Rabbits, the unsung pacers of the game

Rabbits on the racetrack: the unsung pacers of the game

By John Stettin

People love to talk about “the pace makes the race,” but few take that phrase to its logical conclusion. If pace really dictates the outcome, why would anyone clutch their pearls at the mere use of a ‘rabbit’, the horse that came in to ensure a fair, fair pace for its stablemate? The truth is that rabbits have been part of the racing DNA for longer than most handicappers have been alive, even on dirt tracks in the US where speed is paramount and energy distribution is everything.

Let’s get something straight straight away: using a rabbit isn’t dishonest, it’s strategy. It’s no different than setting a screen in basketball or sending a fullback to open a lane or a wide receiver not getting a look from the QB sprinting down the sideline in full flight and focus. You use your stable’s assets to maximize your chances of winning, and last time I checked, that was the whole point of competition.

The Buckpasser-Dr. Fager Rivalry and the Rabbit that Turned the Tables

Few rivalries in American racing history capture the essence of pace manipulation so well Buck passer vs. Dr. Fager. Dr. Fager, the freakishly fast, front-running machine trained by John Nerud, could drown a field in his wake if left alone. Trained by Eddie Neloy for Ogden Phipps, Buckpasser was a closer, a horse who needed something to run to. You let Dr. Fager in the lead, the race was over before the turn. So what did the Phipps team do? They ran Enchanteda designated pacemaker.

Hechizado’s job was simple: Dr. Letting Fager run away early. Force him to burn energy. Keep him honest. And when that happened, Buckpasser’s devastating late kick finally allowed for a fair fight. The result? Buckpasser delivered Dr. Fager one of his rare defeats. The rabbit did its job, the race was fairer and the tactical team won the war of attrition.

Johannes Nerud himself, who never minced words, once said: “You can’t fight against pace. A horse only has a limited number of movements.” That’s the essence of why rabbits exist.

They don’t create false results, they prevent false results.

From Saint Liam to Sierra Leone: the modern rabbit

The rabbit isn’t exactly a relic, it’s still alive in the modern game, if you know where to look. Rick Dutrownever shy to play the game as it is intended, for which the famous rabbit was used Saint Liamhis hard-hitting Class 1 dirt star and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Saint Liam was at his best when the pace was fast enough to soften the early throttle and let him bounce home. Rick understood that, and he made sure the Woodward would unfold on his terms and differently from the Whitney. He had to beat the leader Commentator with perhaps the better horse. Commentator had a tactical advantage in the Whitney and he won. In the Woodward Dutrow cleared that out and Saint Liam won. That was a tactic, and a smart one at that.

Fast forward to the present, and we’ve seen a similar concept with Opposite thinking used to set the table Sierra Leonethe deep-necked colt who seems vulnerable to a slow pace. Sierra Leone’s late run is a weapon, but only if there is enough speed to attack. Contrary Thinking’s role was to guarantee that fair pace and ensure that the real running happened when it mattered most, and not in a crawl-and-sprint setup that would neutralize Sierra Leone’s strengths. Unfortunately, through no fault of the “rabbit” we didn’t see the real results. Anyone who saw the Jockey Club Gold Cup saw the chain reaction of the bumper car that caused Irad Ortiz to disappear from Mindframe. Racing accidents happen, riders react suddenly and without warning, horses react faster and everyone watching agrees. It is one of many possible events during a horse race.

Both Dutrow and Chad Brown understood the same truth: a rabbit does not manipulate the breed, it restores balance. It forces the field to play fair and gives the real closer a chance to show what he’s got when things get serious.

Where rabbits still run

You don’t see rabbits that often in the US these days, but in… Europe and the Middle Eastthey are still part of the playbook. Coolmore, Godolphin and Juddmonte have all used pacemakers in big grass races to set the table for their headliners. In America it is rarer, but it usually happens that it involves graded stakes where one stable has both a confirmed leader and a closer. Churchill Downs, Belmont Park and Saratoga have all seen their share of strategic pace setups – although trainers now tend to be more subtle and call it ‘a horse that likes to be moved forward’. Right. Certainly.

The honesty factor

Critics will say it’s unsportsmanlike. That it ‘games the system’. But ask any rider worth their salt, and they’ll tell you there’s nothing unsportsmanlike about setting a legitimate pace. In fact, it’s the opposite. A slow, uncontested lead can turn a Grade 1 into a merry-go-round. When closers are forced to form six, eight, ten lengths into soft fractions, that’s not talent that determines the outcome – those are the circumstances. I think we see it way too often, especially in turf racing here in the United States. I have yet to meet an owner, trainer or gambler who likes to lose under such circumstances.

The rabbit levels the field. It ensures that the race is won on merit, and not on luck along the way. It’s not about hurting anyone; it’s about making sure the better horse – the one with the more correct foot movement – ​​gets a fair chance. Put them in the fence and let the best horse win.

As the great trainer Charlie Whittingham once joked when asked to use one, “If you’ve got two, you might as well use one smartly.”

Last furlong

In a sport obsessed with optics and too often disconnected from its own history, let alone the client’s, the rabbit remains one of the most misunderstood tools in the trainer’s arsenal. It’s not dirty, it’s not unsafe and it’s certainly not unfair. It’s tactical. It’s chess, not checkers.

And if we’re honest, the sport could use a little more tactical thinking these days. A well-placed rabbit does not spoil the breed; It makes the breed. Because if the pace determines the race, so does the horse brave enough to determine it.

Contrary Thinking is one of the pre-submissions for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The race promises to be one of the best innovations we have ever seen. Chad Brown has chosen to let his horses do the talking on the racetrack. Mike Repole, who plays the game as well or better than many, has been more vocal, even voicing his displeasure with “the bunny” on social media and somewhat calling out Chad for the tactics. Personally, I like it and it adds to the intrigue of the race, which, by the way, is far from a two-horse affair. Mike has Fierceness and Mindframe. Both are live, as is Sierra Leone, but they are not alone. This brings us to the “other problem” of having multiple horses from the same stable. I don’t hear Chad complaining when one of Mike’s horses runs out of gas, his rider can keep his horse in the bottle. This is all part of racing and why there is a million ways to lose a race but only one to win it. You have to renovate first. Let’s all enjoy it and may the best horse win. Safe travels for everyone!