Handicapping And The Horse That Carried The World On His Back
Friday, June 6th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you think handicapping means mauling that prick who stole your parking slot yesterday, then you are obviously new to the horse racing system. With horse racing as with any other sport and game, handicapping means providing advantage to equalize the odds of winning. At its most simplistic, it means putting a more seasoned player at a disadvantage to make it possible for a less experienced player to participate, perhaps even win - and all while maintaining fair play and credible horse racing results.
Impeded by an Impost
One handicapper in horse racing is the impost. No, it is not a cudgel you use to knock the strongest horse up. Rather, it is the weight that a horse must carry during the race. Horses carry lead weights for handicap. A racing secretary assigns these riding weights based on certain considerations, such as performance and track distance. Jockeys utilize lead pads - or saddle pads with pockets - to hold the lead weights. To guarantee that no horse is unfairly burdened, the racing secretary considers the jockey’s weight in giving a horse its assigned impost.
On Fool Throttle
Here’s a little known horse racing tip. In general, three pounds of extra weight translate to a length in a mile-long race. It is perhaps this handicapping equation that prompted Tom Fool’s trainer to compare the horse to Atlas. Like Atlas, Tom Fool is constantly being made to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. In the Metropolitan Handicap, he carried a shocking 130 pounds - all 108 pounds of his jockey and 22 pounds of lead and equipment. In the Suburban Handicap, he shouldered 128 pounds. In the Carter Handicap, the load was jacked up to 135 pounds. In all three races, he gave away advantages ranging from 20 to 40 pounds. This figure is nothing short of astounding; it means Tom Fool’s competitors had between six to 13 miles on him!
A Legend on Four Legs
What makes Tom Fool’s wins even more amazing is that as a three-year-old, he had been very weak. In fact, he never got around to running in the Kentucky Derby because he was constantly sick. He broke many fans’ hearts when he finished second in the Wood Memorial Stakes. It was discovered, later on, however, that the horse had raced even with high fever - a fever which eventually caused him to stop racing for more than two months.
As a legend, Tom Fool demonstrates what many handicapped people have always known to be gospel: a handicap is a drawback only to the extent that you let it. Ultimately, there is nothing stronger or heavier than the will of a champion - not a jockey’s pounds nor added riding weights.
Technorati Tags: No Tags
Related Tags: No Tags
Possible Related Posts
