2-Year-Old Sales and the Importance of Workout Times

How horse racing partnerships evaluate under tack workout times

It is the 2-year-old sale season and horse racing partnerships will be attending the sales put on by OBS in Florida, Barretts in California and Fasig-Tipton in Florida and Maryland. The big difference between 2-year-old sales and yearling sales is the all-important under tack workouts where horses will breeze one eighth, one quarter or three eighths of a mile. These future racing prospects will be asked to work as fast as possible with a strong gallop out.

The top-priced horses generally have posted the fastest or one of the fastest times during the breeze show so it is no wonder the consignors push these horses to run faster than they will ever have to run again. One eighth of a mile in 10 seconds is not uncommon.

But really how important is the time itself? Many feel the workout time is like throwing darts, that a good horse may or may not show his or her best on a given day. In addition, the blazing works have attracted criticism of the 2-year-old sales because the horses are pushed so hard at a young age even though studies have shown early exercise and racing as a 2 year old can be associated with increased performance and durability.

However one thing almost all agree on is the workouts are necessary at the 2-year-old sales because the workouts help buyers sort out the horses by judging one horse against the other. If not you really are back to a yearling sale.

When the Blinkers On Racing Stable team studies a workout, time is only one part of the equation. We are looking for athletic horses with longer, efficient strides that breeze the “right way” not necessarily breeze overly fast. That is why our team spends so much time on stride analysis in addition to the physical inspections and pedigree work. Remember, thoroughbred races are not run at an eighth or a quarter of a mile which is basically a drag race. Thoroughbred races are run at a minimum of five eighths of a mile and much longer as the horses get a little older.

So, yes, times should play a role in selecting a 2 year old but horses that have the fastest breeze are not necessarily the best horse and that is a fact. But, that being said, buyers will always be heavily influenced by the times which can create great value for the really good horseman. A horseman with the sixth sense to spot a fast horse that may not have the fastest time in the sale is a person you want on your team when you are buying horses at a 2-year-old sale.

For more information on becoming a partner in a 2 year old visit http://www.blinkerson.com.

 

Derby Attire – A Style and History

Derby Attire – A Style and History

From early match races between nobility to the modern track races among the masses, elegance and high fashion have juxtaposed themselves against the dust and sweat of the track.

Racing History

The origins of horse racing are lost in the mists of time. Since the earliest domestication of horses by tribesmen of Central Asia around 4500 B.C., racing has been a sport of kings. The origins of today’s style of racing began in the 12th century, when English knights brought light, fast Arabian horses home from the Crusades. From the first match races among the little Arabians to the professional thoroughbred racetracksof the early 1700s, the nobility celebrated power of the horse alongside the posh pleasure of “betting on the ponies.”

High Society and Fashion

This pastime of the nobles inherited all the social and political circumstances of its devotees and competitors. Races were social events in which style, etiquette, and political jockeying were as much a part of the festivities as the jockeying on the track. When English settlers brought thoroughbred racing to the United States and built an American version of the British Triple Crown, the traditions of high society substance and style came along for the ride.

Rubbing Elbows

Through the creation of a nation and the changing fashions of 300 years, American racing spectators have been a variable mix of rich and poor, the haves and the have-nots. The have-nots come in the hopes of that long-shot win that could change their fortunes. The haves come with the background and passion of hunt clubs and family histories. Each came – and still come – dressed in their best. It’s been this way since the laying of the first track in Long Island, N.Y., around 1665, and high-style “race day” fashions have been a part of the scene since the very beginning.

Dress Codes, Hats, and History

Dress at the track will depend on the area of the stands you’ll inhabit for the day. It’s not unusual for private Turf Clubs to enforce a strict dress code. This code usually requires suits or sport jackets with optional ties for men, and suits, sun dresses, or daytime dresses for women. Jacket and dress patterns are sometimes designed, with admirable loyalty, to mimic a jockey’s racing colors.

Even in less-restricted areas of the grandstands, men and women tend to wear their best warm-weather derby attire in the race day spirit, though ladies’ heels seem to get lower and lower as you move from the high-class boxes to the bleacher seats. In horse racing style, fashion meets practicality. Cotton, linen, and lightweight blends reign supreme in the heat of the day. Though hemlines have expanded and contracted, sundresses have been a staple on race day for decades. And since the earliest days, ladies’ hats have been a fashion focus at the racetrack. From the earliest days of match races among the elite to the modern track races among the masses, noble elegance and high fashion have juxtaposed themselves against the dust and sweat of the track.

Blinkers On

Blinkers On Racing Stable, a leader in thoroughbred horse racing partnerships, brings together the finest in thoroughbred horse racing expertise with the best in business know-how, and above all, a team of people you can trust, to manage your investment. We are committed to helping you experience the joys of thoroughbred horse ownership. For more information on thoroughbred partnerships visit our website or request an information package about our partnership. Keep up with horse racing in California by reading our Blog, finding us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, checking us out on LinkedIn, or visiting our YouTube Channel!