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HANDICAPPING FEATURE JULY 12, 2007 At the Starting Gate by Steve Zacks Many races are won or lost exiting the starting gate. More unforeseen and unpredictable things happen there than at any other stage of the race. The ground gives way, one horse stumbles, another lugs in or out and bumps one or two, one goes to its knees and so on. The horseplayer has no real protection other than to be aware of the habitually bad gate horses and to be wary of any horse that broke badly in his last start. Without a plausible reason for the latter in the charts or replays, one should be distrustful of that horse. If the uncharacteristic poor start was followed by an unexpectedly lackluster performance, the player would be well advised to demand a reason(s) to expect a reversal of form today. It could signal that something is amiss with the horse and a passive stance is probably wise. Horses and horseplayers alike must confront the starting gate every day at the races. While the starting gate, "that big iron monster with the bell," is not a part of a horse's normal environment, it is something that most horses learn to accept. The earlier in life a horse is exposed to this metal contraption the more accepting he becomes. The more patient and pleasant his early exposure and experiences are the better his later history is likely to be. Some horses hate the gate and always will; they are always nervous around it and never really get used to it. Surprisingly, many of those are in a hurry to get out of there when the gate opens. Thoroughbreds are born to run and while their competitive instinct varies, most young, sound horses love the opportunity to go galloping at full speed. If they know that they get to do just that when they leave the gate, they may find it a happy experience that they look forward to. If you tour horse farms and training centers, you may see a variety of starting gates or starting stalls. We have seen young horses grazing and even eating grain in the vicinity to teach them that it is a part of their life and not their enemy. As a horseplayer, you often find that you win or lose many races in the first 10 jumps from the gate. The player has the luxury of taking notes and avoiding those horses that start poorly and even races when notorious bad actors that hold up the races and disturb the rest of the field are entered. If you are a trip handicapper, you want to pay particular attention not only to how the horse breaks but to what approach the rider takes as soon as the horse settles into stride. If it is a young and inexperienced horse, the race may merely be a training experience for later on. If you are a physical-appearance handicapper, the first test of your skills is often the starting gate; "sore" horses generally do not break as quickly or as cleanly as sound and ready runners. The stress of the effort required to break sharply proves too much. Many of the habitual bad breakers -- they are generally poor wagering propositions -- are not bad gate horses but are signaling racing infirmities, particularly if the poor starts are a recent occurrence. Horses that load quickly and easily without a fuss, stand quietly and then break well are what you want in a good bet. These gate professionals -- waiting to load, entering, standing and exiting -- give the player the best chance. Horses may be smarter than many people think, and do learn to look after themselves. One bad start might be an isolated and unpredictable event caused by some external factor. Two in succession should send up a red flag, especially if there are any signs of concomitant deteriorating form. A good start is especially important in shorter races and if playing at a track where the prevailing or short-term bias requires a horse to put himself into the race early. There are those prized runners that have, what Bruno De Julio describes as a "power step." They explode from the gate, quickly separating themselves from the rest. They avoid all the bumping and steadying that occurs at the start of every race. Normally these types are fit and ready runners that are at the top of their game. If you spot a runner doing this, it might be a good idea to start a list of hot starters! Two events occur regularly enough at the start of races. One is beyond control, the other is without control, but should be! The "stumbled at the start" comment appears frequently in racing charts; there is very little that can be done about it. In our opinion, it is often overrated by the racing public and press. The "break through the gate" also happens regularly enough; this event is vastly understated and underappreciated in our opinion. Horses rarely win after breaking through the gate. Something can and should be done to protect first the horse and rider and then the betting public! We studied charts and learned that fit and ready horses running in races in which they belonged, in terms of class, distance and surface, overcame all kinds of troubles at the gate and trip problems during the running of the actual race. The right horse in the right race did not and does not need the perfect trip to win. The other side is the well-meant horse that encountered trouble and did not win at good odds; all too often they do not repeat that hard effort in the next outing, usually at a shorter price, when carrying the weight of all the trip handicappers who spotted the trouble. Perhaps the strong effort after the stumble took a lot out of the horse in question. In the recent Triple Crown events, much was made of the stumbles of Curlin (Smart Strike) in the Preakness (G1) and Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) in the Belmont S. (G1). Stumbles and mumbles from the gate occur tens or even hundreds of times daily. "CURLIN stumbled a bit at the start…" is how the chart of his Preakness begins. Note that the start line (found just after the actual chart lines of the runners and before the race fractional times) made no mention of his start. It simply says, "Off At 6:18 Start Good. Won Driving. Track Fast." "RAGS TO RICHES stumbled at the start…" is the how the chart of the Belmont begins. In this instance the start line read: "Off At 6:29 Start Good for all but Rags to Riches Won Driving. Track Fast." According to the chart caller, this miscue was more significant. Three races before the Belmont, Teuflesberg (Johannesburg) earned the following comments: "TEUFLESBERG stumbled badly at the start…" Off at 4:26 Start Good for all but TEUFLESBERG Won Driving. Track Fast. Again the chart caller made mention of the gate error, giving it greater significance. Learn how the chart caller on your circuits handles such situations; maybe you need only look at the header for significant start troubles or maybe you have to read the notes in detail. Not much can be done by or for the player when a horse stumbles. The goddess of racing determines which horses will stumble. Sometimes you get lucky and the speedball (Teuflesberg) takes a new approach to the race and wins; sometimes you don't and it costs your horse the race. The hard, good race following the stumble may have taken a maximum effort and the horse may not be ready to replicate or improve off the effort unless given lots of time and preparation. If the race is followed by a lengthy absence the horse may have hurt himself in the process. Do not get angry with the rider who handles your horse with care after a bad gate event or stumble. After all he might be trying to protect the horse. After a stumble, you need not give up hope immediately. The longer the race, the better the chance is for recovery. For subsequent events, you can make individual judgments based on each horse, the circumstances of the stumble, the race the horse ran thereafter, and what the situation looks like today. The pre-race break through the gate is beyond your control as a horseplayer, but it is something that racing and its ruling authorities can do something about. Any horse that breaks through the gate should be scratched! No one can tell immediately just what happened to the horse. Many muscle or bone injuries take time to show up! After all the horse did something forceful to open the gate. Following the 2006 Preakness, we conducted an unscientific survey counting the races we saw. We put an "X" on a chart every time a horse broke through the gate and was allowed to start. We put a "W" beside every horse that won the race thereafter. The chart shows almost 150 Xs and only two Ws. Recently, we saw two horses break through; both went to the ground, one under the hold of the assistant starter. Both were walked back around behind the gate, inspected by the track vet, and allowed to start. One of the jockeys was limping noticeably when he walked over to remount. Each was running at an "A" track meeting. Neither won. A truly scientific survey would provide a truer picture of reality. It goes without saying that the horseplayer -- and many of us hardened horseplayers really do care about the horses and jockeys too -- is the one who is taking a pounding. Gate breakthroughs simply do not win races. If these horses do not win their fair share of races, they too are telling somebody something! It is time for the right people -- track owners, commission vets and stewards -- to listen! The horse and the bleeding player are saying: "SCRATCH!" An informal canvass of professional horseplayers and horsemen produced a unanimous consensus in favor of a scratch. While there are obvious pari-mutuel complications with late scratches in the serial wagers, the scratch of a horse with a less than 5 percent chance of winning is a step in the right direction, for the horse and the horseplayer. Most of these horses underperform their odds following such events. Enough said. It is time for some action.
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