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ADDING PHYSICALITY TO YOUR DAILY HANDICAPPING VIA THE RACETRACK FEED-----Part 4 3---FRACTIOUS LOSERS Paddock handicappers know that unruly and uncontrollable runners are always a big time “no-no”. Rather than delve into the many possible reasons for this negative behavior that could include sickness, fear, anger, lameness, legal or illegal drugging, time would be better spent addressing the needed energy lost and the many signs of fractiousness that are clearly evident in the paddock and the post parade. First, let’s look at what can transpire in the paddock before the horses leave the walking ring and begin the post parade. Fractious horses give innumerable signs that they really don’t feel like running this afternoon. Some might be wheeling or rearing up in an attempt to break away from their handlers. An insensitive groom will waste no time in giving their horse hard downshanks on the lead chain. If the groom gets too angered or too tired fighting his horse, I’ve seen runners smacked with the leather strap that is attached to the lead chain. And in the extreme, some get punched in the head or kicked in the stomach. These totally unacceptable methods of control only serve to further infuriate the horse. Some fractious runners are simply frightened. It is not uncommon for the whites of their eyes to be overly visible as if they just encountered a ghost. Other fractious runners offer clues of their negative mental outlook by continually flickering their ears in every direction imaginable. The horse is concentrating on his negative surroundings and the upcoming race. He would rather be elsewhere. Should he become really angry, he’ll pin his ears against his head. Many fractious horses get “hot” with excessive sweating everywhere. Their obvious hyperactivity and continually fighting their grooms while trying to run off cause their body temperatures to rise. Massive amounts of kidney swear often runs down the inside of both rear legs. Neck lather, saddle sweat and front leg sweat are quite common. Heavy white lip drool might also be clearly visible. This unnecessary negative activity wastes precious energy that is needed for the upcoming race. These fractious runners usually won’t have much left in their tanks by the time the starting gate opens. Should you be on track and in the paddock where you can get close to a fractious runner, you’ll notice his breathing patterns are irregular. One minute he’s huffing and puffing and might appear totally exhausted from fighting his handler. The next moment he’ll momentarily regain his composure, catch his breath, and once again return to his craziness. In addition to these negative breathing patterns, he could be chomping incessantly on his bit making a loud gnawing noise. He doesn’t want to race and is trying to actually bite thru the bit in an effort to get rid of it. A tail moving in every direction is not uncommon with the fractious runner. Often you’ll see them swishing their tails east to west or angrily popping them up and down. The stomping of the hooves along with this negative tail movement further paints this very negative posture. At times, you might even spy random muscle twitching. For no apparent reason, the muscles on the body will quiver as if attempting to dislodge an insect. If you see this twitching along with other fractious movements and no insects are present, he’s totally nuts! Fractious runners frequently carry their heads abnormally high in a never ending attempt to free themselves from the lead chain. They might also be vehemently twisting their heads east and west very rapidly. If a groom has too loose a hole on his charge, he might be successful in breaking free and will run off seeking the solace of his stall. If you are on track and not quite sure as to the level of fractiousness in any potential wager, merely watch the saddling ritual. If you are wagering via a racetrack feed, it pays huge dividends closely watch your TV monitors. Some satellite shows such as Santa Anita have great views of the horses in their saddling stalls. Unruliness is tough to hide when a horse goes under tack. Many fractious horses are nearly impossible to saddle. The minute the saddle cloth or the actual saddle touches their backs, they kick or rear up. It’s not uncommon to see up to 4 people needed to get them under tack. Some completely flip over in the stall and have to be scratched. A blind man could see that they want no part of the upcoming race. If in the paddock, keep an eye on the jockey before he attempts to mount a crazed runner. The word “apprehension” will be written all over his face. He’s considering his few options if the horse continues his negative posture. Getting seriously hurt becomes more of a reality. This compounds if his mount will tries to throw him the moment he gets a leg up to the saddle. The fractious horse usually “peaks” in the post parade where all can see even with only a so much as a “5 second glimpse”. He’ll be bucking and rearing in a final attempt to get free. He might also be trying to bite the lead pony on the neck or shoulder. When you see this, take a look at the lead pony. His ears will be flopped over or pinned against his head in anger. He wants no part of this lunatic! A final sign of fractiousness can be seen at the starting gate as most refuse to load. We’ve all seen runners forcibly loaded into the gate necessitating up to 4 gatemen to get the deed done. When the gates open, these maddened runners either break like bats out of hell and burn themselves out in 2 or 3 furlongs before stopping abruptly, or they completely misses the break and are very slow to begin. These fractious runners act like losers from the minute they walk into the paddock until they burn themselves out early on in their race. Stay off them! PART 5-----Energy levels continued |