In thoroughbred racing, how many days should elapse before a horse is raced again? What is the ideal number?

Question

Can the number of elapsed days be a clue ( or as they say - trainer intent?)

Answer 1

It all depends on how the horse came out of its previous race, how it's been working... there are a whole lot of factors determining the length between races. Most top thoroughbreds race about once a month, some lower-levels race once every two or three weeks. Then again, Brass Hat had a whole year off, and Da Hoss had one race in two years between his two Breeders Cup victories.

Answer 2

From what I have seen with the top horses in the sport, except for the Triple Crown season where those top horses are raced in three races in five weeks, these animals seem to get raced no more than once per month.

Answer 3

There is no set amount of time a trainer has to wait before running a horse again unless the horse gets put on one of the following the vets list, stewards list, or starters list.  If a horse gets put on the vets list for bleeding that horse will not be allowed to run again for 30 days.  If a horse gets put on the stewards and/or starters list that horse will not be allowed to run again until after going through proper schooling and getting approval from the head of either the paddock judges or starter.  Other than that a trainer can race the horse again anytime he/her wants as long as there is a race for the horse to run in.  To really keep a race horse as sound as possible it is better to wait 18 to 21 days before running the horse back.  But most trainers can't afford to wait that many days between running a horse.  Most race horses get at least one to two weeks off between races.

Answer 4

There's really no ideal number of days.......A lot depends on how the horse came out of his last race, where there is the right race for him/her next (distance, purse, etc.)..........I've seen horses run races within 2 or 3 days from their last race and I've it horses laid off for better than a year or even more...........CAT

Answer 5

There are not a set number of days between races.  A horse is not born with a certain number of miles in its legs.  

I have have often used races for training,

running some once a week.  Others, will sour if they see the gates too often.  

It always depends on how the horse is physically and mentally and not whether it is a "cheap claimer."  It also depends on the condition book.  Is there a race on the card that fits the individual horse?

*[The number of days between races has gotten quite lengthy today for Stakes Horses, because their real value is in the breeding shed.  The idea is to run them the fewest times for the most money so that the horse can be retired to breed.]