DataTrack

by Bob Fierro With apologies to Pliny the Elder, who more than two centuries ago penned those words in the headline, and also to Elvis, who expanded their meaning in a modest ballad of the same name in 1962, we are about to examine what has evolved after at least 40 years as a science-based axiom of racing efficiency and success: How much of a factor does the cardio system of a Thoroughbred influence its ability? Let us state up front that the answer to that question may depend on...

The most frequently asked question your correspondent and his associates answer about biomechanical efficiency is (paraphrased) "What component, or combination of components, of a horse's mechanics other than speed is most likely to tickle your fancy?" After almost 40 years of evaluating thousands of horses from four continents this is how we answer the question with some facts-those facts being actual race records. What better way to go about this than to assemble a test group of peers and apply those suspicions to that group? Thus, for this study we...