A few questions about race card scratches

[trying2win]

Could someone please enlighten me a bit more about race card scratches? I can understand various reasons for veterinarian scratches, or turf race horses being scratched on an off track when the race switches to a dirt track. A few things I don't understand are:

1. Why are there so many scratches at some tracks, when the rains come and the track turns sloppy or muddy? A case in point...the ridiculous amount of scratches at Turf Paradise on Mon. Feb. 23 and Tues. Feb. 24. On these kind of off-track conditions, do the trainers usually give race officials 'GOOD SOUND REASONS', or just 'REASONS THAT SOUND GOOD', why they're scratching their horses?

2. Why do places like the major southern California tracks have so many scratches on a lot of the warm sunny days, never mind on an off track?

3. I look at a track like Mountaineer Park, which seems to have very few scratches on their race cards (if any), on a consistent basis.


Do trainers scratch their horses friviously on California tracks, because they think the competition is too tough on one day, and they think they might have a better chance in a race two or three days away? Are the trainers thinking that with a lack of overall number of horses on the grounds, that it will be easy to get entered in a better spot in a few days hence?

Getting back to Mountaineer Park. Are trainers more reluctant to scratch a horse (other than for vet reasons) because
they might not get to run their horse for another month, due to let's say a huge horse population at this track?

Thanks,

T2W

[IRISHLADSTABLE]

T2W,
Have you never heard of the Star System ?
No horse may be entered " star only"
Fillies may obtain and use Filly "stars" only in Filly and Mare
races .
Turf "stars" may be obtained and used in turf races only
Dirt "stars" may be obtained and used in dirt races only.
"Stars" obtained in claiming races may only be used in
claiming races both winners and maidens.
"Stars" obtained in allowance races may only be used
in allowance races both winners and maidens.
Any horse that has obtained more than one "star"
will lose all stars once it has the opportunity to run.
All stars must be claimed at time of entry.

T2W
What this all means is as an owner if my horse is
entered in a race and ends up on the AE list I
get a star. If I have the bad luck of ending on the AE
again I get another Star. After this happens 3
times the next race I automatically get into the race
even if I draw and outside post.
This is why at times you see a horse or horses that
are in the body of the race get scratched and the
A/E horse(s) draw in.
Regarding the scr's with the weather.
The 2 examples you used used are warn climates
that dont get a lot of rain. I cant speak for the So Cal
tracks but I can about Turf Paradise.
I raced at Turf Paradise in the 80's , Arizona doesnt
get much rain fall so when they do it affects the track
differently then it would say a track on the East Coast.
The drainage system the type of soil used on the track
and other factors .
Jimmy

[trying2win]

Originally posted by IRISHLADSTABLE


T2W
What this all means is as an owner if my horse is
entered in a race and ends up on the AE list I
get a star. If I have the bad luck of ending on the AE
again I get another Star. After this happens 3
times the next race I automatically get into the race
even if I draw and outside post.
This is why at times you see a horse or horses that
are in the body of the race get scratched and the
A/E horse(s) draw in.
Regarding the scr's with the weather.
The 2 examples you used used are warn climates
that dont get a lot of rain. I cant speak for the So Cal
tracks but I can about Turf Paradise.
I raced at Turf Paradise in the 80's , Arizona doesnt
get much rain fall so when they do it affects the track
differently then it would say a track on the East Coast.
The drainage system the type of soil used on the track
and other factors .
Jimmy

Jim Bob,

Thanks for the effort, but you still haven't answered any of my questions. Care to try again?

Thanks,

T2W

[Buddha]

I can vouch for the Mountaineer aspect. I think part of it is the fact that most of the horses are cheap, and the trainers want to get races out of them. If a horse does scratch, they usually have a heck of time getting back into a race because they have to get another preference date, and there are many more horses ahead of them in line.

If what I understand about mountaineers preference system is right, you get into a race, and you have an R date which might be something like R2-28, meaning you raced on 2-28. If you would happen to scratch, and not race, you have to sign out the foal papers from the secretarys office, or enter into another race, and i believe actually make the body of the race to get another date. With all these cancellations that Mountaineer had, it is going to make it tough for a while. Those horses that were entered on days that they cancelled then get Z dates, and will automatically draw into the body of a race, as long as there aren't that many horses with Z dates trying to get into one race.

So, with this long winded explanation of how MNR does it, I would have to say, yea, with the shortage of entrants at So.Cal, or even TUP, if rain comes, and they don't want to run their horse on a wet track, they will probably have no problem getting back into the race of their choice. At Mountaineer, or other places that routinely fill the entry box, it is tougher, and therefore some trainers are more willing to run their horses just to get a chance to get a check, and save the headaches of trying to get back into another race where they will have a tougher time of doing so.

[trying2win]

Buddha,

Hey, thanks a million for your explanation. Your reputation for being helpful continues. Your comments really helped clarify a few things for me in this area of race card scratches.

Regards,

T2W

[PurplePower]

Originally posted by IRISHLADSTABLE
T2W,
Have you never heard of the Star System ?

Jimmy

Jimmy,
What track still uses the star system? That was the preference system used at LaD in the 80's when 40 to 50 horses were entering in certain races. It gave preference not just to horses that had not raced in a while, but also to horses that were being entered yet not getting in. Sometimes we entered a horse knowing it was not ready to race so that when it was ready we would have enough "stars" to get in. All of the tracks that I deal with now use the "preference date" system that Buddah explained. T2 you can go to the SHRP website, click on Racing Information and then overnights and you will see the preference dates listed by each horses name. The R number refers to the racing date on which the horse appeared on the overnight. For example, Sunday is the 70th racing day so all horses on that overnight will have their R number changed from the number showing to an R70 for the next time they enter.

Regarding scratches. As pointed out, horses are scratched for several reasons. Yes, some trainers look at the competition and decide they want to scratch, but that is not allowed in most states. Most of the time the only way a horse can be scratched from a race is with a "vet scratch" or "administrative (steward's) scratch" . It is amazing how many horses develop a mild colic after the trainer sees the competition. If a horse gets a vet scratch, it goes on the "vet's list" for a MINIMUM of 4 days and cannot be entered until it comes off the vet's list. (If the horse is put on the list because it is sick or unsound, the vet can prescribe a longer number of days AND require that the horse perform an official timed workout of some minimum distance in a maximum time.) At racetracks where vet checks are performed prior to racing, the state veterinarian will recommend which horses should be scratched because they do not pass the pre-race examination. All racetracks in Texas have pre-race vet checks and probably 3/4 of the scratches you see when the early changes are announced are such pre-race vet scratches.

If a trainer wants to scratch out of a race to enter one the next day, that trainer must get the permission of the stewards and the racing office before scratching. That is an "administrative" scratch meaning that he horse does not have to be put on the vet's list. That runner will have lowest preference, however, as it is considered an "in today" horse and will not get in if the race into which it is being entered overfills.

When races have "also-eligibles" (and in some cases, full field races) trainers are allowed to scratch "for cause" and that "cause" may be because they don't like the post position or the competition. As long as the field size will remain over 8 there may be no restriction. Once the field size goes below the minimum to offer superfecta (or trifecta) betting, the stewards then consider the reason for the scratch and may or may not allow the scratch.

As Buddah pointed out, trainers running cheaper horses at tracks where it is hard to get in races don't scratch as often as trainers that know they can get their runner back in just about whenever they want to run.

[trying2win]

Purple Power,

Thanks for the explanation about scratches. Very interesting.

T2W