AT THE RAIL WITH NAGS AND WAGS: October 2013

Finally, an much awaited afternoon at the dogs. That's the wags part of "nagsandwags." An English expression, nags, wags and jags meaning racehorses, greyhounds and luxury cars, a good way to unburden yourself of any spare cash. Except, playing the dogs, 'betting on brindle,' is much easier than picking winners at the ponies. Unfortunately, greyhound racing has a bad reputation and an even more shocking history. Apart from being banned in most American states, going to the dogs won't go far to impress people. A greyhound used to be considered a poor man's racehorse and although the old stick and hook elephant trainers have died out of animal entertainment, dog racing is losing the fight for respectability. In 1993 10 states banned greyhound racing and 40 tracks closed, 6 of them in Florida. A trip across Connecticut by helicopter will give you an eagles view of a lot of dead dog tracks.

In A Personal History of Greyhound Racing: The Dogs, author Laura Thompson tells of how the best racing dogs came, "Out of Ireland" and were bred by poor farmers who let them breed and run wild believing only the strong would survive. The harsh upbringing was thought to make them ferocious competitors keen to chase. Farmers gave their dogs no formal training in leaving the traps and if a juvenile didn't spring from the gate and chase naturally the first time, he was disposed of right away. For these reasons Irish greyhounds were supposed to be the toughest with a natural instinct to hunt Rusty, or what every the track lure was named.

Things changed but not very much and in many cases greyhound puppies are under nourished and full of parasites when they come from breeding farms. Not a good formula for raising future athletes expected to run at 45 mile-per-hour. Imagine if thoroughbred farms raised horses like that in Kentucky? There wouldn't be any huge price tags at the Keeneland sales, or people flying in from all over the world to buy bloodstock.

Greyhound racing could be so much better. Adoption plans have helped with rehoming dogs off the track; breeders and trainers are better educated and veterinary care, like all medical sciences, has come a log way. Although horse racing is still very prestigious for owners trainers and jockeys, crowds there have declined too and the golden days of yesteryear are gone. Animal sports are on there way out and it is largely the trainers own fault. Those involved were too reluctant to embrace new methods and technology. Old school trainers hung on to old school beliefs that were often crude, cruel and based on uneducated judgments.

Greyhounds were sometime 'blooded' with live prey. While horse trainers often engaged in administering what were known as the 'three touches' arsenic, strychnine and caffeine. They also applied acid based blisters to burn the shit out of injuries. Another popular treatment was the medieval practice of pin firing, still evident today in the little white dots (scarring) you see on horses' legs at the track.

Animals kept winning and running because that's what they do and in many cases they won in spite of their trainers not because of them. The ignorance of the old ways hung around long enough to sour following generations from the racing sports. Many new and innovative methods such as sports medicine and animal behavior (or whispering if you like the term) were met with ridicule and opposition, now it maybe too late to sway public opinion. Remember it wasn't all that long ago parents thought nothing of whipping their kids, now it's against the law. We have come from an age of discipline to an age of encouragement. Those suppressed by the overuse of discipline have been robbed of willingness, confidence and the desire to compete.

Greyhound racing is on the ASPCA hit list, mostly for breeding quantity instead of quality and the methods enlisted to dispose of dogs that don't make the cut. In Australia many have been shipped to Asia for human consumption but then that has happen to Kentucky Derby winners too. If dog racing goes, horse racing won't be far behind it and neither sport will last through the century.

BETTING ON BRINDLE

It isn't brain surgery. Everything you need to know about handicapping dogs can be found in Victor M. Knight's, Greyhound Racing To Win. If you understand the grading system, which is key, and can read previous form and comments on what happened in the race, you can breeze through programs circling winners in minutes. There are only 6 starters in other countries and 8 in each US race with no jockeys making bad decisions. Favorites are genuine, they are favorites for a reason so don't go out of your way to try and beat them. Take into account that sometimes dogs get bumped in running though and it's not unheard of that long shots comes in. Winners are easier to pick, you just have to figure out if the high grade dog dropping back in class will beat the lower grade dog that has won all his last starts and might be ready to step up a class. That's the gamble, are you a good judge? Unfortunately low attendances at the tracks makes for smaller pools, so play exotics. It's not about the money anyway, it's about being right in a game of hope. And enjoy the spectacle of the dogs in action. Take pictures, you will be glad you did.

PBKC

Just minutes away from West Palm Beach International Airport is PBKC the Palm Beach Kennel Club and Casino, a great way to spend a Friday afternoon at the matinee race card, especially if you have a late flight and want to kill a few hours. Dog races run every 15 minutes so you can get quite a few in and it's never crowded. Handicapping is quick and easy. Watch the dogs weigh in on the monitors, or see them as they walk to the traps. It's nice but not as crucial as it is in horse racing. You can evaluate a dog's muscle mass, speculate it in weight (not much is fat) and compare it to his chassis matched against his competitors. You are looking for strength not necessarily size. A dog that appears calm probably has a lower resting heart rate than a highly strung one, making his simpler to train. He is less likely to suffer from emotional stress, or go off his food, or to wear himself out (already have run his race) before he gets to the trap. The same goes for racehorses.

Your program will give you the information needed to place an intelligent bet, and trust the tote board to truly reflect the dogs' ability. Hang around for the last if you can because there is often a drop-down dog that is a sure winner. This practice is traditional to keep punters coming back. The tracks like you to go home feeling like a winner. There is nothing more exciting than a racing animal in full-flight. Sitting in front of a machine in the casino doesn't make sense when there is live racing going on outside.

Photos by Annie Wade

These are the first pictures I've taken of greyhounds. Dogs are smaller and faster than horses and with the white track and Florida sunlight I could have used a filter, and faster camera. There is no beating the subject matter for thrilling action. To me photography is about what you capture as is, not what you manipulate or pose.