| Standardbreds are trained differently than | | | | Only a horse entered below its true class level |
| thoroughbreds and therefore handicapping their | | | | could usually win a first race back from a layoff. |
| races is a little different. While the typical | | | | Of course, as in all cases, there were a few |
| thoroughbred is rounding into form on its third | | | | exceptions, but they were just that, exceptions. |
| race back from a layoff, a Standardbred may | | | | Even into the third race, Standardbreds are often |
| take a little longer. | | | | not ready to compete at their top level. |
| When conditioning Standardbred pacers and | | | | However, one thing I did notice was that there |
| trotters, the idea is to put many miles of training | | | | was a time somewhere between the fourth and |
| into them in order to develop a lot of bottom, | | | | sixth race, when the horse usually would take a |
| stamina. While I used to train each one of my | | | | great leap ahead in its ability. |
| horses in harness, jogging many miles over | | | | While usually pretty consistent and predictable, |
| months to get them into the proper condition for | | | | you can usually look for a big improvement in a |
| racing, other trainers started galloping them and | | | | pacer or trotter in one of the three races after |
| some even trained more than one horse, pulling | | | | its third race. The exception to the predictability |
| them along behind a vehicle with a training gate | | | | and consistency rule, of course, is when a horse is |
| behind. | | | | coming back from an injury or has a significant |
| Each of these methods was fine as long as the | | | | equipment change, even a correction in shoeing. |
| muscles and mind of the horse were conditioned | | | | So beware when handicapping harness races and |
| and when race day came around, the animal had | | | | always give a little extra room for improvement |
| the stamina and ability to pace or trot a | | | | to a horse on the fourth through sixth race back |
| competitive mile. But even after all the training | | | | after the layoff. You will be glad you did and find |
| was complete, it still took some real races before | | | | some surprisingly good payoffs on your winning |
| they had what it took to win. | | | | tickets. |