Other Racing: Quarters, Harness, Jumps

[Le Beau Bai]

Could someone point me in the direction of good websites or books to learn about harness racing please?

I’ve started watching it more these days, thank you track livestreams, so I’d like to build my knowledge around from a fan perspective. Things like equipment, bloodlines and training practices.

I wish we had harness racing in the UK, there are some meetings but they are very far from me and it’s not at a professional level as such.

The USTA fan guide is a good place to start http://fanguide.ustrotting.com/
Pennsylvania's racing association has a very good page also https://pennhorseracing.com/learn-basic ... formation/

You'd be surprised at the level of harness racing in the UK and Ireland. The Vincent Delaney Memorial is a fairly big deal - it's being held at Wolverhampton this year https://vincentdelaneymemorial.com/ UK drivers come over for international amateur competitions. There have been a number of British-bred (suffix "GB" to their name) and Irish-bred (suffix "IR" to their name) Standardbreds imported to the US that have won races. Interestingly, the UK and Ireland seem to have more pinto/skewbald STBs, who are always popular when they show up on these shores.

Thank you, much appreciated! I was thinking about this the other day and I wonder if it isn’t as popular due to association with the travelling Gypsy community here? Appleby Horse Fair for example is what a lot of people think of when it comes to harness racing, even though a majority of horses who go through there are cobs not STBs. There’s a permanent Gypsy site set up near where I used to work, they are forever racing their STBs down the main (65mph!) road, three in a line whilst dodging commercial delivery trucks, it’s terrifying!

I will check out about the race at Wolverhampton, that’s just over two hours from me in the car, so definitely possible for a day trip!

[Le Beau Bai]

This is definitely going to be contender for Ride of the Year!!

Link to video - https://twitter.com/jamesstevens180/sta ... RGGQfkG60A

IMG_9512.jpeg

[Le Beau Bai]

Retired chaser Lostintranslation who was third in the Gold Cup on 2020, showing that he still has it! He retired in 2023 and here he is winning a hunt ride. For those who don’t know, hunt rides are informal races that anyone can enter regardless of the breed of horse, they are organised and run by local trail or drag hunts. It’s considered a great honour to win one!

https://youtu.be/G5sqsJiftco?si=cx9f4Vx7Mm2a6ORs

[Tessablue]

Retired chaser Lostintranslation who was third in the Gold Cup on 2020, showing that he still has it! He retired in 2023 and here he is winning a hunt ride. For those who don’t know, hunt rides are informal races that anyone can enter regardless of the breed of horse, they are organised and run by local trail or drag hunts. It’s considered a great honour to win one!

https://youtu.be/G5sqsJiftco?si=cx9f4Vx7Mm2a6ORs

Look at those ears! That's a horse who enjoys what he's doing. Love it.

[Miss Woodford]

Remember Southwind Amazon? He's back from his winter vacation, and got a gutsy victory 2nd time off the layoff at Northfield on Tuesday. 6 more wins to the verified all-time record for the 14yo.
https://harnesslink.com/usa/southwind-a ... is-sights/

Southwind Amazon by the numbers:
366 starts, a record of 131-62-52 and $1,496,360 earned
Number of different racetracks where he made pari-mutuel starts – 28
Number of different racetracks where he took wins – 20
Most number of wins at one racetrack – Northfield Park – 86
Number of different drivers that sat behind him – 63, including three different Millers and two Smiths, two Wrenns and two Zerons.
Number of different trainers – 7
Number of victories taken in 1:51.0 or faster – 45
Number of times claimed – 1, for $40,000 on 9/15/2015 at Mohawk Park

[stark]

Did Anthony Stabile land a regular announcers job at Meadowlands?

[stark]

Good guy, RIP.

https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/ ... age_67_123

[Starine]

Good guy, RIP.

https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/ ... age_67_123

I wish I could have heard some of his calls; they sound really entertaining.

[Miss Woodford]

Southwind Amazon got back into the Northfield winner's circle for win #132 tonight

[Northport]

Extremely talented and enigmatic hurdler turned chaser Shishkin has died after fracturing his hind leg. He was due to run this week in the Punchestown Gold Cup.

Nicky Henderson has had a brutal year.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Wow. That is shocking news.
When I looked at RacingPost this morning, a prominent article was all about Shiskin and the upcoming Punchestown Gold Cup. Now, it's this:
https://www.racingpost.com/news/britain ... bp4H768GA/

[HB1994]

I’m heartbroken over Shishkin. How many miles over how many obstacles has he run, and he breaks his leg in his stall. Just awful.

[tranquilo]

Disappointing news for Arabian racing - the UAE President Cup on Preakness day will not be run this year due to a lack of horses. It would have been the fifth straight year with an Arabian race on the Preakness card, and it would have been one of only two G1 races in the US this year. I’m worried about the future for Arabian racing

[Miss Woodford]

Disappointing news for Arabian racing - the UAE President Cup on Preakness day will not be run this year due to a lack of horses. It would have been the fifth straight year with an Arabian race on the Preakness card, and it would have been one of only two G1 races in the US this year. I’m worried about the future for Arabian racing

The end of Arabian racing at Delaware some years back was its death knell imo

[Curtis]

Disappointing news for Arabian racing - the UAE President Cup on Preakness day will not be run this year due to a lack of horses. It would have been the fifth straight year with an Arabian race on the Preakness card, and it would have been one of only two G1 races in the US this year. I’m worried about the future for Arabian racing

This is what I’ve never understood about Arabian racing. These horses were originally bred to run miles upon miles through the desert. So why are the vast majority of the races written for them 6-8.5f? They “run” 6f in roughly the same amount of time it takes a TB to run 7f. Shouldn’t the races be all at least 16f?

[stark]

Disappointing news for Arabian racing - the UAE President Cup on Preakness day will not be run this year due to a lack of horses. It would have been the fifth straight year with an Arabian race on the Preakness card, and it would have been one of only two G1 races in the US this year. I’m worried about the future for Arabian racing

This is what I’ve never understood about Arabian racing. These horses were originally bred to run miles upon miles through the desert. So why are the vast majority of the races written for them 6-8.5f? They “run” 6f in roughly the same amount of time it takes a TB to run 7f. Shouldn’t the races be all at least 16f?

And where is Joy Scott when I need to cash a bet?

[Diver52]

Disappointing news for Arabian racing - the UAE President Cup on Preakness day will not be run this year due to a lack of horses. It would have been the fifth straight year with an Arabian race on the Preakness card, and it would have been one of only two G1 races in the US this year. I’m worried about the future for Arabian racing

This is what I’ve never understood about Arabian racing. These horses were originally bred to run miles upon miles through the desert. So why are the vast majority of the races written for them 6-8.5f? They “run” 6f in roughly the same amount of time it takes a TB to run 7f. Shouldn’t the races be all at least 16f?

And where is Joy Scott when I need to cash a bet?

I hope she has recovered and gotten back on an even keel--I know there was a Gofundme request several years ago. And Cheryl Charlton and Vinnie Bednar--lots of bad luck for Los Al riders.

[Curtis]

This is what I’ve never understood about Arabian racing. These horses were originally bred to run miles upon miles through the desert. So why are the vast majority of the races written for them 6-8.5f? They “run” 6f in roughly the same amount of time it takes a TB to run 7f. Shouldn’t the races be all at least 16f?

And where is Joy Scott when I need to cash a bet?

I hope she has recovered and gotten back on an even keel--I know there was a Gofundme request several years ago. And Cheryl Charlton and Vinnie Bednar--lots of bad luck for Los Al riders.

I saw something about Joy Scott awhile back. Seemed like it was about her son going off to college. You know the jock that could really bring home those Arabs was Jerry Lambert. Shows, I guess, a good jock can ride most anything with four legs.

[Missbeholder]

And where is Joy Scott when I need to cash a bet?

I hope she has recovered and gotten back on an even keel--I know there was a Gofundme request several years ago. And Cheryl Charlton and Vinnie Bednar--lots of bad luck for Los Al riders.

I saw something about Joy Scott awhile back. Seemed like it was about her son going off to college. You know the jock that could really bring home those Arabs was Jerry Lambert. Shows, I guess, a good jock can ride most anything with four legs.

Gosh, I haven't thought about Joy Scott in a while now. I remember so well that horrible accident she suffered which ended her career. I don't remember now when it happened, but it was a lot of years ago. I remember that I stopped in the racing office at Santa Anita and contributed to a fund to help her that Santa Anita set up. That was obviously well before Go Fund Me!

[stark]

I hope she has recovered and gotten back on an even keel--I know there was a Gofundme request several years ago. And Cheryl Charlton and Vinnie Bednar--lots of bad luck for Los Al riders.

I saw something about Joy Scott awhile back. Seemed like it was about her son going off to college. You know the jock that could really bring home those Arabs was Jerry Lambert. Shows, I guess, a good jock can ride most anything with four legs.

Gosh, I haven't thought about Joy Scott in a while now. I remember so well that horrible accident she suffered which ended her career. I don't remember now when it happened, but it was a lot of years ago. I remember that I stopped in the racing office at Santa Anita and contributed to a fund to help her that Santa Anita set up. That was obviously well before Go Fund Me!

https://www.facebook.com/TheAJClub/post ... 536406075/