Not long ago, I made a list of the 10 most memorable races I’d seen.When I was done, I realized that all but one of them were heat races. The one exception was the March of Dimes Trot, contested almost 20 years ago, pitting the best trotters on both sides of the Atlantic against each other.
I don’t recall all the races on my list, but I’m quite sure that Most Happy Fella’s slugfest win over Columbia George in the ’70 Jug was one of them, and I am equally sure that Nansemond’s upset of Albatross in the Jug the following year was another one.
It’s unlikely that racing fans of today will find have many heat races when they make up their own lists of memorable races. Heat races have gone the way of the hub rail and the high-wheel sulky.
Some people will say that’s good; others will say that’s bad. It doesn’t really matter because it was inevitable and irreversible.
In the early years of the breed, horses capable of competing successfully on the trot or pace weren’t very plentiful. Maybe only a dozen would show up to race at a fair. You could still put on a full afternoon of racing if you split them into two groups and each one raced until one horse had won three heats. The afternoon would feature at least six heats and usually far more.
In fact, I remember one old black groom I knew well who told me, “We’d race all day until the sun went down, and then start all over the next day.”
A harness race wasn’t done after one heat any more than a baseball game was done after one inning.
The pioneer horses in the breed were often best when “thawed out” with a couple heats of racing. Volomite was one of the greatest sires of the 20th century, but an old-timer told me that you had to train some of them all day long to make progress.
“Those Volomites didn’t even pay attention until you’d trained ‘em about four heats,” he said.
Just a few weeks ago, a trainer told me that he took a 2-year-old back for a third training mile because the colt had so much mischief and play in him that he didn’t learn anything in his first two heats.
Overall, however, the breed has changed dramatically. They are faster and more natural, but not nearly as tough as their ancestors. They’re not bred to race heats and they’re not trained to go heats. And race sponsors have changed their conditions so that they don’t have to go heats.
But have we lost something special and something unique about our breed in the process? We’ve lost those epic multiple-heat struggles, but this year’s Meadowlands Pace proved that one dash can be dramatic if it has all the elements.
The Little Brown Jug is coming up soon and it’s one of the few races that has clung to the traditions of the sport. It’s a heat race on a Thursday afternoon. To drink from the Jug, a horse has to win two heats, and he might have to race three heats to get that done.
It’s that prospect of three heats in the Jug on the eve of the Lexington meet that has, I believe, caused Brent MacGrath to eye the event warily and think of skipping it for a chance to make history at Lexington.
Speaking of Lexington, a few years ago it was announced that the venerable Kentucky Futurity would be altered to a one-dash affair with eliminations contested a week in advance. That idea died aborning, however, and the Futurity, like the Jug, still embodies the traditions of the sport.
I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on the role of heat racing in the 21st century.
no one mentioned that
no one mentioned that horses cant get ''preraced '' between heats!!! i thnk alot of ''modern'' trainers oppose heat racing for that reason. i believe a properly trained standard bred , given blow out time between heats, can race well w/o harm.of course television , doesnt want to wait 45 minutes to show the 2nd heat... so we kowtow to the media, hopeful of more[ some] coverage/ jk
In response to Bob Belore -
In response to Bob Belore - Yes harness racing was once a major sport. That was in an era before the "disposable horse" of today. The fans had a favorite to cheer on. Heat racing with today's horse is the quintessential expression of "we don't care about the horse, it's all about the money". Yes Bob, keep those quaint traditions alive, heat racing, excessive use of the whip, a half blind eye to cheating, - its doing wonders for the popularity of harness racing.
If every major sports team fielded a whole new set of players every year, does anyone think fan support would continue for those teams or that sport? Of course not. Fans want to cheer for someone, or some horse, that they have a preferential attachment to. Something in which they have an emotional investment. This sport has become very poor at doing that. It's a parade of newcomers, with which fans are unfamiliar and unattached. Heat racing is the ultimate expression of that disregard for constructing a viable entertainment option.
When harness racing was the
When harness racing was the number one spectator sport in North America, heat racing was the norm. Enough said!
I note that responses from
I note that responses from trainers and those familiar with equine physiology are generally against heat racing. As a trainer with twenty three years of experience I'm firmly against heat racing. Heat racing originated when the Standardbred was a very different animal. 2:10 was a quick mile in the halcyon days of heat racing. Today's Standardbred is much more of a sprinting machine. The speeds today inflict much more damage on the various systems of the horse. Those who cite interval training or training double headers as being analogous to heat racing have never trained or driven a horse in a race. There is no comparison. Even triple 1 mile interval heats with the last being near race speed are not as difficult as heat racing. In training you always have the option to stop or back off if you feel the horse is struggling with the workout. In a race one will seldom back off. With the amount of money on the line for major stakes races, and today's speeds, heat racing is a recipe for major injury and breakdown of horses, - it should be banned.
I like the way the
I like the way the Confederation Cup does their race. Elimination and then a "Final". This takes the possibility of a 3rd heat away. The only thing the Cup needs to do is change the way the "Final" is drawn. Either the elimination winners pick their post possition or like the Jug does. The elimination winners draw for 1,2,3 and the second place draws for 4,5,6 etc.
My selection for greatest
My selection for greatest pacers of all time were Cam Fella, for sheer toughness, and the fact he wouldn't be beat; and Niatross, who can forget his time trial at Lexington, finishing strong, head up. Both raced almost every week, and when the occasion called for it two heats. We now have a finer bred horse, faster tracks with no hub rails, better bikes, and modern veterinary science, equaling a faster, better horse. Yesterday's horses, like today's horses, put out all they had to give, be it one, two, or three heats. Let's keep some tradition in the game.
Somebeachsomewhere impressed me as a great horse, possibly the greatest up to the Meadowlands Pace. He certainly wasn't disgraced, but when Art Official took it to him, he showed his mortality. I found no fault with his driver, he did what he had to do. On that day, Art Official was the better horse. Now, by supplementing to the Little Brown Jug, he has thrown down the gauntlet to SBSW. If Art Official can claim victory in the Meadowlands Pace, Cane, and LBJ, he certainly would hold a Royal Flush to be 3 Year Old Pacer of the Year. The connections of SBSW have a decision to make .. The Little Brown Jug is like the Kentucky Derby, our biggest show .. we know your horse is fast, but is he a race horse? Come show us!
Nothing is as exciting as
Nothing is as exciting as heat racing and I think the Hambo lost a lot when it became just another dash for the cash. That being said, I recognize the bred has changed and I would modify the conditions of the races so you would never have to go more than two dashes; the best in summary would be the winner.
To make it more meaningful, I would eliminate the eliminations and do what Chester Downs did with races like the Battle of the Brandywine; the top eight (ten) horses with the most earnings during the year race in the primary race; the second group race in a consolation for less money and if enough horses, the next group would race in another consolation. This way, all those that paid their nominating and substaining payments would get a chance to go for good money, but we will eliminate those eliminations where people race just to get into the final.
I believe that heat racing
I believe that heat racing is what makes harness racing it's own unique style of horse racing breed and creates a healthier breed too. I'm aware that single race events are the norm and with the high numbers of horses available it makes sense, but I think that more premier races should bring back heat races. The Jug and the Hambeltonian were great litmus tests for greatness, for both speed and stamina. I remember Yankee Bambino winning the Hambeltonian in heats. Didn't he end up adding a great deal of potency into the harness pedigrees and his times in that race weren't all that impressive. How about Most Happy Fella in those great heat races in the Jug against Columbia George? Both of those sires also successfully added their bloodline potency into the breed. Heat racing offers another dimension for trainer/race strategy, it ensures the breeds overall speed and stamina development and makes it a a very unique racing product. If a trainer opts out of entering a healthy, high profile racehorse from of a big heat race it's their choice but it's also somewhat revealing too. Heat racing is where it all began. It's never a healthy thing to lose sight of your roots.
I like that in heats all the
I like that in heats all the horses are trying to win and not trying to do just enough to get into the final. Elimination races should be non-wagering.
i interval train my horses
i interval train my horses 3X 1 mile, 4x 3/4, and 6x1/2 i have tried conventional training and i believe multiple mile training is the best way for me to get my horse to perform at the top of their game and after training multiple trips a horse is ready to race multiple trips in a day also. A horse will adapt to the work they are trained for and really i would like to see a race in every province that is a heat race. heat racing may not be for every trainer or every horse but it separates sheep from goats.
I attended the heats S.
I attended the heats S. Waddell refers to in the second post above, and agree it was a thrilling experience to witness the double dashes by these 3 yr old fillies. Although, the LBJ just doesn't sit well with me. That is probably due to the prospect of having these 3 yr olds go three heats! Todays standardbreds are not the same "breed" they were 25, 50, or 100 years ago. They are now built for speed and most are not trained for heat racing. The organizers of the LBJ should revamp their rules and conditions, and work it so that 2 heats would result in a definate winner. I too applaude the connections of Somebeach Somewhere! This horse is special and should not be subjected to a possible third heat on a hot afternoon in Delaware, especially since it would take days to recover and they have the horse pointed at the Bluegrass Stakes in the near future.
Heat racing is most
Heat racing is most exciting!!!
Heat racing is maybe not for all but for the fans its usually quite fun especially on a small track. If one of your favorite horses doesn't quite get the trip he needed he gets another chance to prove himself in a second heat. Personally my father and I and all our friends have been racing heats for over 35 years. No horse has ever collapsed or not raced a good long career because of it. if a horse gets the proper care it will usually be quite fine. I understand people who do not like to put their horses in heat racing but I would not understand if they tried to ban it. All the fans at the big tracks that I speak to enjoy heat racing. Especially when it includes the best horses.
Our track had the
Our track had the opportunity to host the three-year-old filly stake the Maritimer this past week. It's an event where the fillies are asked to race twice in one afternoon to crown the overall champion.
I love the concept of two-race heat racing. I love the aura as well of the LBJ but, I don't like the thought of horses having to go three-heats in one day.
Net chat boards have been filled with criticism over the owner decision of the " Beach " not to race the LBJ. Even though I would love to see where he gets an opportunity to capture yet another victory ( would likely have been two ), I respect the owners decisions.
There is still a place for heat racing. Those who don't wish to subject their horses to such an event, well, that's their choice and their right.
Trainer use "double headers"
Trainer use "double headers" all the time when prepping horses. Many also use interval training. To horses of Jug Caliber, the double heat is not a big deal. You wouldn't want to do it every week, but I think it is fine for the horse. Anyone who has trained double headers will tell you that most horses actually perform better the second heat. As for the poster above who believes that recovery takes days not hours, I believe that heats being raced an hour or so apart are better for the horse than racing a day apart. The muscles are warmed up and the system is still in race mode. Racing the next day or several hours after racing, the horse is in repair and cool down mode and that would be detrimental to his health. To wit, you'll often see trainers warm up their horses within seconds of the anticipated race time 1 hour prior to post.
I, for one, am happy to hear
I, for one, am happy to hear that heat racing is on the way out. While studying Equine Exercise Physiology with Dr. Mike Lindinger (University of Guelph, Equine Science Certificate Program), I learned a great deal about the workings of the horse. After doing heavy work such as racing, the horse needs at least two days off for the muscles to repair themselves. In heat racing, the second and possible third race is taxing the horse's system to the extreme to the point where irreversible damage could be done. I don't even see race horses being cooled down or warmed up properly so the horse is at risk for more tissue damage. Recovery time after exercise of this nature is days, not hours.
I just went double heats at
I just went double heats at a local fair and although the heats were SLIGHTLY slower than typical jug heats, there was an excitement of anticipation KNOWING that we were coming back onto the track for another dash on the same afternoon. It WAS thrilling somehow adding another dimension to the experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it !
I think that heat racing is
I think that heat racing is great. The best race I remeber is the Elitlop when Billyjojimbob did us proud!!!
the jug is my favorite race
the jug is my favorite race of the year, have missed one in last 37,have seen some great raceoffs, feel mcgrath is
letting many of the horses fans down. al mcgee
In reply to the jug is my favorite race by Anonymous (not verified)
As past trainer , heat
As past trainer , heat racing would never be for me or my horses. I might change my mind if it was heat racing on a mile track but daytime heat racing in warm weather on a half mile track is not something I would inflict on my horse. Especially if that horse was as big and strong as SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE. All too often the health and welfare of the horse is secondary. Hats off to Brent McGrath for taking a stand in what he feels is in the best interest of his great horse. I think the JUG is the toughest test in Standardbred racing. Today's 3 yr olds can leave out in ;26 and change and as Brent's colt proved, they can beat 1:50 on a half mile track. You don't have to make a mistake to get in a serious accident in those tight turns, you just have to be unlucky enough to be behind someone who does make a mistake tying to overcome a bad post or a borderline entry. No vote for heat racing here.