Does anybody know when a standardbred hits its prime?
I think that’s an individual characteristic; I know there are Standardbreds that are precocious enough to set records at age 2, and there are Standardbreds that seem to need more time. FWIW, a lot of Standardbreds seem to go on forever, racing on into their teens. Your best bet in trying to figure if a particular Stadardbred is precocious enough to do well at two would be to look at the family. If the sire has a record of siring a high percentage of two-year-old winners, that would be an indicator; if he himself was a stakes-quality horse at two, that would be an indicator; if the dam was a winner, particularly a stakes winner at two, that would be an indicator; and if the dam has other foals that have raced, if they won at two that would give you an indication. Physically, sometimes you can tell if a horse is immature: it looks awkward, isn’t filled out, just looks immature. X-rays of the epiphyseal plate will tell something about the maturity. The horse’s attitude is often an indicat
