101 scratches at Saratoga last 2 days

[Longshot6977]

I realize the weather has been bad the last couple of days at the Spa, but is 101 scratches really necessary in just 2 days? It seems the NY rules allow any scratches by whoever and whenever. Just thinking out loud here.

[cj]

I realize the weather has been bad the last couple of days at the Spa, but is 101 scratches really necessary in just 2 days? It seems the NY rules allow any scratches by whoever and whenever. Just thinking out loud here.

Don't all tracks allow scratches for off the turf and off tracks?

[Stillriledup]

I realize the weather has been bad the last couple of days at the Spa, but is 101 scratches really necessary in just 2 days? It seems the NY rules allow any scratches by whoever and whenever. Just thinking out loud here.

Im a stickler for "you enter, you race" but i dont think it would be fair to force owners to run horses on these bad tracks with their expensive investments. I know my bet sizes go way down in the mud, those are good days to just skip if field size is vital to how you bet.

[JustRalph]

What I don't get, why did the tracks not change much at all with all this water?

I don't think you can bitch about the scratches.........

[highnote]

The track seemed to be running OK. Maybe a slight inside bias.

I think the scratches were due to this being the end of the meeting.

Maybe a lot of people were just trying to pack and up and get ready for Belmont or get to their next track?

[Longshot6977]

Don't all tracks allow scratches for off the turf and off tracks?

I'm not sure. I thought that NY had very flexible scratch rules. Not sure of other jurisdictions.
My personal thought is what Highnote said about the end of the meeting and just using the bad track excuse and getting out of Saratoga with a little headstart.

[Stillriledup]

I'm not sure. I thought that NY had very flexible scratch rules. Not sure of other jurisdictions.
My personal thought is what Highnote said about the end of the meeting and just using the bad track excuse and getting out of Saratoga with a little headstart.

I dont think the head start is a factor, those purses at Spa are HUGE, if they wanted a head start, they probably wouldnt have entered a horse on the last day or two. I dont think that's it.

[Cannon shell]

I realize the weather has been bad the last couple of days at the Spa, but is 101 scratches really necessary in just 2 days? It seems the NY rules allow any scratches by whoever and whenever. Just thinking out loud here.
So you'd rather have more horses forced to run that aren't going to try?

[SandyW]

No track anywhere can top the amount of scratches that are allowed at AQU, BEL, AND SAR come rain or shine.
The trainers get away with murder at these tracks when it comes to entering and scratching their horses.
They always have and it is part of the landscape.

[v j stauffer]

I'm not sure. I thought that NY had very flexible scratch rules. Not sure of other jurisdictions.
My personal thought is what Highnote said about the end of the meeting and just using the bad track excuse and getting out of Saratoga with a little headstart.

Then why enter? The LAST thing anybody entered on the final few days wants is to have to scratch. It's very simple. When they're off the turf and the main track is sloppy there's gonna be a ton of scratches.

[Longshot6977]

No track anywhere can top the amount of scratches that are allowed at AQU, BEL, AND SAR come rain or shine.
The trainers get away with murder at these tracks when it comes to entering and scratching their horses.
They always have and it is part of the landscape.

Agreed. Rain or shine, always lots of scratches in those 3 tracks.
Vic, do you enter a horse the day of the race? No. Or a week or so out? Then how would the trainer predict rain a week out? Of course the horse is entered in advance.

I remember not long ago there was a thread about the excessive scratches in NY even on nice days and many said the rules were too flexible there, but on this thread, they seem to be making excuses for them. Oh well, it was just an observation I wanted to point out that 101 scratches seemed to be a lot and was wondering if the last 2 days of a meet would contribute to it.:)

[bitter]

you must not follow Delaware Park then :faint: ..........

[pondman]

Everyone has lawyered up. Racing boards can't afford all the lawsuits.

Plus the jockey has a right/responsibility to refuse to ride a horse. Vet scratches are often the result of jockey comments.

[burnsy]

They schedule all kinds of turf racing up here. There was alot of rain each night. Force people to run their 30,000 dollar up to milllions of dollar, turf horses, to run just so you can bet on bigger fields? Yeah brilliant........then you'll be bitching when a horse gets hurt or doesn't try......"Such and such trainer should be suspended"...i read that crap here every time a horse gets hurt or breaks down.....but you want it both ways....i get it....these poor people can't win in some peoples eyes. I'm thankful we got almost 38 out of 40 days good weather....you do understand we are in upstate NY??????:bang: :confused: In case you don't know, the weather up here can change in a blink and rain alot more than it did this year.

[iceknight]

Did nt Point of Entry get hurt running on yielding turf sometime back (maybe not at Toga.. but all the same running on not so great tracks does hurt some horses, esp if they are pushed.. ) I think it is ok for the owners/trainers to scratch under adverse weather conditions.

[BlueShoe]

Why does Saratoga card so many turf races in the first place? Why such an emphasis on grass racing? Sure, the condition book comes out and there is no way to predict the weather, but why so many grass races? On a typical 9 or 10 race card this year it seemed that 5 to 7 of them were on the turf. Del Mar, with perfect weather, runs far fewer races on the turf, percentage wise, than Saratoga. Long time weather records surely should have alerted NYRA officials that rain will be common. It is disgusting when a race with 12 entrants and 4 Aes set for the turf comes off and the field is reduced to 5 or 6 after scratches. :ThmbDown: This SAR meeting wore out a pen just marking all the scratches in my Form each day, yesterday a good example. :rolleyes:

[v j stauffer]

Agreed. Rain or shine, always lots of scratches in those 3 tracks.
Vic, do you enter a horse the day of the race? No. Or a week or so out? Then how would the trainer predict rain a week out? Of course the horse is entered in advance.

I remember not long ago there was a thread about the excessive scratches in NY even on nice days and many said the rules were too flexible there, but on this thread, they seem to be making excuses for them. Oh well, it was just an observation I wanted to point out that 101 scratches seemed to be a lot and was wondering if the last 2 days of a meet would contribute to it.:)

All tracks are different. Typically it'll be Wed for Sat. Thurs for Sun something like that. Racing secretaries have to be meteorologists as well. Looking to the future to hope cards will hold together with the very volatile east coast , monsoon season, weather.

One of the reasons the overall number of scratches is so high is the total number of entries taken is huge as well. Many more also-eligible than usual and of course the MTO horses. In perfect weather that could lead to 6-10 taken out even if the race is virtually untouched.

Bottom line. Race tracks are trying to provide the fullest possible fields on the intended surface to generate the highest handle.

Many times Mother Nature doesn't seem to care.

[cj]

Why does Saratoga card so many turf races in the first place? Why such an emphasis on grass racing? Sure, the condition book comes out and there is no way to predict the weather, but why so many grass races? On a typical 9 or 10 race card this year it seemed that 5 to 7 of them were on the turf. Del Mar, with perfect weather, runs far fewer races on the turf, percentage wise, than Saratoga. Long time weather records surely should have alerted NYRA officials that rain will be common. It is disgusting when a race with 12 entrants and 4 Aes set for the turf comes off and the field is reduced to 5 or 6 after scratches. :ThmbDown: This SAR meeting wore out a pen just marking all the scratches in my Form each day, yesterday a good example. :rolleyes:

They card races that will draw big fields, and thus bigger handle. Dirt races don't fill near as well, so I doubt when races are taken off turf it really hurt that much anyway. It is undoubtedly worth the risk to card a lot of them, or they wouldn't do it.

[BlueShoe]

They card races that will draw big fields, and thus bigger handle.
Horrible maiden claiming races for NY breds, or even worse, claimers for NY breds NW2L generate bigger handle? :confused: Those 4 or 5 yo maidens making their 20th start, and more awful, a 6 or 7 yo that is 1 for 37 lifetime are not what one could call reliable wagers. Pass, time for a trip to the men's room or perhaps to the concessesion stand for a cup of coffee.