Correlation of race earnings with velocity at maximal heart rate during a field exercise test in thoroughbred racehorses.

The research focuses on the relationship between the maximal heart rate velocity (VHRmax) of thoroughbred racehorses and their racing performance measured in peak dollars earned per race. The study finds a significant correlation between higher VHRmax and higher earnings per race.

Introduction

The study centers around the in-depth examination of the velocity at maximal heart rate (VHRmax) in Thoroughbred racehorses and the impact it has on their racing performance, which is measured in terms of ‘peak dollars earned per race start’. The hypothesis is that there might be a correlation between these two; higher VHRmax attributes might result in higher racing performance, hence higher earnings.

Methodology

• The research uses data from a controlled group of 25 Thoroughbred racehorses that were involved in progressive exercise activities such as trotting and fast gallops in the field at speeds of 15-16 m/sec.
• Heart rate (HR) and velocity were recorded during these exercises. The tools used to gather this data included a global positioning system (GPS) to measure velocity.
• The maximal HR (HRmax) and maximal velocity (Vmax) of each horse were identified, and a linear regression was conducted on HR and velocity in order to derive the VHRmax.
• All horses were subjected to the same training programme under one trainer, had been involved in at least 6 races, and were clinically sound at the time of testing.
• The racing performance was evaluated based on the horse’s peak earnings per race during their career, and the data was normalised using the square root of this amount.

Results and Conclusion

• Analysing the data found that horses with a higher VHRmax earned significantly more dollars per race start, and horses with a VHRmax of less than 14.5 m/sec had an average earning of less than A$2500 per race.
• There was no correlation found between race earnings and either HRmax or Vmax.
• The study concludes that using a GPS to study the relationship between HR and velocity in field studies has potential in identifying horses with limited earnings.
• Additionally, it demonstrates that a field test of fitness for Thoroughbred racehorses, which correlates with their retrospective racing ability, is feasible and could be implemented in commercial training environments to assist with decisions regarding the racing careers of individual racehorses.