Playing To Win

WEIGHT

Competitive races are vital to thoroughbred racing. Without them fans would soon lose interest and racing as we know it would become a thing of the past. One method used in an attempt to achieve competitive balance is through the assignment of the weight each horse must carry (including his rider.) In handicaps the Racing Secretary uses his judgement to assign the weights with the idea of 'bringing them altogether.' In the other races a formula is devised. That formula becomes a part of the race description contained in the track program. Horses ridden by apprentice jockeys are given a special additional weight allowance.

Weight does make a difference. Obviously a horse will run faster carrying 110 pounds than he would if he were carrying 120. The problem is that nobody knows exactly how much faster he would run. That's because each race is only run once. Just because a horse ran faster with 110 pounds in one race than he did carrying 120 in another doesn't mean that weight caused the difference. There are simply too many variables in racing to make such an assumption valid.

One formula that is widely accepted is that when the track is fast, on average, a horse will lose about a length (slowed down by a fifth of a second) by adding four pounds in a sprint, three pounds going a mile, two pounds at a mile and an eighth, and one pound at the classic distance of a mile and a quarter. While there is no way of confirming those assumptions, they do appear to be reasonable. The important thing to remember is that the farther a horse runs the more important the weight he is carrying becomes.

Evaluating the impact that weight will have on any particular horse is clouded by the idea that horses vary in their ability to carry extra weight. The famed Seabiscuit, for example, won some big races impressively despite being burdened with weight that would have spelled doom for a lesser animal. Others seem to hit a wall and appear not to be able to run effectively above a certain weight. Since the horses vary it is important to realize that a specific horse's history is more important than the general rules. If he is adding weight today, but has won or nearly won carry the same or more weight in the past at the same or longer distance, we wouldn't be too concerned.

The plot thickens, however, when a horse is required to carry more weight than he has run well with in the past. One thing is certain, however. The horse's trainer knew what weight would be assigned before he entered him. If an apparently well meant horse is being required to carry more weight than he has ever carried in the past, we are willing to assume that it won't be a problem, if his past performances show a good race while carrying three or four pounds less and no poor ones. One poor race is reason for mild concern. Multiple poor races add to that concern but won't necessarily keep us from backing him, at attractive odds , if we respect his trainer and he is coming off a very sharp effort.

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101: Beginner Tips

• Intro
• Body Language
• Breeding
• Weight
• Workouts