Pedigree, Speed and Stamina.
Pedigree and Potential
The facts about pedigree relate largely to stallions – the males.
Many of the best stallions can sire up to 100 horses in a lifetime.
Pedigree can suggest a lot about young horses in respect of their temperament, their preference for a particular going and distance, and their overall enthusiasm.
As always with racing, breeding is an inexact science.
The quality of the race determines how relevant pedigree becomes. With higher quality racing the results are more intrinsically linked with the pedigree of a horse.
As with anything as random as genetics, it is not possible to say 100% which traits will be inherited from the sire or which from the dam. Or indeed whether anything will be inherited at all.
The study of pedigree however is being moved on by science with geneticists now able to examine a thoroughbreds genetic profile and actually determine which genes have been inherited from dam or sire.
Whatever the ins and outs it is absolutely 100% definite that racing talent is inheritable.
Can a system be devised that will profit from pedigree study and knowledge?
Very few racing systems are infallible so the answer is probably not however pedigree is definitely a factor that can be used to spot young potential winners ahead of the crowd.
Average winning distance – stamina
The RacingPost publishes average winning distances for the offspring of sires. It is known as the stamina index and is used for 2 and 3 year old maidens. It can be found in the form section.
Initially there is no way of telling whether a horse has inherited its stamina from the sire or the dam. But by examining the average winning distance for all horses by 1 particular sire we can say whether a horse is average for that particular sire, or below average.
Advanced stamina index – dosage system
The dosage system reduces possible influences in pedigree from all sires to a select few known as “Chefs de Race”.
The sires are categorized based on the type of runners they produce.
The categories are:
- Brilliant.
- Intermediate.
- Classic.
- Solid.
- Professional.
These categories cover the full gradient of racing in terms of speed vs. stamina. i.e. from sprints to 3 mile chases.
The pedigree experts have analyzed and selected the sires which have had the greatest influence over a long period of time.
The dosage calculations are separated into 3 categories – dosage profile, dosage index, and center of distribution.
To calculate the dosage profile the previous 4 generations of sires are examined and if they contain a Chef de Race then points are awarded depending on which subsequent generation the horse is in.
The dosage index and center of distribution are another calculation of speed and stamina, with higher numbers indicating more speed and lower numbers indicating more stamina.
You can investigate dosage information online:
Steven Roman of chef-de-race.com is recognized as a true pioneer in collecting and analyzing dosage data.
Obviously the sire statistics change over time and you will need to review them season by season.
Early maturity and intelligence
Another inherited genetic quality is early maturity and intelligence in young horses from particular sires.
A horse displaying these qualities will often be trained with a view to competing in early 2 year old sprints, often with winning results.
Horses from late maturing sires will often be trained more intensively in their 3rd year.
Northern Dancer line sires
In Europe the main lines from Northern Dancer include Sadler’s Wells, Danzig, Nijinsky, Nureyev.
There are so many and they are so influential that they deserve mention in any literature about pedigree.
The Derby
The Derby is the perfect race to apply pedigree analysis and the dosage index.
The Derby field is made entirely of class horses facing Group 1 competition over a mile and a half for the first time.
Stamina and speed are both important in winning the Derby meaning high points are required in both brilliant and intermediate categories in the dosage profile.
In the final part of this series we look at the benefits of paddock watching and how to visually examine a racehorse to spot a potential winner in advance of the media and the crowds.
Bet Fair and Bet Well.
Related posts:
13 Dec
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
Jez, looks a war zone! Did they all survive that carnage?
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
Wow! Thats so bad
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
I worked for RIR at that time were driving by right at that point when the wreck happend . We Stopped for crowed control and we actually had to go over the fence and chase down 3 souvenir seekers that were trying to get at peices of the cars these guy’s almost made it to the asphalt when we caught up to them . The race was under yellow but the track was still hot .The guy I grabbed acted all put out I just wanted to smack him upside the head fo putting his ass and mine in a dangerous spot.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
He also drove for Bob Tullius’s Jaguar team in ‘84 IIRC…
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
I was right by that when it happened, I was riding in my buddy’s car going under the tunnel,( I think the gold car) I was trying to pull my Nikon out of my bag but missed any shots.
I miss old Riverside raceway I had lots of great times there,saw allot of the cool IMSA, Nascar and Score races, camping out in the infield.
I suppose it is why I love road course.
The raceway should have been preserved for historical reasons.
thanks for posting this :O)
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
yeah man, its insane, the way they just, fell apart!
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
Jesus you have to have some serious balls to drive one of those at that track. and the cars disintegrated like they were assembled from cardboard : .
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
Yes, Riverside International Raceway was in the high dessert outside of Los Angeles. Google – Riverside International Raceway.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
lol this track was a dessert or what?
look at the tarmac lol i loved that competitions where they raced any track… miss it
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
Funny thing Doc Bundy was driving that Probe the year before this. Before he switched to the Hendrick Corvette
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
they had balls of big steel for making 3 wide like that
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
Riverside is missed by me. An entertaining track. Much like Carlsbad Raceway. Great memories. I was sad to see them go. Still am.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
very good video- big crash 5/5
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
I really think you have to admire drivers such as these. That was a HUGE crash and at about 0:57 it looks like they barely noticed. Thats hardcore.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
yes the track, it was unsafe. But had it survived and not been turned into unneeded malls and houses, I bet it would have been upgraded by today’s safety standards.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
I know Doc Bundy personally and he is a great guy. You think that of him just because he caused this wreck? Nobody causes a wreck like that and risks somones life on purpose. It was an accident and that is why they call them accidents.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
doc bundy is such a dick… he really is an idiot
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
wolves16-This crash was caused by bundy, not the track. I saw many exciting races here.
Deano- I was there and took photos of the accident- go to pbase . com and search for
imsa gtp 1986
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
Nothing good ever happened at Riverside.
It ate up many cars.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
The book is Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
oh gosh that sounds familiar, i probably read it in like, elementary school, and can't remember the name. King of the Wind maybe? or..one of the many Black Stallion books? i dunno this is gonna drive me nuts it sounds so familiar
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
I reported the first answerer.
Sorry though, I do not know, I just hate racists.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
Zemusobronu or Kroidusili
the emphasis on the start of each name with the Z and the K is powerful
Also they sound sort of evil, they have a lot of harsh sounds in the names, which makes them sound fairly good for bad guys
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
Hitler said it in "Mein Kampf"
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
There were several matches but I think that in the end the Flash won. Of course he must've. Barry Allen ran faster than death and came back from the Speed Force over 20 years later!
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
HANDICAPPING THE INSIDERS WAY/ THE J.O.T. SYSTEM.
By D.B. Venturo Bart Publishing Co. 891 Taylor Rise Victor, NY. 14564.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
1. Yes. He is a Moor and Desdemona was Milky. There are always interracial hatreds and hardships and if Othello were dark from birth, He knew well the ugliness of the Demons that possessed him to go mad and kill his love.
2. Maybe, Who can really say?
3. Iago is a creep and a loner, That is different.
6:35 am on October 8th, 2009
I checked at several sources and I couldn't come up with anything close to what you're looking for. I did find a children's book entitled "Follow My Finger Underground" but I don't think that's the one you're looking for. As your question's about to expire and no one's come up with anything I would suggest that you try the following website: http://whatsthatbooks.com
It's a book search site. You give them all the details that you have on the book you're looking for, like character names, plot details, and they'll do their best to find the title for you. It's a free service to use but you do have to register with an email address. Good luck to you!