JC / Railbird

Handicapping

Blinkers On

Mike Watchmaker, post-Derby (DRF+ sub req):

Finally, nothing I saw in this Derby made me want to change my mind that horses who have raced exclusively on synthetic tracks aren’t at a disadvantage when they race on dirt for the first time in the Derby.

This is being close-minded to the point of ridiculousness. Only one horse started in this year’s Kentucky Derby having raced exclusively over synthetic surfaces — Sidney’s Candy — and his 17th place finish had everything to do with pace, post position, and preferred running style.

Posted in Racing on May 4, 2010 / Tagged Fixed Thinking, Handicapping, Kentucky Derby, Persistent Beliefs, Synthetic Surfaces

Hello!

Congratulations to Dana and Adam on the launch of Hello Race Fans, a new kind of fan education site for racing. I’m a contributor, but even if I weren’t, I’d recommend checking out the Letter to a New Horseplayer collection (featuring several top turf writers and bloggers) or the first edition of the HRF Index.

Posted in Miscellany on March 30, 2010 / Tagged Fan Education, Fan Initiatives, Friends, Handicapping, Hello Race Fans