My inner 12 year old just chuckled as I wrote that headline…

Alan’s recent excellent post on gut feelings/over thinking and handicapping inspired the current poll question. I really wanted to do a poll on handicapping style and what y’all use as the most important factors (speed, pace, class, work out patterns, etc) but couldn’t come up with a pithy way to frame it.

My preferred PP is straight up DRF. I haven’t ventured into the pace figs yet and my all Mac home network precludes me from Formulator. My friend Joan likes the Brisnet Premiums with the Prime Power Numbers (or whatever they’re called) but I like to come to those conclusions myself.

I’m still trying to get a real system going with note taking. My current “system” includes keeping all of my scribbled on PPs in several growing piles around my desk. About 80% of the time I remember when I have notes on a race and am able to find said notes. I’ve also gotten better at actually remembering races and trips without the aid of my notes.

My sequence of events are: Handicap, look at ML odds, watch race replays, read/watch race analysis. I don’t always watch race replays or read/watch analysis, but as Alan points out, it usually serves to reinforce what I’ve already decided on… usually.

As a wrap-up for the last poll, Bernardini was your preferred sire for Octave somewhat closely followed by Hard Spun (my choice). Interesting, there were not votes for Any Given Saturday or Street Sense.

Posted by dana on Dec 03 2007    
Filed Under: 2007, Any Given Saturday, Bernardini, Octave, Handicapping, Hard Spun, Street Sense, Breeding

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A.P. Indy catching up to Pine Bluff in the 1992 Belmont. (EASY GOER)

In the 11/17 print issue of Bloodhorse is the first of an excellent new series entitled (you guessed it) Training Offspring of Sires.

In the first installment 10 trainers are asked how they work with progeny of a prominent stallion, in this case A.P. Indy.

As someone who’s hasn’t been around the handicapping block just yet (i.e., didn’t actually watch the racing career of any of the current crop of stallions), I found this to be fantastic. I’m just now starting to make a concerted effort to learn what traits can be ascribed to certain sires. While more seasoned handicappers probably wouldn’t find any surprises I would imagine trainer insights are always helpful.

The general take aways were: Be patient/they get better with age and while not sprinters, they’re very versatile but do their best at longer distances.

There were also plenty of interesting one offs:

I’ve had all different types but one thing they all have in common is they all seem to benefit from a race; they’ve all improved with a race under their belt, which I found interesting.

Even Bernardini, who trained really well and looked like a horse who would win his first start, he went out there and didn’t run as well as I thought he would first out. But he came back after that one and the rest is history.

- Tom Albertrani

Posted by dana on Nov 23 2007    
Filed Under: Bernardini, Handicapping, Breeding, Racing

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Hard Spun at Darley’s Open House at Jonabell (sj block)

To Darley at Jonabell, that’s where… and if you’re missing them as much as I am, check out this set of photos on flickr entitled Darley at Jonabell Stallion Open House.

It’s a living museum, if you will, of great talent that could have been legendary talent.

Posted by dana on Nov 11 2007    
Filed Under: Discreet Cat, Bernardini, Greed, Street Sense, Hard Spun, Breeding

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