Do racehorses out in front of pack seem to want to win?

Question

Can a rider tell me. If win or lose when in front are they cooking or are they just on auto-pilot. How no tire?

Answer 1

Successful race horses DO want to win and have "heart" and will give their all to the wire. This requires training, though, since horses have a natural instinct to run with a herd and not necessarily to get in front and run off. Some horses have more endurance and staying power than others, most horses have only a few furlongs where they can run flat out and usually the jockey saves this for the stretch run.

Answer 2

yes, they are pack animals.....the horses that come from behind

must cover the ground already covered by the front runners.....

Answer 3

A "front runner" is being "cooked" if the pace is something they have not shown an ability to handle in the past. This is either with or without pressure.

Most horses have a single burst in a race , usually 3/8 mile (3 furlongs). The timing of the use of that burst will sometimes put a front runner sufficiently in front to hang on to win.

Races are made by pace, style, weight and distance. Horses generally are able to handle distance in increments. A rule of thumb is <6 to 71/2 furlongs, 1 mile to a mile+3/8, 1 1/4 mile to 1 1/2 mile. This covers sprinters up to classic distances. A horse with a classic style can carry a weight a distance with speed, conversely a sprinter can cover a shorter distance faster than others.

Of equal importance is a horses style- front runners, pressers, steady runners and closers.

As you can see your question is more complex than it first seemed- A good handicapper can analyze a race , and often make a good estimate at how the different horses will run or how the race will run.

Try to find Ainslie's Encyclopedia of Handicapping for an more thorough discussion of all these different factors ( and others).