Just wondered!!

[gtapp]

#1 When we talk the form, in our corner, the talk is "I can't bet that horse Harris or Charlie Wyers is on that one and "he's a terrible driver'

Response "he's not a bad driver he just doesn't get the good drives"

Reply "He doesn't get the good rides because he is a terrible driver"

Is that a good assumption???


#2 When there is a big race or a driver is in the area from another track some seem to get a number of rides on the program but some only come in for the main big race only.

Do they drivers that get multiple rides get them because of their name? Are the ones That don't content with just riding the main
race?

I was told that a lot of the drivers have agents that solicit the rides for them. If that is the case how many drivers have agents?

Pretty naive for an old guy aren't I.

[scojer]

I take back everything i said about Wyatt yesterday...Oh yeah, i never mentioned his name..

[thegiss]

Very few drivers have agents, unlike jockeys where it is the norm.

Dave Palone has no interest in catch drives when he comes to Northfield. If he is brought in by, say the Burkes, he may drive others for them but will not drive in the overnights.

Most of the others look at it as found money- they might as well drive while they are here.

Mark MacDonald and Jody Jamieson have both told me (paraphrasing) that they just like to win- they are very competitive.

[gtapp]

Thanks Giss I feel better informed. What is your opinion on my other question. Are the bad (hate to use that word) drivers not successful because they can't get the good rides or can't they get the good rides because they are bad drivers?

Another question. I notice a few times lately that a horse will break well before the starting gate, with no chance whatever to compete, but they let the race go on. No recall. Usually it is a long shot. Wonder if they would call a recall if it was a favorite? Is there a rule that covers when the starter can declare a recall or is that strictly a judgment call?

Always appreciated your insight.

[thegiss]

Sept 27, 2011 9:18:53 GMT -5 gtapp said:

Thanks Giss I feel better informed. What is your opinion on my other question. Are the bad (hate to use that word) drivers not successful because they can't get the good rides or can't they get the good rides because they are bad drivers?

Another question. I notice a few times lately that a horse will break well before the starting gate, with no chance whatever to compete, but they let the race go on. No recall. Usually it is a long shot. Wonder if they would call a recall if it was a favorite? Is there a rule that covers when the starter can declare a recall or is that strictly a judgment call?

Always appreciated your insight.

gtapp- which came first? The chicken or the egg? ;D Frank and Charlie are not "bad," imo, they are simply not as good as others. But they are probably in the top 1% of the overall population. So we nned to look at what we are competing against. A Double A baseball player is pretty d**n good. But he is not as good as Alex Rodriguez. They do generally drive inferior animals and both to tend to win when favored. But for me the most telling number is ROI. If these guys win so rarely, their odds should be longer more often and both have -60% ROIs. Beau Blevins, of whom I am not a fan, is +23%. (You would expect a -20% based on takeout as being average- Merriman, Stahl, Charlino are all slightly higher than this)
(And I now have a topic for next month's Harness Eye Column. Thanks.

As to breakers, there are no recalls for breaking horses, regardless of where on the track, in Ohio unless there is broken equipment or interference. The rule was changed with the advent of simulcasting here to keep from multiple recalls.
Hope that vagueness helps.