57% win percentage??

[Dave C]

When someone is successful, most people want to assume they are just lucky or that they are cheating. That way they can just keep doing what has gotten them where they are, they don't have to make themselves better. If the other guy is succeeding through hard work and skill then he has raised the bar and everyone else has to pick up their game. People are lazy, they'd rather accuse the other guy of cheating than try to make themselves better.

[Tiz]

There are certain 'laws' of the universe that a 57% win percentage defies. I don't believe you could do that with just running horses where they belong, even if you had a constant pipeline of horses that you could run for half their value.

[Toccet02]

In my fantasy stable of 2YOs, I just had 3 winners at first asking in a row. And I've been nowhere near them, much less running them.
NONE last year. There are some freaky coincidences . . .but I still say 57% is statistically close to impossible without help.

[Dave C]

If the horses that claimed off him were running up the track then I would not be defending this statistic as legitimate. Remember it is just a statistic and doesn't tell you the complete story. As the saying goes in the land of the blind, a one eyed man is king. The other trainers have set the bar very low, basic competence can go a long way when you're competing against idiot.

One of the leading trainers manipulates his statistics by running horses his owners claimed for 30k in 5k races. He gets an easy win and keeps his win percentage respectable. His owners lose bundles of money but he smoozes them into buying privately or claiming another horse with him. On top of that he's had several hundred expensive 2yo's over the last 5 years and not one of them has turned into a decent 3yo. Most of them get sold as saddle horses because the 'can't run'. The good horses in his barn are horses that were purchased privately late in their 2yo year or early 3yo year after another trainer developed them into a good horse. If this is what passes for a leading trainer, the standard isn't very high.

The trainer with a small barn that I sent my filly to, has another owner, who claimed a 5yo out of a 7.5k nw3L race that the horse won. To stay competitive the horse needs to run in a 5k nw2y, but because of the claiming rules the horse had to move up for one race. The owner insisted the horse go not in a 10k race but in a 13k race where the horse didn't belong at all and had no chance. If this is the type of horse you have to compete against then running a horse where it belongs will win you alot of races.

As I said in an earlier post, I wouldn't be shocked if he got caught with something, but right now there is no evidence to support the idea that he's cheating. The horses he claims: some improve, some run worse. The horses claimed off him, just keep on winning. That is not what usually happen when a trainer is cheating.

[Mac]

my first two horses in training are averaging 20% wins with my trainer, which I thought was okay given that neither horse cost a lot. They might even pay themselves off (the first horse is close). But 57%!!!!! Wow...my question is, has this guy done this every year, or is this just a freaky good year for him? How crazy is that?

[Sylvie Hebert]

Don't know the man,neither the track or the competition...but may be he has a good eye for a horse and he really trains horses as opposed to train owners?...meaning... he conditions them instead of just poking/hoping/?...that would be exceptional...as exceptional as his win percentage...Why for godsake always look for the bad side let's pretend we are not green of envy...just for once...

[tbrace]

Dave, Sylvie

the things you describe happen with all trainers all the time - if this man can sustain 57% winners, the Arabs will make him rich. I wish him the best.

[Dave C]

I didn't know the Sheikhs were interested in cheap claimers.

[Sylvie Hebert]

they certainly are not(interested in cheap claimers).they will drop a million dollars horse like a hot potato for 5% of the price as soon they are convinced he is not stakes material(example: Shaami...)

[Tucumcari]

Sylvie, I think you are really grasping when thinking that there is jealousy involved. Winning races at almost 60% is uh wow (for lack of a better word.
His percentage was brought to my attention by my dearet friend in life who is running in NP. Frankly people are baffled by a guy who win percentage has historically been as average as white bread suddenly winning at a now unbelievable rate.
Certainly the commission is trying to catch him doing "something." And one would hope they would. A percentage like this although impressive is death to the little guy who can never win a race. And we o still need the little guys in business.
Not all horseman up there are bad horsemen as Dave would indicate. It takes a decent to good horseman to successfully train cheap horses consistantly with success.

[ireneinwa]

Certainly the commission is trying to catch him doing "something." And one would hope they would. A percentage like this although impressive is death to the little guy who can never win a race. And we o still need the little guys in business.

One would hope they would!!! WOW

Ok whoever this guy is I hope he proves all you wrong that thinks it takes illegal moves to win with this %

Now I see the light....In this country what ever the case may be"Your guilty until you prove your innocence"

Who cares about the little guy not winning races. So now it's this guys fault the little guy's not winning......Sore loosers the sounds of it to me.

Hope he gets tested til his horse's can draw no blood. In the end tests will show the truth. If there was illegal doings, maybe the little guy will have some purse money coming.

If not I hope he moves out west and sets up shop.

[Sylvie Hebert]

"hope they would"...Unbelievable!...Really?When someone does so much better than you he has to be drag down to your level?...It should instead force you to evolve trying to reach a higher level...this is the basis of the whole american system,democracy,capitalism...Instead of trying to shoot the guy who is on top why not try to get there...spend your energy climbing instead of digging deeper into your mudhole...

[Tucumcari]

Seems a silly reaction from both of you frankly.
Yes I would hope that they do make a good effort to ensure that the rules are being followed in an appropriate fashion. No one has said the guy is guilty, just attracting attention due to the rate of victory. And yes it seems suspect. I don't believe there to be anything wrong with that. People want a level playing field, let's make sure there is one.

When someone does so much better than you he has to be drag down to your level

This statement is lost on me as this in no way effects me so how did you translate anything I have said to this? baffling.
You jump to the "defense" of someone you don't know, on a circuit you aren't a part of without actually knowing much of the story other than what is printed here. So how does that involve me and what exactly is my "level." You would be blissfully unaware had it not been mentioned here.
I personally would be hesitant to defend someone or something that I knew nothing about.

[Sylvie Hebert]

I am not defending anyone or attacking anyone only reacting to your hope they find something wrong on someone winning too much...Level playing field?...never meant you have to all get same results only that you don't cheat...God knows the field is already not level anyway...If anyone cheats lets catch him but until then why assume he is?...Only because he is so good?So what if he only started getting good...let him run with the ball who knows we might just learn something.As for the poor little trainer not winning...let it be known that this is not children camp but a business...may the best one win...

[Tucumcari]

Exactly, may the best horse win... without a leg up. That would be lovely.

Oh ya, for what it's worth, he is running out of the detention barn due to administering... anything.... within 4 hrs to post.