Paint

Just wanted to provide a more recent update of the run and the rivers condition. Excellent run with a mix of Class II and III rapids. This may vary depending on the flow. At lower flows there are areas that could be quite shallow and possibly bottoming out depending on the path you choose to take. The run is short and sweet. As mentioned in previous descriptions the final drop features 2 rocks that sit side by side. If you do not shoot the gap between them it is very easy to high side and pin the raft onto the 'river right' rock. Avoiding the gap by staying to the left may be possible but caution should be used as this will push you very close to the wall and some overhangs. This area can be scouted by taking the short hike down to the rapids from horse race rapids parking.

Just a FWIW regarding the discussion below (about pin potential in the final drop/sequence on this run) . . . obviously the concerns about pinning here will be very flow-dependent. Unfortunately, we do not have gauge/flow records for the day that pin occurred (it was before the gauge datum). While we can talk about 'normal, scheduled flow' for various date ranges (as specified on the 'Flows' tab), we must recognizze that flows can vary significantly from those scheduled flows for a variety of reasons. It is likely that this pin potential exists for almost all 'normal, scheduled flows'. At the lower releases, it may be more easily avoided (as well as more easily escaped/extracted). At higher flows, it almost certainly becomes a non-issue, as it will be well-covered.

Joey Wavetrains about to hit the gap between the Dragon's Teeth

An addendum to Nate's comment: Both Ben Bursack and I came to the same conclusion, that running from river left toward river right and through the center gap in the rocky teeth is the best and most attainable line. Running the left gap was near impossible for both of us. However, a word of caution as there is a current here that wants to push you towards the left gap, but the force pushing you through the center gap dictates that the center is the way to go. Due to this sideways swirl action, though, it is easy that if one did not 'gas' it they could still pin very easily. The best bet is to be aggressive in telling your boat you want to go through the center.

Even so, I did this and the sideways current still knocked my stern up on the left tooth, which I slid off of and into the pool instead of off the pourover proper.

I was looking at the pin rocks the other day and came to this conclusion. As long as you run Horserace from River Left you should not have to worry about getting pinned. I would suggest the best line, and smoothest, is to go river left of the pin rocks, but if you run between the pin rocks going from river left to river right there should be no chance of you to get pinned. I think the only pin angle is from right to left.

A fellow boater experienced a terrible pin at the bottom of Horserace between the two boulders called the Dragon's Teeth on May 8, 2005. Avoid the river right rock which is undercut and try to stay left as much as possible.

This is the view looking down at the play hole between the double drops.
Horserace Rapids is the last drop with takeout immediately at the bottom.
This is the bottom section of Horserace where you have to squeeze between a set of rocks good for flipping out-of-control paddlers.

Even at the minimum flows (250cfs) there are a few good 'squirt spots' on this run (places with sufficient depth and good current to assist in going vertical). One of them is right at the take-out, river-left, as the last currents are swallowed up in the backwaters of the reservoir. A few shallow rocks may occasionally catch the ends of your boat, but (given the relative lack of good deep-water spots on lower-volume rivers) novices will quickly get as much vertical action here as you could wish for anywhere in the Upper Midwest.

This is the first playhole on the river. Look for it as you come off of the first drop of double drop.
Hole at the bottom of the first drop in double drop.

The wavetrain at the takeout of Horserace Rapids, at unusually high (spring) flow.

(Note: this is an 'optimized version' of photo#2596, reduced to 450x300.)

This is a drop we always scout and warn paddlers to stay left as much as possible. Chris kept a cool head and did everything correctly to get himself safely out of the pin. Boat extraction took 2 hours.