TullyRunners - Article
Mud & Racing - Some Brief Observations
by Bill Meylan (July 9, 2011)
The previous article generated a fair number of inquiries regarding mud & racing and mud's importance in determining the outcome ("Losing Interest in NXN - One Guy's Perspective") ... I postulated the muddy conditions at NXN Portland Meadows (which can border on extreme) were causing some teams to run poorly and affecting the outcome of races in ways I find "less than interesting".
With respect to horse racing and human cross country racing, mud is a fact-of-life that must be dealt with at various times ... The inquiries to me basically asked:
-
Does mud really make that much of a difference??
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Why does mud make a difference??
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What can be done about mud if it does matter??
I jotted down some quick ideas that might be useful or interesting.....
Horse Racing ... I will start with observations that concern thoroughbred horse racing because some tracks still have "real mud".
Does mud make a difference? ... In a word, Yes ... this is something horse-players take for granted based on many years of experiences ... there is a reason some horses are known as "mudders" (horses that race well in the mud).
What makes a good "mudder"?
... Good question, no simply answer ... Some horse-players have been able to
correlate breeding to mudders (I'm not going there with humans
)
... Some trainers say conformation (correctness of a horse's bone structure,
musculature, and its body proportions) and stride pattern make a difference
... Too variable for my taste - once a horse proves ability (or lack of),
that's all I need to know.
Why does mud make a difference? ... A common excuse heard from many jockeys and trainers is this - "the horse could not get hold of the track" ... this means the horse was having "traction" problems ... not uncommon for a jockey to note the horse was "slipping" (and some horses really don't like slipping and slow down).
Believe it or not, some
horses are "light-footed" and some are "heavy-footed", just like humans
... some trainers believe "light-footed" horses are better in the mud
because they slip less.
What can be done to help horses racing in the mud? ... Some trainers use horse shoes known as mud caulks to help get extra grip (something akin to humans using longer spikes), although some tracks are banning their use ... But actually, there is not a whole lot horse trainers can do.