Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology

Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology

If there can be one horse and one race that defines the sport of Thoroughbred racing, the horse would be the world famous Secretariat and the race would be his win of the 1973 Belmont Stakes. Listed on two “”Athletes of the Century”" lists (#35 on ESPN’s list and in the Top Ten of Time Magazine’s list), Triple Crown winner Secretariat, owned by Meadow Stables, was a true athlete and champion. The world has yet to see another Belmont win of 31 lengths, such as he did in 1973, and there has yet to be a Thoroughbred that breaks his 1973 Kentucky Derby record of 1:59 2/5.

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Date: August 19, 2004
Track: Del Mar

I’m happy to report no one was hurt. There are two parts to this video. First is a clip of the “head-on” camera shot, which clearly shows three maintenance workers diving as they realize the field is about to trample them. Notice the bucket that they leave on the course.

The second part is the full race. At the 2:29 mark, you can see where the maintenance workers scramble, but it’s not nearly as clear as the head-on shot.

From Steve Andersen’s report in the Daily Racing Form:

“Three members of the Del Mar turf course staff nearly caused a catastrophic accident in the seventh race Thursday, when they were forced to scramble under the rail to avoid a field of seven horses while replacing divots on the turf course.

“The three men dove under the inside rail just as the field turned for home and had so little time to react that they left a plastic bucket on the course, which the runners nearly struck.

“The incident occurred with approximately a quarter-mile remaining in a race over 1 3/8 miles on turf. The three men walked onto the course and began working when the field passed the far turn for the first time. They were alerted of the oncoming field by the screams of the jockeys.”

Duration : 0:2:53

Technorati Tags: crew, Del, Denman, horse, maintenance, Mar, nearly, oddity, racing, thoroughbred, trampled, Trevor

Product Specification :

Genre :Sports
Style :Horse Racing
Platform :PlayStation 2
Release Date :2005-10-04
Number of Same Screen Players :2

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For some reason I find oddities like this May 16, 2004 race very entertaining. The Hasta la Vista Handicap at Turf Paradise in Arizona is run at what today is an unusually long distance of 1 7/8 miles. This requires two full circuits of the course, rather than the usual one time around in most races. Unfortunately for jockey Jorge Carreno, he forgets that minor detail, creating a very unusual sitation. On a personal note, in the early 1980s, I recall Hall of Fame jockey Jorge Velasquez falling victim to the same mental lapse in the 2 1/4 mile Display Handicap at Aqueduct. My father and I got a big kick out of the fans watching the replay cheering “come on Georgie” the first time around, as he was furiously whipping and driving despite having a mile left to run.

Duration : 0:3:21

Technorati Tags: distance, horse, jockey, misjudged, oddity, racing, thoroughbred

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Technorati Tags: handicapping horse races online racing form

There is a simple formula, for calculating how much to feed a horse, and it will work if you want one to gain weight, lose weight, or maintain it's weight, and it's based on feeding to a "goal body weight", or the weight you want the horse to weigh.

Based on a horse's workload, and it's general ability to maintain weight, a horse should be fed between 1 1/2% and 2 1/2% of it's goal body weight, in feedstuffs. (grass, hay, and grain/concentrates) It's best to start with 2% of it's goal weight, and you can re-evaluate the effectiveness, after 21 days, and make adjustments, if needed.

If you don't have access to a livestock scale, use a weight tape, they are accurate, within 10 to 15 pounds, and keep a record of the horse's weight, for reference.

Example: thin horse, who currently weighs 850 pounds, who should weigh 1000 pounds. This horse will be fed a total of 2%, or 20 pounds of feedstuffs, every 24 hours, for the first 21 days. If you feel a need to use grain, feed a minimal amount, of 2 pounds, 2 times per day, of the best quality feed. I prefer pelleted feed, it digests better than whole grains. Feed 8 pounds, of clean, high quality hay, 2 times per day.

At the 21 day mark, evaluate how the horse is doing, and make any adjustments, up or down, as needed. Slow gain, is healthy gain, and avoids health problems, such as founder and colic.

Duration : 0:2:18

Technorati Tags: horse, racing, thoroughbred, Tribute