A Historic Day?
On June 7,
2014, at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, at approximately 6:52 PM Eastern Time,
California Chrome will seek to become just the 12th Triple Crown
winner in thoroughbred racing history.
Since
Affirmed became the 11th keeper of the Crown — I know, it sounds
like a Tolkien novel — in 1978, 11 horses have
captured the first two jewels of the series (the Derby and Preakness) only to
fail in the third (the Belmont Stakes). I’ll Have Another would have been the
12th success or failure, but he was scratched the day before the
Belmont and never raced again.
Will
California Chrome make history and “save
racing” on Saturday?
Time
(hopefully under 2:30) will tell.
You Call 36 Years a Drought?
Lost in
all the angst over the 36-year gap since Affirmed won the American Triple
Crown, is the fact that there hasn’t been an English Triple Crown winner since Nijinsky
in 1970 — 44 years ago.
In fact,
since Nijinsky’s sweep of the one-mile 2,000 Guineas, the 1 ½-mile Epsom Derby
and the 1 ¾-mile (approximately) St. Leger Stakes, only three horses — Camelot
(2012), Sea the Stars (2009) and Nashwan (1989) — have even had a shot at the
coveted English Triple.
What’s
more, Nijinsky was the first English Triple Crown winner since the Aga Khan’s Bahram
in 1935. So, by English standards, capturing the American Triple Crown is like earning a participation ribbon at a grade school field day. Since 1935, there have been nine American Triple Crown champs.
Who said winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont was tough?
Who said winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont was tough?
The ‘Universal Bias’ Strikes Again
In
“Winning at the Races: Computer Discoveries in Thoroughbred Handicapping,” William
L. Quirin, called early speed the “universal track bias” and, despite the 1
½-mile distance and the vast expanse that is Belmont Park, statistics show that
Quirin’s observation holds true for the Belmont Stakes as well.
Since
2000, the average Belmont winner has been just 1.91 lengths back at the first
(1/2-mile) call and 1.36 lengths in arrears at the second (10-furlong) call.
Furthermore,
Belmont winners have entered the Test of Champions with an average overall
early speed ration (ESR) of -3. In fact, 9 of the past 14 Belmont champions
have met that standard and they have produced an ROI of 258 percent to win, 60
percent to place and 10 percent to show.
This year,
just two horses qualify:
* California Chrome (-4)
* California Chrome (-4)
* Samraat
(-3)
The Dope on Dosage
With all
the talk about California Chrome’s lack of distance breeding, I thought I would
consult with an expert.
Dr. Steven Roman runs the excellent Chef-de-Race Web site and is the creator of the Dosage Index (DI) so often referenced at this time of year.
Dr. Steven Roman runs the excellent Chef-de-Race Web site and is the creator of the Dosage Index (DI) so often referenced at this time of year.
Although
no horse with a DI greater than 3.00 has won the Belmont since Empire Maker (3.16)
in 2003, Dr. Roman believes that horses like California Chrome, who has a 3.40
Dosage Index, have become the norm rather than the exception.
“It is
interesting to note that in this year's Derby and Preakness, California
Chrome's DI falls essentially right on the respective trend lines,” Roman said.
“In other words, in terms of Dosage, he is almost ideally representative of
contemporary North American classic breeding.”
“The
patterns over time for all three Triple Crown events are similar, with the
Dosage figures of the winners steadily increasing over time since 1940, reflecting
the continuous shift toward speed in North American breeding,” Dr. Roman explained.
“I doubt
if there is a single horse these days bred specifically for the Belmont distance
(at least on dirt). The result is that suitability to the distance is more an
accident than intentional. Someday, a dozen sprinters may line up in the
Belmont starting gate and one of them will have to win — not a pretty picture,”
he concluded.
Graphic
courtesy of Dr. Steven Roman
5 comments:
I’m really amazed with your posting skills as well as with the layout on your blog site. We are top Mobile App Development.
Rice Bags Manufacturers
Pouch Manufacturers
wall putty bag manufacturers
fertilizer bag manufacturers
Lyrics with music
we have provide the best ppc service.
ppc company in gurgaon
website designing company in Gurgaon
PPC company in Noida
seo company in gurgaon
PPC company in Mumbai
PPC company in Chandigarh
we have provide the best fridge repair service.
fridge repair in faridabad
Videocon Fridge Repair in Faridabad
Whirlpool Fridge Repair in Faridabad
Hitachi Fridge Repair In Faridabad
Washing Machine Repair in Noida
godrej washing machine repair in noida
whirlpool Washing Machine Repair in Noida
IFB washing Machine Repair in Noida
LG Washing Machine Repair in Noida
iso certification in noida
iso certification in delhi
ce certification in delhi
iso 14001 certification in delhi
iso 22000 certification in delhi
ISO Consultant in Delhi
iso certification services in delhi
iso certification in faridabad
ISO 9001 Certification in Noida
website designing services
SEO Service Consultant
Post a Comment