Racehorses which don't perform up to their expected potential can be an enigma for veterinarians asked to determine whether something is actually wrong. Studies done on poor performance often rely on the opinion of owners and trainers, which are subjective, or they try to quantify performance through parameters that can be measured. “Fitness” can also mean different things to different people.
A standardized set of parameters, such as those obtained on a treadmill, would be helpful to assess fitness and agreement on what measurements quantify racing performance would be beneficial, reported a study team out of the University of Milan.
The scientists, led by Dr. Chiara Maria Lo Feudo, hypothesized that fitness parameters measured though treadmill tests may be able to predict the racing career of racehorses that perform poorly.
The scientists looked retroactively at the performance of 245 Standardbred racehorses that underwent an incremental treadmill test when they were referred to the Sports Medicine Unit of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 2002 and 2021. It also looked at the horses' race results.
In addition to the treadmill test, the horses had baseline physicals, blood tests, and electrocardiograms performed. Multiple fitness parameters were assessed while the horses were on the treadmill. If a specific diagnosis was suspected, additional diagnostics were performed.
The team then evaluated the racing data for the three months before and six months after the treadmill test and correlated the number of starts, wins, and placings with exam findings. The scientists also tried to utilize treadmill findings to associate and predict lifetime racing results and earnings.
The team utilized fitness parameters to construct models that could predict the total number of lifetime starts, wins and earnings, controlling for the horse's weight, age and sex. They discovered that the maximum speed and the speed at the horse's aerobic threshold were parameters that correlated with the most racing results in the three evaluation periods.
Maximum speed reached was correlated with all racing outcomes before admission in 3-year-olds and in the entire career of adult horses. Max speed was also significant in prediction models of wins and earnings. The team concluded that peak treadmill speed should be considered one of the most important parameters for performance evaluation and career success prediction.
They also found that:
- The horses that raced more in the three months before admission had longer, more successful careers.
- The number of wins and placings in the three months before admission correlated to a better lifetime career.
- Horses taking part in more races after examination also had longer and more successful careers.
The scientists concluded that a standardized treadmill test is useful for the evaluation of poor performance and the prediction of racing outcomes for Standardbred racehorses. Monitoring racing results right after hospitalization may aid trainers making decisions regarding their racehorse's careers.
Read more at HorseTalk.
The post Treadmill Test Or Magic 8 Ball: Can Max Speed Predict A Racehorse’s Record? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
