SUCKER BETS---(part 22) by Joe Takach

Much like barshoes, covered frogs, ¾ shoes and square toed shoes, “blowouts” and “stops” are very negative pieces of equipment and my DAILY SCHTW is the only handicapping service in the entire country and most likely in the entire world that keeps daily updated records on all users.
These horses are instant throwouts!
A “blowout patch” is a small piece of adhesive bandage placed on the inside of either or both rear knees (hocks) that supposedly acts as a shock absorber. They can range in size from a 2 to 4 inch circle to an elongated configuration that runs down the inside of either or both rear legs.
If a horse is fitted with this negative piece of equipment, he’s “hitting” himself.
The “blowout patch” allegedly serves to reduce the pain of impact, while at the same time attempting to protect the skin from getting cut and bleeding.
A “stop” serves much the same purpose as a “blowout patch”. They too are adhesive bandages that are white in color, but are much smaller than a “blowout patch”. They are about the size of a silver dollar.
“Stops” are placed directly above either or both of the rear hooves. As with a “blowout”, this too is done because a horse is “hitting” himself, especially when fully extended as is the case during any race.
And like a “blowout patch”, it is hoped that “stop” will help the stop the horse from cutting himself while absorbing the never-ending impact. Thus they were named “stops”.
Becoming much more common today on the major Southern California circuit are black “rubberized” versions that have no adhesive backings and are held on with black electrical tape. The black rubber patch actually circles the entire rear leg directly above the hoof and are about 2 to 3 inches in width. Once in place, black electrical tape is wrapped around the entire patch enough times to keep it from moving.
The white adhesive “stop” is frequently knocked off with the first couple of repeated strikes. While the black rubberized versions stay in place longer and most often for an entire race, the horse still slows himself down because cut or uncut, forcefully hitting yourself in the same exact spot innumerable times during the running of a race has to hurt like hell!
While the white versions are very easy to see in person or at your favor gambling emporium, the black rubberized versions via a satellite monitor are often invisible due to the size of the screen and/or the color of the horse’s legs.
Much like its first cousin the “blowout patch”, any horse showing up with “stop” is a “sucker bet” and a big time “no-no”!
Imagine yourself to be a horse running your eyeballs out while at the same time “hitting yourself” in any number of areas. While you might be a very competitive runner and mentally want to continue running in an attempt to win, good sense or “horse sense” tells you to ease up----if only a little bit.
We as handicappers know what any form of relaxation can do at the wrong part of a race. It’s one thing for a front running horse to get a “breather” somewhere down the backstretch when two turning, or for his jockey to begin wrapping him up passing the 1/16th pole when ahead by five lengths, but it’s another thing to begin relaxing turning for home because of the never ending discomfort.
I don’t know about you, but the very last thing I want my horse to feel turning for home is pain of any kind. I want him thinking about the finish line and getting there first, not the pain he’s experiencing in his rear legs.
It’s hard enough to finish any race on all 4 legs, let alone 2!
Stay off any horse adorned with either “blowouts” or “stops”----they are “sucker bets”!
A caveat or sidebar is in order as it is with just about every single handicapping factor in our great game.
With rare exceptions, horses racing with either “blowouts”, “stops” and/or both on any major racing circuit are losers long before the gates open. You might see an occasional winner in the big leagues running with these negative pieces of equipment with cheaper bottom-feeding 8, 10 and 12.5K stock, but don’t hold your breath---you’ll soon turn blue!
The minor leagues are quite another story.
Anything is possible when you wager on the “walking wounded” at the very bottom rungs of Horseydom. It is not at all unusual to see cheap 5K claimers adorned with “blowouts” or “stops” win races, but only because they face other runners with even more serious problems.

PART 23----MORE “SUCKER” BETS(more negative equipment)

© Joe Takach 2006