The Golden Syringe Award

[The Indomitable DrugS]

The Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer is pretty bunk in that it's basically an award given to the trainer with the best stock ... and no more than about four trainers each year have any realistic shot at winning it. Several hundred different trainers would have probably nailed it down this year with Pletcher's stock.

To win the Golden Syringe ... you must simply have the highest win percentage in the nation while winning at least 50 races and maintaining a profitable ROI for the year.

To win at a scary high percentage - you do have to stuff horses in and take no prisoners. Take Joe Woodard for instance. He's winning at 27.25% this year from over 800 starters. However, his ROI is just $1.36 - meaning he's losing 32% on every betting dollar ... double the takeout. He's basically winning at a high clip while bankrupting bettors.

In theory, it should be extremely difficult to have both a sky high win percentage and a profitable ROI in the same year - with volume. This is because horses from sky high win % barns are chronically over bet on paper. Someone like Juan Carlos Guerrero could run a goat with a horrid form and it would still take surprising money.

Without further ado:

2010 Golden Syringe Award Race

1st: Juan Carlos Guerrero (40.72%)
2nd: Brad Cox (31.54%)
3rd: Rudy Rodriguez (29.71%)


Past Champions:

2009

Keith Bennett (32.69%) - <-- Jamie Ness had 32.82% with $1.99 ROI

2008

Wayne Catalano (36.59%) - <-- Mike Maker checked in 2nd - Marty Wolfson $1.98 ROI cost him

2007

Kevin Lewis (32.09%) - Jamie Ness 2nd and Mike Maker 3rd

2006

Todd Beattie (32.60%) - Steph Beattie 2nd at 32.20 with amazing $2.41 ROI

2005

Wayne Catalano (36.18%) - Steph Beattie hit at 30.19 with impossible $2.98 ROI

2004

Keith Bennett (31.50%) - Tim Kreiser 2nd of $6,500 auction buy Peppi Knows fame 2nd.

2003

John Martin (30.74%) - Jeff Mullins just misses with 30.03

2002

Keith Bennett (37.57%) - Wayne Catalano checks in 2nd

2001

Cole Norman (32.62%) - Charlton Baker 2nd

2000

Charlton Baker (33.05%) - Jimmy Jerkens was 3rd that year!

1999

Keith Bennett (31.39%) - Tony Dutrow 2nd. John Shirreffs won at insane 40% that year (and on So. Cal circuit no less) .. but fell short of the required 50 minimum wins

[randallscott35]

How dare you

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I am merely honoring the true unsung hero's of their profession.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Here are the three leaders this year with 1st off the claim:

* JC Guerrero (20-for-31) 65% wins $3.07 ROI

* Brad Cox (21-for-49) 43% wins $3.86 ROI

* Rudy Rod (8-for-20) 40% wins $3.44 ROI

[Danzig]

maybe they should offer a lifetime achievement award in that category as well. i've got some ideas on who they could name it after.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Danzig

maybe they should offer a lifetime achievement award in that category as well. i've got some ideas on who they could name it after.

Considering that Keith Bennett has won 4 Golden Syringe's since 1999 - I think it's him.

Tragically he hasn't started a horse since April 27th of this year.

He was in strong contention for a 5th title this year - winning 32 of 84 races in 2010 (38% wins) and with a profitable ROI... it's too bad he decided to empty his syringes and hang it up.

Bennett has had a win percentage of 25% or higher every single year for the last ten years. He's had a profitable ROI for the year in nine out of the last 14 years.

Oddly, the one thing his horses were getting caught with in tests was alcohol when TuP started testing for it. From the Paulik Report...

Another trainer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Paulick Report alcohol is also being used in connection with so-called milkshakes, which contain baking soda and electrolytes and are designed to reduce the lactic acid buildup that causes fatigue. The concoction is mixed together as a paste, the trainer said, and can be administered through a dose syringe, though it is more effective when given through a tube into the horse’s stomach.

“You’re getting them carbohydrates at the top of the lane where some horses are running out of gas,” the trainer said. “I tried it, and believe me, it works. But I quit doing it because I couldn’t afford to get caught.”

Alchemist type stuff right there. Booze, baking soda, and electrolytes.

[Duvalier]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Here are the three leaders this year with 1st off the claim:

* JC Guerrero (20-for-31) 65% wins $3.07 ROI

JC Guerrero ran a good one off the claim a week or so ago. Claimed the horse for $16,000 and won a $75,000 PA bred stakes a few weeks later...easily.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

JC Guerrero ran a good one off the claim a week or so ago. Claimed the horse for $16,000 and won a $75,000 PA bred stakes a few weeks later...easily.

JC "the Impaler" Guerrero is possibly having the best year of any horse trainer since John Sherriffs in 1999... in terms of actual performance and not any other BS.

There is like a run in the betting on everything he sends out - especially early on - on every single horse he sends out. If they should be 6/1 on paper they're 5/2.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

JC Guerrero ran a good one off the claim a week or so ago. Claimed the horse for $16,000 and won a $75,000 PA bred stakes a few weeks later...easily.

That may be considered a drop in class

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Here are the three leaders this year with 1st off the claim:

* JC Guerrero (20-for-31) 65% wins $3.07 ROI

* Brad Cox (21-for-49) 43% wins $3.86 ROI

* Rudy Rod (8-for-20) 40% wins $3.44 ROI

That's insane.

[VOL JACK]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer is pretty bunk in that it's basically an award given to the trainer with the best stock ... and no more than about four trainers each year have any realistic shot at winning it. Several hundred different trainers would have probably nailed it down this year with Pletcher's stock.

To win the Golden Syringe ... you must simply have the highest win percentage in the nation while winning at least 50 races and maintaining a profitable ROI for the year.

To win at a scary high percentage - you do have to stuff horses in and take no prisoners. Take Joe Woodard for instance. He's winning at 27.25% this year from over 800 starters. However, his ROI is just $1.36 - meaning he's losing 32% on every betting dollar ... double the takeout. He's basically winning at a high clip while bankrupting bettors.

In theory, it should be extremely difficult to have both a sky high win percentage and a profitable ROI in the same year - with volume. This is because horses from sky high win % barns are chronically over bet on paper. Someone like Juan Carlos Guerrero could run a goat with a horrid form and it would still take surprising money.

Without further ado:

2010 Golden Syringe Award Race

1st: Juan Carlos Guerrero (40.72%)
2nd: Brad Cox (31.54%)
3rd: Rudy Rodriguez (29.71%)


Past Champions:

2009

Keith Bennett (32.69%) - <-- Jamie Ness had 32.82% with $1.99 ROI

2008

Wayne Catalano (36.59%) - <-- Mike Maker checked in 2nd - Marty Wolfson $1.98 ROI cost him

2007

Kevin Lewis (32.09%) - Jamie Ness 2nd and Mike Maker 3rd

2006

Todd Beattie (32.60%) - Steph Beattie 2nd at 32.20 with amazing $2.41 ROI

2005

Wayne Catalano (36.18%) - Steph Beattie hit at 30.19 with impossible $2.98 ROI

2004

Keith Bennett (31.50%) - Tim Kreiser 2nd of $6,500 auction buy Peppi Knows fame 2nd.

2003

John Martin (30.74%) - Jeff Mullins just misses with 30.03

2002

Keith Bennett (37.57%) - Wayne Catalano checks in 2nd

2001

Cole Norman (32.62%) - Charlton Baker 2nd

2000

Charlton Baker (33.05%) - Jimmy Jerkens was 3rd that year!

1999

Keith Bennett (31.39%) - Tony Dutrow 2nd. John Shirreffs won at insane 40% that year (and on So. Cal circuit no less) .. but fell short of the required 50 minimum wins

Not bad considering he was .08% for all of 2008!
He must have changed feeds or types of shoes...

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

Not bad considering he was .08% for all of 2008!
He must have changed feeds or types of shoes...

Woodard was actually 18% in '08. The only big difference from '08 to now is that he's now running horses at Beulah Park and Mountaineer A LOT more.

Woodard has a great owner ... give one of the wizard trainers his owner and enter as aggressively as Woodard does ... and you'd have something strong.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Woodard was actually 18% in '08. The only big difference from '08 to now is that he's now running horses at Beulah Park and Mountaineer A LOT more.

Woodard has a great owner ... give one of the wizard trainers his owner and enter as aggressively as Woodard does ... and you'd have something strong.

I heard Woodard has a string at Lincoln park or Downs.