Flattened Out

Sarah Anne · Post by **Sarah Anne** » 17 years ago

Well, since her first race, I've had some difficulty in figuring Natural Cide. She has flattened out in all of her races since her first race. I'm pretty sure she didn't want blinkers because she bobbled at that start where the rest she started well. Any ideas? I think she could be pretty nice if I could just figure her out.

Emily Mitchell · Post by **Emily Mitchell** » 17 years ago

Hmm, well, wait and see what other people say about this too... but here's what I would do:

I'd keep her on lasix and the tongue tie just to be safe... then try maybe a figure 8, earmuffs, and no whip in that order. Just one at a time and if one doesn't seem to help then take it off the next time.

Basically, it's just experimenting. However, the fact of the matter is that she may just not have the talent.

Maybe someone else will have some better advice.

Laura Ferguson · Post by **Laura Ferguson** » 17 years ago

OK - the main thing I would do is cut her back to 5 or 6 furlongs, preferably in an easier sprint allowance (which is easier said than done - there are lots of nice sprint 3yo fillies). Since her win, she's been at 7 or farther (and the two stakes were against some tough fillies), and it may simply be that it is too far. It's the simplest explanation as to why she didn't flatten out at 5, but did flatten out going farther. I'd do what Emily suggests, keep the lasix and tongue tie, and the figure 8 shouldn't hurt, and see what that does.

If that fails, yeah, play around with equipment, and maybe try still longer in case she's a router being taken off her "A" game, but if she were mine, I'd go in a short sprint with the three pieces of equipment.

Tammy Fox · Post by **Tammy Fox** » 17 years ago

I have a different opinion than the others. First her sire Funny Cide won the Kentucky Derby and seemed to do well at 9 furlongs or further in real life. Her damsire The Natural also won at 1 1/4 miles. Her dam's dam's damsire Black Ice won at 1 1/8 miles but seemed to sire sprinters although I do wonder if he could not have sired distance horses too if he had been given the chance. So I am thinking this girl is more of a router than a sprinter.
Also she is only three and you only gave her a one week rest between races and it could be that she needs 2 weeks to rest between races. I know on my 3yr olds I give them at least 2 weeks off between races(ie they raced in week one they wouldn't race again to Week 4).
Based on my experience with routers, when a router flattens out it is usually because the distance they are running is too short and/or they needed more rest between races.
I would rest her for 2 weeks and then enter her in an allowance in Week 7 of at least 1 1/4 miles over dirt and would use the SR L HB TT and see what happens. If there isn't a race that distance or longer in Week 7 then I would wait and enter her in Week 8.
I really think she needs rest and longer distances.

LaDonna King · Post by **LaDonna King** » 17 years ago

i'd drop her down to 5-6 furlongs and add a f8. if she still doesn't do well, i'd try her on the turf. she might not be a turf horse, but it wouldn't hurt to at least try. if that doesn't work, you might just have to accept that she just doesn't have the heart or desire to race....but don't give up on her just yet. put her in a nw2, or even a claiming race. i don't THINK she'll make it to grade 1 winning status, but you never know...but with her race record, she does need a confidence boost so a lower level race could do her a lot of good.

Josh Dutzy · Post by **Josh Dutzy** » 17 years ago

I would try her on the turf, but Forty Niner did not sire Charismatic.....not even close. In my opinion, this horse needs a claiming race....but I rarely run my fillies in claimers if I want to breed them.....

LaDonna King · Post by **LaDonna King** » 17 years ago

Josh Dutzy wrote: I would try her on the turf, but Forty Niner did not sire Charismatic.....not even close. In my opinion, this horse needs a claiming race....but I rarely run my fillies in claimers if I want to breed them.....

lmao...i can't believe i just said forty niner sired charismatic..lol, i KNOW his sire is summer squall...guess the lack of sleep over the last week has me brain dead. i gotta go fix my post before someone calls the nut house and turns me in.....

Eric Nalbone · Post by **Eric Nalbone** » 17 years ago

I'd suggest putting a Fig. 8 on, finding a 6-7f allowance race, and going from there. If she still can't win, move her to claimers. She doesn't look like a stakes horse at all (she broke her maiden against a field that was, by most measures, pretty pathetic: excluding that particular race, the 5 fillies in the field haven't won a single race), and she looks like she'll fit best with easier competition. I can say with certainty that a LOT of fillies will look pretty bad when they run against horses like Enjoy, Zapped, and Prologue.

Meanwhile, I agree with Laura that this one looks like a sprinter, on the basis of both pedigree and running style. Funny Cide/The Natural/Black Ice strikes me as a rather speed-oriented pedigree, and with the way she's been running coaxing even more distance out of her might be problematic.

Josh Dutzy · Post by **Josh Dutzy** » 17 years ago

LaDonna King wrote:
Josh Dutzy wrote: I would try her on the turf, but Forty Niner did not sire Charismatic.....not even close. In my opinion, this horse needs a claiming race....but I rarely run my fillies in claimers if I want to breed them.....
lmao...i can't believe i just said forty niner sired charismatic..lol, i KNOW his sire is summer squall...guess the lack of sleep over the last week has me brain dead. i gotta go fix my post before someone calls the nut house and turns me in.....

I figured you knew, haha!

Sarah Anne · Post by **Sarah Anne** » 17 years ago

Thanks for all the help you guys!