Mechanical Pace Figures - when machines go bad!

[The Indomitable DrugS]

The Wood Memorial pace figure that Equibase puts in the track programs they sell at all loctions is hysterically high!

I just happened to take a look at the nominations for next week's Lexington Stakes - Texas Wildcatter got a 156 pace figure in the Wood Memorial - and he was 7 lengths off of the early lead after a 1/4 mile was run.

I'm not exactly an expert on how the mechanical Equibase pace figures are made - but I have a pretty good idea how they pulled this one off.

There were only two races at AQU last Sat. run at route distances, both 9 furlongs - one was the Wood the other was the Excelsior.

Pacesetter Temporary Saint had run a pair of pace figures of 127 and 116 in his last two starts - despite relaxing without early pressure - they had to give him a number in that range again.

And since War Pass ran double digit lengths faster than the wickedly fast Temporary Saint to the early pace calls - he actually ended up with a figure in the 160's!

If you believe Equibase's pace number for the Wood - than you basically believe that Texas Wildcatter (while racing 4th early on in the Wood) ran open lengths faster early on, than any other horse, in any other dirt race besides the Wood, in a matter of years.

If anyone is wondering about War Pass' other Equibase pace figures this year - he got an 80 in his pokey paced GP alw and an 85 in the Tampa Derby after breaking poorly and rated off the pace to get an education. He basically doubled up!

Here is TW's form...



While the Wood pace really was mind-bogglingly fast...it was obviously not as fast as the speed of light Equibase pace number suggests.

[cmorioles]

Doesn't sound like I'll be losing many customers to Equibase. This is what I have for his career. The first number is the Race Pace (the leader), then the race speed, then the pace of the horse (War Pass), then his speed figure:

WAR PASS

AQU  04/05/08   9.0 FT   Woodmem-G1     | 122  94 122  93
TAM  03/15/08   8.5 FT   Tampadby-G3    | 102  94 101  61
GP   02/24/08   8.0 FT   Alw60000nc     |  78  96  78  96
MTH  10/27/07   8.5 SY   Bcjuvnle-G1    | 120 103 120 103
BEL  10/06/07   8.0 FT   Champagn-G1    | 111  99 111  99
SAR  08/26/07   6.0 GD   OC75000n1x     |  80  92  80  92
SAR  07/28/07   6.0 FT   MdSpWt         |  91  83  91  83

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Well....

They haven't been proven wrong yet...

Maybe Texas Wildcatter will be cut back to sprints and open up 8 early on in the Breeders Cup Sprint.