Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: A ‘Good’ Race Record, Part II
Owning an OTTB is great because of the amount of information you can get about them immediately. But doing so also begs the question: what constitutes a “good” race record?
Welcome to the next installment of Thoroughbred Logic. In this weekly series, Anthropologist and trainer Aubrey Graham, of Kivu Sport Horses, offers insight and training experience when it comes to working with Thoroughbreds (although much will apply to all breeds). This week ride along as Aubrey shares her logic on what constitutes a good race record for an off-track Thoroughbred.
Last week, I started in on a pursuit that was just too long for one week’s article. I decided to tackle race records based on the number of starts per horse and work to translate what they might mean. I made it through the discussion of different brackets of numbers of starts that begin at zero, then only one, and finally made it into the two-to-five races. Today, we pick back up at the five-race point and carry forward to 15 race starts, discussing what to look for in those frames and what to raise an eyebrow or ask questions about. Next week I’ll tackle the good running horses, warhorses and those who loved to run.
Neil (Lute’s Angel) ran 14 times before retiring. He did have a significant gap, but returned to run another three times before retiring. Photo by Sarah Hepler.
Before we dive in though, let me note that while reading race records is a little more reasonable than divining the future via tea leaves, it is still a vague practice. The actual reality — what happened, why it happened, and what it implies for a horse’s second career — is tough to assemble. As an anthropologist, I love combining all of the shreds of information — the photographs, the jog or race videos, the Equibase.com record with its wins and gaps, the descriptions, and the horse in front of me — and trying to piece their story together.
But here’s the catch: While some records tell a tale that makes me personally more comfortable, none are perfect. I might be more willing to jump off the deep end and buy sight-unseen off of only a handful of seconds of video and a couple of often-less-than-ideally crafted photos when the record tells a story I like. Well, that and if there is a good explanation for the things that make me squint a little harder at the horse.
Wilson (Rebel Warrior) arrived last Wednesday, mostly as described — big, kind, and slow. Photo by Sarah Hepler.
That said, there’s no such thing as a bulletproof record – there isn’t that perfect one – Perfect in the sense that it will ease anxiety in the buyer, or perfect in the sense that it will translate to impeccable soundness and suitability for a second career. But, when a rider approaches these brackets knowing what they imply and what questions to ask, one is both able to (in a way) translate the horse’s past and make some guesses about their future.
Jumping back in:
Five to Fifteen Races
“How and where did they run?” “Why did they come off the track?” and “Are there significant gaps in racing?”
These horses with five to 15 starts got a pretty good shot at a race career. Add to that that they may have been reasonably fast at some point, too. When I look through their records, I am looking for a few things: I check the quality of the races and their finishes in them. What tracks were they at? Were they close to winning in the big money Stakes races, Black Type Stakes, or Allowances, or were they finishing fourth in the $5000 claimers?
While it is nice to have a good running horse who is heading to the Stakes or Allowances (high quality, high money races), I’m more interested in consistency here. A slow decline in speed and placing tells an easy story. This is what I like about Rebel Warrior’s record (this is the 2021 horse I discussed last week who ran 11 races with a nice easy step-down in races to retirement). No big gaps, and just a steady, consistent tale of mid-range speed figures, and 4th and 5th place finishes.
Zoe’s Delight ran 22 times, earning over $172,000 and running in consistently quality Stakes and Allowance Races. Photo by the Kivu Team.
On the other hand, if a horse drops from a Black Type Stakes to a low money claiming race, I head off on the “what happened?” question train. Maybe they needed a boost in confidence and to have a real shot at winning. Maybe they changed hands. Maybe … other things.
*The reality here is that there are MANY reasons for all of these things and many of them are not always negative.
Like Rebel Warrior — who I am now calling “Wilson” — retirement might occur because they’re just not getting significantly faster and the owner appears responsible. But for others it might be they just slowed down, no longer showed promise, or there might have been injuries that we can often glimpse at in the gaps in their record.
Wilson was lovely and slow for his first post track ride. Photo by Sarah Hepler.
Big long stretches of time between races that do not correspond with track seasons are likely reason for more question marks. For instance, the Finger Lakes race track runs from April to November. A trainer who primarily races at that track would show a break through the winter on their horses’ records. However, a horse who ran early in the season in May and then only again near the end of the meet in November would make me wonder what happened and where they were/what they were doing for all the active racing months that they missed.
Chip removal may take as little as six weeks to be back in training, while soft tissue injuries (bows, strains, and tears in muscles, tendons and ligaments) may take around six months, more or less. General soreness or need for some downtime takes as long as it takes. Gaps are worth asking or wondering about, but like everything else, they’re not a determinant.
Neil is dialing in his flatwork for the Retired Racehorse Project’s 2024 Makeover, remaining sound and willing despite an 8-month gap in his record. Photo by Sarah Hepler.
While the jottings and results can paint a vague picture, what I like is that I can look back at the chart (and for a little extra money, the video) of the race right before the aforementioned gap and learn a few things. A description of their run including “eased” or “retired” or a DNF (Did Not Finish) might make me wonder about an injury and, if nothing else, it will keep the questions coming.
A simple “no contention” or “never challenged” might mean they just didn’t have it in them that day. Maybe they needed to grow up a bit. Maybe they needed a different trainer. But at very least, you have a point you can hone in on and if you have contact with their connections, there might be answers.
More Neil spam because he likes to point out that the gap in his record does not seem to impact his current sporthorse abilities. Photo by Sarah Hepler.
Working backwards here, Wilson walked off the trailer like an absolute saint. He was tired, gawky, and kind. But what I saw immediately after his kind eye was an ugly scar on the lower front side of his right hock. The hauler dealt with my expletives as I blew off steam about things not being disclosed. BUT, his connections and his record here saved the day. I chatted with his connections, who told me that it was old and so unimportant they had forgotten about it. The scar arose from field injury as a two year old before he went to be backed for racing and it never bothered him going forward.
Wilson clearly needs a few hundred pounds of fat and muscle, but this soundness of mind and soundness of all four legs was a welcomed finding. Photo by Sarah Hepler.
Looking at his race record, this tracks — that injury was unlikely to have happened during his race career. And, his ability to race and remain sound on it, also confirms their description that it was, yes, gnarly, but also did not impact tendons, ligaments, or the joint. Well OK then…
In his first post track ride, Wilson was sound, kind and uncomplicated. I was not thrilled about the scar, but between the ride, the kindness of his race owner and his record, I’m not particularly worried about it either.
Wilson being far more interested in looking around and hanging out than standing up for his photos. Photo by Sarah Hepler.
Next week, I’ll take on the good runners, those who love their jobs, and if I can learn to be succinct, the “warhorses.” And, all that just in time for Gibbs (Muntij), who ran 81 times, to walk back into my barn. Hang tight for more, folks. Go ride and for fun — or when the weather turns lousy — read up on your horses’ records on Equibase and see what other pieces you can put together.
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