zimal2
5th May 2005, 04:04.06 PM
I noticed in the Ky Derby thread that OPM mentioned the "x factor"=drug
use. We're all aware and probably have been aware of this factor for a long time. Joe Takach was writing about it maniacally at least ten years ago. But I haven't seen anything about how it affects all the statistics we use and rely on. Things like "form cycles" for example. How can there be a meaningful discussion about a horse forgeing ahead if we or bouncing or any pattern if we don't know whether or when he was drugged? Or, early pace numbers. Wouldn't you just love to know if the horse was goosed to a sub 22 number? What should our approach be now that there seems to be more scrutiny, and a Mullins comes down to earth? Andy Beyer opened the discussion at the Expo by suggesting that
we look for supertrainers just as they were emerging. What about the opposite. I'd be interested in thoughts about what to do with databases etc in what may be a new era. It seems to something like dealing with GP this year without use of prior data because of the new surface.
I will watch the Derby with interest, and taking off from OPM's comment, consider it hugely open because horses who may have been drugged in prior races shouldn't be.
use. We're all aware and probably have been aware of this factor for a long time. Joe Takach was writing about it maniacally at least ten years ago. But I haven't seen anything about how it affects all the statistics we use and rely on. Things like "form cycles" for example. How can there be a meaningful discussion about a horse forgeing ahead if we or bouncing or any pattern if we don't know whether or when he was drugged? Or, early pace numbers. Wouldn't you just love to know if the horse was goosed to a sub 22 number? What should our approach be now that there seems to be more scrutiny, and a Mullins comes down to earth? Andy Beyer opened the discussion at the Expo by suggesting that
we look for supertrainers just as they were emerging. What about the opposite. I'd be interested in thoughts about what to do with databases etc in what may be a new era. It seems to something like dealing with GP this year without use of prior data because of the new surface.
I will watch the Derby with interest, and taking off from OPM's comment, consider it hugely open because horses who may have been drugged in prior races shouldn't be.