with it .. I’ll try to get everything I do normally done by 3am E.T. back to 2am just in case

[Autumn Blackmill]

My newest foals are mere hours old, but they are ready to stretch their legs on the track.

This reminds me of a line from a book on TB racing I read as a teen that explained that sometimes breeders will try to maximize the months their foals are alive before they turn 2. Sometimes they cut things too close and a foal will be born late December instead of in January. The book had some line like "This horse will now be counted as a yearling even though it can barely stand on its wobbly legs".

Yes! I remember back when I was a kid I got the Bloodhorse magazines, and this really fancy mare had just sold in foal for millions... and then she foaled right before new years, so the baby was technically 1yo just a week or so after being born. I can't imagine being the new owners and having that happen!

*edit: I found the mare. It was Magical Romance who went for 4.6 million, then popped a couple weeks too soon:
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... ture-foals

[Nicole Marie]

My newest foals are mere hours old, but they are ready to stretch their legs on the track.

This reminds me of a line from a book on TB racing I read as a teen that explained that sometimes breeders will try to maximize the months their foals are alive before they turn 2. Sometimes they cut things too close and a foal will be born late December instead of in January. The book had some line like "This horse will now be counted as a yearling even though it can barely stand on its wobbly legs".

Yes! I remember back when I was a kid I got the Bloodhorse magazines, and this really fancy mare had just sold in foal for millions... and then she foaled right before new years, so the baby was technically 1yo just a week or so after being born. I can't imagine being the new owners and having that happen!

*edit: I found the mare. It was Magical Romance who went for 4.6 million, then popped a couple weeks too soon:
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... ture-foals

There was also a mare called "Alittlebitearly" who was herself born in December.

[Kelly Haggerty]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xtFu-htLXrM

[Michael Looker]

This reminds me of a line from a book on TB racing I read as a teen that explained that sometimes breeders will try to maximize the months their foals are alive before they turn 2. Sometimes they cut things too close and a foal will be born late December instead of in January. The book had some line like "This horse will now be counted as a yearling even though it can barely stand on its wobbly legs".

The trick is to hide your mare and her Christmas foal in a back paddock behind a hedge so no-one can see them. Then on New Years' Day you can bring them in and try to convince everyone that the 8-day-old foal was really only born this morning.

The rules have changed for this in Australia/NZ. As long as the mating happened on or after September 1, the foal doesn't become a yearling until August 1 two years later, even if it's born in late July. (August 1 is the "Horses' Birthday" in the southern hemisphere.)