suggestions for a 3YO that isn't showing up on race day

[Pie™]

3yo filly - good foundation under her, has been in training at the track since 3/20 of this year after 100 days on the farm training over the winter to "finish" her breaking and get her started. She started gate work like a pro in May and never had an issue with the gate - not anything for that matter. Her training has been marred with little other than one or two sniffles along the way. She loves the gate, she loves to train, her rider is one of the best ex jocks at the track, her trainer has some of the best Y-T-D and lifetime stats at the track, she breaks well, she works well, she works with 3-5 other horses out of the gate and breaks fast, sharp, clean and always in front; and she stays there. She's sharp as a tack. Thats why the trainer was adament that we start her at the top level MSW for this track.
Her first start was 8/28. Distance was fair for her breeding 6f (she'll likely do better longer) - but for her first race....
It was sloppy - she's only trained all summer in searing 100 degree heat on a dusty, dry track - so we were concerned about the slop.
She broke sluggish - actually stayed in the gate, lost ground and never made it up - tried a little - but the jockey said - was never quite the way she seemed when he had been riding her in morning work outs that week. Maybe it was the slop, the mud in her face didn't seem to bother her, maybe she was frustrated being behind and not liking the heavy mud on her feet - we'd try her again at the same level.
Today we put her in the same race. Today was 86 degrees - track was fast. She broke sluggish, and was behind because of it. Jockey said, there wasn't a thing he could do to make her go faster, he used the stick, she swished her tail at him and it almost seemed to slow her down, like she was p*ssed at him for hitting her and slowed down because of it. She just wouldn't try to make up the lost distance.

So, she's just not breaking the same in the race as she is in training. She's not showing up for the races at all - not firing when asked in the race. From what the trainer is telling me - no one is asking her to do much during training - because -she's doing everything you could want or expect her to do during a morning work out - she's lunging out of the gate, ahead of the other 3 or 4 horses that she's working with- staying ahead of them and putting in good, decent works -in the top 1- 5 of the days works at the posted distances. She's just not giving it during the race.

She's schooled in the paddock. Handled it like a charm. She's not nervous about anything- she's not expending alot of energy being fractious - she's loaded both 2nd and 9th for her 2 starts - and she loads like an angel and waits to be loaded or in the gate like an angel. She comes into the paddock and leaves the paddock like a well behaved 3YO filly - not dead like a lump - but not high as a kite either.

What are we doing wrong here? What can be going on with this filly? She's got Race horse written all over her during training - but she's just not bringing it to the races. Can it just be Learning curve?

Next race we drop her level and add some distance hoping to play on her breeding and if she does need some time to settle into the race, the distance will allow her that.

any other suggestions?

[Denise]

We called her the morning glory. Trained beautifully, never tied up, never got heatstroke (a feat in the northeast this year), and never showed any foot in the afternoons.
Have you tried blinkers? Sometimes they sharpen up with those. The first try in the off going probably soured her a little, but it doesn't explain the second try. Also, you might have a grass horse if she doesn't like dirt getting thrown at her.
Hard to say what to do. We tried ours short, long, middle, grass, dirt, day, night. The best finish she had was a fourth at the bottom level maidens, straight 3 year olds. All the talent in the world, but no heart.
I think you still have some things to try with yours, though.

[BenB]

It,s always possible that your having a trainers horse, but not a race horse. I wouldn,t think about that not at this stage.
Give her a couple off starts just for the experience, and maybe one at the
turf when there is a good gooiing ( just some juice in it).
In the morning she,s best but it hasn,t to be that that way in the
afternoon
Don,t ever use the whip, not at this stage, fillies just can loose all their racingheart by it. Find yourself a jock, with racingknowlegde about
fillies. It also might be to overwhelming for her, noises, crowd, much
more horses to compete etc.
The other things mentioned in the general discussion by
o.a. Madelyn, are completely right about the routine.

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