Color and Muscles

The Coat and What is Underneath It: The Role Muscling and Color has in Pre-Race Evaluation of a Thoroughbred.

By: The Player

If you stand at the rail of any racetrack you will see horses pass you that appear extremely well muscled, others that look less well fed and many somewhere in between. What does this tell you as a bettor? Basically, not a tremendous amount. Well muscled horses win their share of races, as do thinner horses.

Betting muscling is further confused by the fact that normally, in top barns, nearly every horse is heavily muscled. This is due to the fact that top barns go the extra yard in behaviors surrounding feed, vitamins, exercise and care. Sometimes, however, well muscled horses also have more leg ailments which of course can impede racing performance. So while well muscled horses do win more often than do thinner horses, the truth is you will go broke betting on body muscling alone.

Generally I only look at muscling in horses beginning their racing career, returning to the races after a lay off or if they have recently returned to the races after an extended layoff. And then, I look at body specific muscle groups rather than overall muscling.

Mainly, I look at the rump and the upper rear legs. This area should appear thick with a sharp crease running down the hindquarters. If I see a well muscled baby with a pronounced hind crease and a short work tab I will ignore the paper in favor of my eyes. Workouts are often hidden; fit and ready muscles cannot be hidden.

The quality of a horseÕs coat is also an excellent predictor of his likely performance. If a horseÕs coat appears bright in sunlight or in floodlights, he is probably sharp and feeling good. Many sharp horses with vibrant coats also exhibit dapples. Dapples are small dark oblong circles that appear to be under the skin itself. They travel from the base of the neck (withers) to the hindquarters (rump). It is a sign of peak condition in some horses, Be aware though that not all brilliant coats are dappled; some horses just donÕt dapple.

On the flip side, if a horseÕs color appears dull heÕs either not feeling his best or heÕs somehow lacking in nutritional make up to put in a peak performance. If a horseÕs color is not good, heÕll probably have other readily recognizable negative characteristics as well such as poor muscling, floppy ears or a rapidly swishing tail.

We now have the basics covered for evaluating a horse warning up. He must be a well-muscled horse, with good color and with pricked ears. He must also jog well with his tail well off his rump. If this is the appearance of the horse that you like in the race, bet with more confidence than if you were unaware of these physical characteristics of sharp racehorses.