There has been something bugging me for a while regarding weight.
As I understand it, the horses do not actually carry what they are reported to carry. Rather, the amount reported that they carry is the minimum they carry. Horses can and do carry more than the reported weight.
As I understand, the situation where this extra \"carried but unreported\" weight arises is where a jockey\'s protective equipment results in an overweight. For overweight purposes, protective equipment is not counted. Now, I think jockey\'s should carry all the protective equipment necessary and I do not think protection should be sacrificed one iota. However, I think that the betting public is entitled to accurate information about weight carried by horses. The two principles of maximum safety and accurate public reporting of vital information are fairly simply and should not be contradictory.
To me, the answer to this is simple, the scale of weights should be increased across the board by the weight of protective equipment. That way, the protective equipment will not be the cause of any overweights.
(I am also for increasing the scale of weights (in some form of pro rata basis) to reflect the fact that humans in general are larger than they were when the scale of weights was developed. To me, it is ludicrous that we do not raise these weights some and the argument that it is dangerous for the horses is again an apology for shortcomings resulting from drug use. The danger to the horses is also ludicrous when compared to the danger to the jockeys (not just in terms of equipment but also health from improper diet). However, I recognize that preserving the outdated historical baseline of the scale of weights is a sacred cow to some morons and I am trying here to separate that discussion from the question of accurate public reporting of vital information.)
The following may be proprietary information of Thorograph, so Jerry, please feel free not to answer, but I am curious if you accept the reported jockey weights at face value or whether you have developed your own jockey riding weights so that you can be better informed than the public at large. I know that for some jockeys, the amount of the unreported safety equipment overweight can be as much as 5-6 pounds. Thus, when Corey Nakatani is is 2 pounds overweight, he might actually be 7 pounds overweight in ocmparison to some of the other jockeys in the race who are actually making their assigned weight with the protective equipment included.
I also recognize that this issue could be quite explosive due to the unjust prosecution of NYRA clerk of scales officials. However, in my view, that unjust prosecution should not tarnish discussion of giving the public accurate information.
Also, one interesting tidbit, I seem to recall reading a book years ago (mid-eighties maybe) probably by Beyer or Davidowitz where a character would go to bush tracks and estimate jockey weights visually. Basically, it was well known that the reported weights were just plain old wrong and a person who believed in the importance of weight and had a good eye for seizing up a persons weight could gain an advantage. I think this was at the old Massachusetts fair circuit, but I could be wrong.
