'Impressive'

*Ah, “impressive.” What a word. Tossed around like confetti at a wedding, yet rarely earned. Everyone’s so terribly eager to label things “impressive,” like a horse breaking from the gate or a dish served slightly warmer than lukewarm. But I ask you—was it truly impressive? Or simply... convenient for the moment?*

*You see, in racing—like in life—we’ve become enamored with the superficial. The clock, the splits, the so-called “pace figures.” Cold, soulless numbers that give you the illusion of control. But there’s no math for pressure. There’s no equation for a horse that starts breathing fire the moment it locks eyes with its rival. That, my dear friend, is poetry. That’s where the truth lies—in the eyes, in the ears, in the rise and fall of a flank under duress.*

*The clock might tell you two horses are matching strides. But your eyes… ah, your eyes will whisper a different story. One horse is gliding, fluid, poised like a Bolshoi dancer. The other? Thrashing, pressing, wearing that subtle sheen of panic just beneath the surface. You can’t time that. But you can feel it.*

*Stress. Yes, stress—the great unspoken weight. It infects a horse quietly, like a well-dressed thief at a high-stakes poker game. Anxiousness, agitation, the quick flick of the tail, the way a horse chews at the bit like it’s trying to swallow its nerves. If you spot it, don’t bet it. You're not looking at a winner. You're looking at a ticking time bomb wrapped in silk.*

*But the ones without stress? Those are the ones that glide across the dirt like it's a ballroom floor. They finish a race, not spent, but sculpted—elevated. They trot back to the post with pride, not exhaustion. And when the jockey gives them a pat, it’s not encouragement—it’s acknowledgment. A nod between warriors who knew the battle and relished every second.*

*So you want to be a handicapper? Then for the love of Saint Eligius and everything holy in racing, stop staring at your watch. Use your eyes. Learn the language of pressure. And maybe, just maybe, the racing gods will smile upon your next wager.*

*But don’t rely on “impressive.” That word’s been worn out*