Racing Line Question

Mallory Claire · Post by **Mallory Claire** » 18 years ago

A shadowroll might help. That colt is also bred for more distance, you may want to stretch him out next time.

Brianna McKenzie · Post by **Brianna McKenzie** » 18 years ago

A shadow roll? Wanna explain the logic on that??

Personally, I'd add lasix. A horse can't finish if he's bleeding. It might be that the horse was simply just short. If lasix doesn't help enough, I'd throw blinkers on him. Perhaps that will motivate him a little more.

Eric Nalbone · Post by **Eric Nalbone** » 18 years ago

I *think* Mallory is the trainer of No Delay, who if I remember right was the poster-child for horses wearing shadow rolls in the SIM.

Not quite a dog before he got one, but just not very good, and a very very nice horse AFTER he got one. I don't think a shadow roll can HURT, I just put them on all my horses by default.

All in all, I'd pick out one thing from the suggestions to change (excepting the shadow roll, I'm with Mallory just to stick it on since it can't hurt, even if there may not be any real logic to why he needs it), whether it's distance or one piece of equipment, and try it again. Whats easier to diagnose are patterns that appear in racing lines rather than individual races, and getting feedback on individual changes is always nice, you know what is working and what isn't.

Mallory Claire · Post by **Mallory Claire** » 18 years ago

Haha, yes, shadowrolls are my answer to everything. Generally, if a horse is too fast at the beginning of a race, I throw one on. If a horse is gaining or late-running, or just sits in the back in general, I throw on blinkers.

Crackpot advice, probably, but my horses do alright.

And yes, No Delay turned into Superman after adding a shadowroll. Superman of the allowance races, at least. Haha.

Brianna McKenzie · Post by **Brianna McKenzie** » 18 years ago

I wear one on all my babies by default, because they are babies and babies do silly things.

In an older horse, it wouldn't occur to me put a shadow roll on unless the running line TOLD me the buggar was jumping stuff. But your right, it's never going to hurt, and thanks for the explaination. Can you reference a horse that has improved?? I do have some with the same problem I'm trying to solve.

Oh I remember No Delay alright.

He was cool.

Dave Shields · Post by **Dave Shields** » 18 years ago

Equipment is a tricky thing for me. I don't have the background of knowing much about real horses and equipment. Since I have been paying attention to real races, equipment was not something I payed attention to - until very recently.

So in the case of the obvious ones, I am able to make adjustments off the running lines. See any of the Wheelaway kids for an example, not that I have them down or anything. But they are freaky and need the f8 and blinkers.

In most of my horses, I am just now begining to try out equipment, to see if it helps to improve the performance. But the lines are not coming out and saying anything directly like your horse tried to leap into the sky... something obvious. So I end up spending time looking at what other horses have and do. Sometimes that helps, sometimes not.

I do appreciate posts like these where everyone pitches in and gives their advice/experiences. It might not sink in right away, or make me think "oh that horse of mine ____ has the same issue, lets go change that now." But hopefully it will sink in.

I am sure many of you notice my horses usually have nothing on and I dont try anything if they are doing well. But I think I have reached the point on many horses that it is time to try out things to see if there are improvements. I know that equipment won't make a $15k claimer type into a G1 winner, but I also know that by slapping on some ear muffs to Yume Senshi calmed him down enough to make him a more focus racer that is capable of getting a win.

Sorry for the long read, feeling wordy today.

Ara Davies · Post by **Ara Davies** » 18 years ago

I use the "brute force" method of training, which means I stick my horses where I think they should go (pedigree-wise) and don't put any equipment on at all. If they win they win, if not they don't. I might try a few distances or switching surface but that's about it. My interest in the game has always been in the breeding side of things and if I took the time to sift through running lines and think about equipment and all I'd go into overload and become stressed out and lose interest in the game. I'm happy enough to have the winners I have so I'm not going to go into any more effort than I currently am.

I am a terrible trainer and have never claimed otherwise. And no, I have no interest in improving so don't try giving me advice. *waves a finger at those about to speak up*

Of course, *I* can afford to say that.

Edit: This is probably why the majority of Davies-bred horses (those that have a couple of generations of my horses) are dead sound and don't need equipment. If they were breaky or needed equipment they never achieved the success that would cause me to keep them. I'm natural selection in action, if you will.

Sarah Chase · Post by **Sarah Chase** » 18 years ago

Ara Davies wrote: I'm natural selection in action, if you will.

That is such the bestest line ever.