Between the 3rd and 4th races on Breeders Cup day, are you looking across the country for a little action on some 8,000 maiden claimers?
Even though some tracks do pretty well in handle that Fri-Sat, I'm of the opinion that all other races should be shut down for the day, or at least the ones with conflicting start times. Before the BC day starts and night racing might be okay, but I think all attention by horseplayers should be directed at the Breeders Cup races out of respect, what say you?
Good idea. And all those tracks' clubhouses should be open with simulcasting and a promotion. "It is dollar draft today at Lone Star. Come bet the Breeders Cup." I don't know if a live naked lady would get me to Agadirt unless she wasn't old enough to be cashing her IRAOriginally Posted by stark
Your don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.....RZ
If I remember correctly, none of the other tracks ran live programs the first few years of the BC. It is impossible to quell greed in this business....it is part of the DNA.
Everyone come home sound
Pretty bad idea, in my opinion.
Tracks can, and do, complement the BC races and take advantage of the large simulcast patrons that are there to bet the big events. I think that's a good thing.
No racing out of "respect"? Sure. Let's have the BC start showing some of that to the rest of the world and the other tracks.
The tracks are now supposed to shut down for two entire days to satisfy this respect idea?
And Rick, you're right about greed . . . but I see it in the BC expanding to two days and adding races.
I think the Breeders Cup Extravaganza offers enough of a menu to keep your attention for two days. If you really need a cheap maiden race to bet on, just wait until Sunday, there'll be plenty of 'em all across the country. In fact, the fields might even be a little bit fuller because of taking the two days off.
It's about racetracks doing business, not about keeping my attention.
And, by the way, there will be three graded stakes run at Aqueduct on November 6. It's not just $8,000 claimers or maidens that other tracks are carding. It makes sense to run races on BC days when there are more people in the place to wager.
Also, not everyone sees the BC as necessarily doing racing a whole lot of good. Many of the hardcore handicappers I know think of those races as just another wagering opportunity. Part of the overall mix.
Song of Solomon has it right.
as a racing fan i like the bc. but as a horse player i rather bet the BIG A card!
More than claiming races and maidens running on November 6 at tracks other than Churchill.
People who suggest shutting down racing for a day or two are ignorinig the needs and livelihoods of horsemen, jocks, owners, track maintenance employees, mutuel clerks, and concessionaires.
To say that they should all stay home out of "respect" suggests a misunderstanding of racing reality.
Not to mention that I strongly suspect having these venues open with live racing actually HELPS handle on BC races.
Aqueduct: Nashua S (gr. II), $150,000g, 2yo, 8f.
Red Smith H (gr. IIT), $150,000g, 3&up, 11f (turf).
Tempted S (gr. III), $100,000a, 2yo f, 8f.
Beulah Park: Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial H (R), $50,000g, 3&up, Ohio-bred, 9f.
Chilukki S (gr. II), $150,000a, 3&up, f/m, 8f.
Dream Supreme S, $85,000a, 3yo f, 6f.
Delaware Park: Just a Kiss S, $50,000g, 3&up, f/m, 8.5f.
Golden Gate Fields: Golden Gate Debutante, $50,000g, 2yo f, 6f.
Hollywood Park: Real Quiet S, $100,000a, 2yo, 8.5f.
Laurel Park: All Brandy S (R), $50,000g, 3&up, f/m, Maryland-bred, 8.5f (turf).
Monmouth Park: Rutgers S, $70,000g, 3yo, 6f.
Montpelier: Noel Laing Steeplechase S, $40,000g, 4&up, 20f (turf).
Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort: Mountaineer Mile H, $125,000g, 3&up, 8f.
Pine Mountain: Aflac Supreme Hurdle (R), $75,000g, 4&up, non-winners over hurdles prior to June 1, 2009 or which have never won three races, 18f (turf).
Crown Royal Steeplechase S, $30,000g, 3&up, f/m, 18f (turf).
Remington Park: Clever Trevor S, $100,000g, 2yo, 7f.
Suffolk Downs: Norman Hall S (R), $50,000g, 2yo, Massachusetts-bred, 6f.
Woodbine: Maple Leaf S, 175,000g, 3&up, f/m, 10f.
Zia Park: Veterans S, $55,000g, 3&up, 8.5f.
Sure other tracks have a right to take advantge of the big day and market the home track. Jeff is right in that most will be filled with handicappers anyhow. My point was not so much that is is wrong, but that greed in this business makes any attempt at a national "event" impossible.
At one time the tracks did agree it was a good idea. Get all horse players to pay attention to the best card of the year. But the BC ended any cooperative effort with thier own greed. Which made it easy for all the other tracks to do what comes naturally.
I love betting the BC races, but I would be happy with a one day event. I would be even happier if the one day event was the only racing for that day across the country and if every track promoted it with a "come bet the BC races" marketing plan. More horses to fill the gates before and after the BC wouldn't be so bad either.
Everyone come home sound
I would be lost without local tracks on the Breeders Cup days
While I love the idea that a graded stake would get moved to Beulah, I am quite sure that the Chilukki (and presumably the Dream Supreme, as well) is going to remain at Churchill on the undercard.
I am glad that racing does not close down for the Breeders Cup. It's one of the things that makes racing special. I will probably play from home on BC day. If I go to the Breeders Cup, then I will not play any track but Churchill. If I stay home, I will probably play a few other spots on a selected basis.
I like to respect all racing, not just the headline events.
Thanks, HR. You are correct, of course.
My cut-and-paste skills are apparently rusty on a Monday morning . . . .
Forget the original premise about respecting the best the game has to offer, but from a handicapping perspective how many freakin races can you a) handicap b) find value in and c) cash?
I find that 8 or 9 wagering opportunities with full fields and plenty of betting angles to review and deep pools to be the ideal situation for a day at the races.
I'd actually prefer that the other tracks hold off for a week or two when they need the attention, when they need a good field, and not a 5 horse graded stakes event that is most likely unbettable, both coasts have been very guilty of carding these of late.
I can't imagine that the Breeders Cup races will have a negative impact on field size at other tracks. The fact that most G1 horses are racing at Churchill downs does not keep the other 98% of horses in America in the stall. There were 9 entrants in the G2 Chilukki last year. I'm not really sure why there wouldn't be a similar field this year.
The Breeders Cup is a great place to find value, but isn't the only place. That is a big part of the pleasure of horse racing--the minor leagues can be every bit as much fun as the Super Bowl.
All's I'm suggesting is that you enjoy the heck out of "all others" 51 weeks out of the year.
My question: WHY??
I don't see the reason to freeze out everyone else, that's all. There are all kinds of levels of racing, and it really doesn't make much sense to me to say that maidens need to stay in the barn in California because champions are racing in Kentucky; the events are just unrelated. And, at the same time, there is nothing that says that next year's Breeders Cup Classic winner won't be running somewhere on Breeders Cup day this year. That, in my opinion, is part of what is special about this sport. Why not embrace all the levels that make up the sport?
Why...because....
I think everybody's attention should be directed towards the best the sport has to offer two days per year, anything else is a distraction and dilutes the product.
I want every newspaper and TV station reporting on the brilliance at the Breeders Cup, not some breakdown in the stretch in New York.
I could be shooting myself in the foot here because I don't know the correct answers, but how many tracks in France are open on ARC day? Does Melbourne have alternative tracks on their big day? Or Hong Kong? I doubt it, but that's just a guess.
It ain't that big of a deal, some people actually like McDonalds as a dinner selection, I get it.
It's fun to have the BC supplement the card at Philly.
I want my live local card on BC day
Not sure the last time every newspaper and TV station reported on a stretch-run breakdown in New York. Maybe 30 years ago or so? If then.
Every newspaper and TV station doesn't even report on the BC at all. You do realize that, I trust.
If you want to talk about dilution of the BC product, I would direct you to the organizers and officials of the BC itself. No one has done more to dilute the BC product than they.
I don't like McDonald's. But no matter. What I also don't like is someone telling me what's good and what's not.
No one feels compelled to force you to focus on anything but the BC. You'd do well, in my view, to stop trying to argue that others with track allegiances on BC day should forego those allegiances, "because."
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks