So How Fast Did Fort Larned Run?

[daoilman]

Fort Larned enters the stretch lengths in front of the field in the Gulfstream Park Handicap. (Photo courtesy Bob Coglianese Photos/Eleanor Gustafson)

A collective gasp came from the American racing community when 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larnedstumbled and parted ways with jockey Brian Hernandez at the start of Saturday’s Gulfstream Park Handicap. Making his 2013 debut, the Ian Wilkes-trainee gathered himself, free of a 125-pound impost, and took off. It is incredibly fortunate we can take a look at the data from his rider-less performance knowing both horse and rider walked away without significant injury.
Tough to see in the initial video of the race, Fort Larned bursts through the small field and runs off, opening a massive gap to the remainder of the field, and leaving Gulfstream track announcer Larry Collmus incredulous at what he was witnessing.

“That whole area deep in the one mile chute is blocked by trees so it is difficult to make out the gate break,” Collmus recalled. “Racecallers study the horses based on silks, so I had to look to the program [as the red colors of owner Janis Whitham were left at the gate with Hernandez] and see that number three was Fort Larned, and thought to myself ‘ok, wow, this is the story.’”

Once Fort Larned realized he was free, he burst through the pack and soared to the front.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a horse go through a pack that fast,” Collmus marveled, a significant admission considering he has called races for the better part of three decades. “Watching him run was one of the most amazing things to see. You could tell he was absolutely flying, and by the time they turned for home, he was close to a sixteenth of a mile in front of the field.”

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The actual weight difference was whatever the jockey actually weighs. Probably 111/113 but I have no idea. The rest of the weight is the saddle and lead in the pockets of the saddle or an under the saddle pad, or both . Not that it makes much difference but wanted to clear that up.
From the picture of him running turning for home, he has his ears back and is running full tilt. Horses with blinkers tend to do this more often than those without because once in front, they tend to go on sound as much as anything. Any wind whipping through those blinkers only makes the noise more worrisome to them if they are scared. I wish I could see his eyes though. That would tell a lot more as to the mindset. So, he was basically running scared or running for his life, in his mind, I think. With the added noise of the fans while he ran through the stretch, and the echo of the race bouncing off the grandstand, he either was running out of gas from such an effort or that is where he is used to pulling up every day when he trains, or both. That I don't know. If nothing else, he was certainly ready to run wasn't he. Those are some crazy splits.

[JakeLc]

He didn't run into the gap where the chute meets the main course. Is that because he was so overcome with fear or something to do with blinkers maybe?

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He didn't run into the gap where the chute meets the main course. Is that because he was so overcome with fear or something to do with blinkers maybe?

Do you mean the 1/4 pole gap? If so, typically if they are running along the outside fence they might do that but down towards the rail it is uncommon. Also, I do not know if that is the only area that horses walk to and from the barn area or not. If it is, I still stand by what I said about proximity to the rail but if not, and there are other areas to enter the track from the barn area, the loose horse will go to the gap they are most familiar with on a daily basis. A force of habit while thinking subconsciously just like we would if we changed silverware drawers after many years of staggering down to get a morning cup of coffee. Subconsciously, or without thinking we might open up the old drawer instead of thinking that it is now somewhere else.
Doubt it was the blinkers. Blinkers or not, the horses know every inch of their home track , if indeed that is his home track, and any subtle change of venue of any kind they see right away. If he has only been there a short while, he probably was lost and only knew where the wire was.
Does that make sense?

[JakeLc]

I meant where the horses leave the chute and the clubhouse turn connects with the chute. I watched the head on and after dumping the rider he went to the rail. He hugged the rail till the end of the chute and veered in a little at the gap but then righted himself when he was along the main track rail again.

[JakeLc]

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I see what you mean. That could have made the race null and void if a head on was imminent. Wow. That would have been crazy. I don't know if the blinkers saved that or not. Plenty of horses even with riders veer slightly when the rail vanishes as you know. Really hard to say for sure.