TurfPedia™ - The Horse Racing Encyclopedia

PADDOCK AND POST-PARADE INSPECTIONS

No aspect of evaluating thoroughbreds eludes the typical practitioner's comprehension as thoroughly as inspecting horses' body language. A small minority of handicappers qualify as astutely primed on the topic, and the rest remain swamped in ignorance, frustration, and contradiction.

First, washiness alone, however severe, does not defeat horses, and washiness and fractiousness in combination will sometimes end in victory regardless.

Negative body language has its opposite number, of course, and many contemporary handicappers prefer to bet on sharp-looking horses, for that reason alone, at landslide prices. It's an instinct I unhesitatingly reinforce, as sharp horses customarily deliver sharp performances. Sharp horses will consistently outrun high odds, and some of them win at boxcars.

If horses do not shape up as contenders on the homework, but can be seen prancing on their toes, neck arched, coat dappled, muscles pronounced, ears pricked, handicappers can conclude the horses will be ready to run as best they can. If sharp horses stride out strongly to begin the pre-race gallops, the readiness has turned to eagerness. Whenever the odds are extraordinarily generous, handicappers might indulge them, especially in lower-class claiming races.

Sharp horses should not be bet for that reason alone, however, at moderate to low odds, notably in nonclaiming races. The horses do not win frequently enough to generate profits.

Naturally, when strong contenders on fundamental handicapping look sharp on the track as well, bet-size can be increased.

And mild washiness, or slight fractiousness, should not be a deterrent for supporting strong contenders. As often as not, the mild sweat, and nervous energy, are part of a positive profile of eager anticipation.

HERE ARE ADDITIONAL PRACTICAL GUIDELINES
ON THE POST-PARADE INSPECTION:

1. Back wraps are acceptable, but front bandages are not, unless the horse has won with fronts in the past.
Long front bandages for the first time are particularly negative signs on juveniles. three-year-olds, maidens, and stake horses.
2. In the slop, or mud, beware of horses showing short, high, or choppy strides during the post-parade and pre-race warm-ups.
Prefer a fully extended, fluid gallop in the mud, similar to gallops on dry ground. Gait and stride should appear secure. Horses tentative, uncomfortable, or uncertain, during gallops or warm-ups, are less likely to run straight and aggressively throughout a mud race.
3. If horses leave the post parade under the jockey's control, it's a positive sign, but inconclusive.
If body language is positive, leaving the post parade early suggests the horses are full of themselves and eager to compete.
If body language is negative, the rider is probably
trying to settle the horse, or work out the kinks.
4. Dull coats, drooping heads, and listless strides are not reliable bases for eliminating contenders during the post-parade inspection.
When the gates spring open, numerous dull horses suddenly respond as if charged at a gas station. They run their race absolutely, and if good enough to win, they do.

Broadly speaking, body language will be more meaningful as a fundamental in handicapping at minor tracks, where horses in far greater number are seriously unsound and sore. There, a paddock inspection is fully warranted, and post-parade inspections can be sufficiently crucial that recreational handicappers in possession of the observational skills that apply will enjoy a definite advantage.

At major tracks, in the main, the kind of cursory post-parade inspection promoted here will suffice. If contenders look washy and fractious, and the odds are low, prefer other contenders. If horses look sharp, and the race is otherwise indecipherable, the odds extremely generous, take a chance on readiness.

Recreational handicappers can cope with body language on those spare terms and do all right.