| A lot has been written over the years about speed | | | | have a certain look in their eyes and will look right back |
| and class in horse racing and how some people feel | | | | into your eyes. |
| they are the same thing while other people think they | | | | That same look is an indication of a horse that has |
| are not. The argument that they are the same is | | | | what it takes to stare another horse down in a race. |
| bolstered by the fact that most track speed records | | | | The really good ones, like Seabiscuit and others, liked |
| are set by very classy horses in stakes races and | | | | to look another horse in the eye and once they did, |
| low budget platers seldom make the record books. On | | | | they established themselves as the dominant horse |
| the other hand, people point to examples of horses | | | | and moved forward while the other trailed. That is |
| who had very big speed figures who fell apart when | | | | horse psychology. |
| moved up to classy races as the argument that class | | | | Pace has a lot to do with it, too. Pace is physical ability, |
| is an intangible characteristic that some have and | | | | but some horses also know how to use their ability to |
| some don't. | | | | shift gears to put another horse away. They will |
| I have seen some horses with big speed figures move | | | | purposely let a horse move up along side and then |
| up into stakes class and fall apart or ship into a better | | | | shift gears for a few steps, just to let the other know |
| track where they couldn't handle the competition in | | | | there is more in the tank and to discourage that one. |
| their initial race. But sometimes those horses do come | | | | That is a smart and classy horse who can do that but |
| back and win in stakes company, once they've had a | | | | it must also have ability. It is a way of saying, I've got |
| chance to adjust to the higher level competition. | | | | the power and I'll use it, so don't bother. |
| My own experience with horses tells me it is a | | | | That usually comes from breeding and the superior |
| combination of all three, class, speed, and psychology. | | | | blood lines usually supply horses like that, but every |
| By psychology I mean how a horse feels about itself | | | | once in a while a prince is born among the paupers |
| and how it feels about another horse. When I bought a | | | | and a horse with so-so breeding will come along and |
| horse the first place I looked was in its eyes. If I saw a | | | | surprise the owners and other horses. If you are lucky |
| certain look of confidence or regal bearing, I would look | | | | enough to spot that in a young horse it will make your |
| at the shape of the head, and then move on to | | | | handicapping a lot easier. |
| conformation, legs, chest, back, etc. The good ones | | | | |