Mahoning

[mountainman]

Scattershot observations:

1) Luis Quinones should have been dq'd for jock interference in Monday's (?) second race. His intimidation antics crossed the line in deep stretch.

2) The surface has been mostly fair lately.

3) Lots of people who bet Luis Gonzalez yell "stiff job" when he loses, and it often DOES look like he's straining to slow his mounts down, but that's just how the guy rides. Gonzalez is old school and thinks every horse should be taken off the pace, and his idea of rating is to snatch on the horse's mouth right after the break and try slowing up to a canter. Really, I'm serious.

4) Love the size and quality of veteran condition fields up there, but they card simply too many mdn races and struggle more each season to fill higher class events not restricted to ohio breds.

5) Certain Ohio bred races carry incorrect connotations in drf.

6) Jose Colon is by FAR the best rider in this region. Not even close.

7) When the weather is cold, fast tracks tend to develop a slight rail-bias late in the day.

8) Where did the live crowds go?????

9) Mvr's signal has grown in popularity at mountain simo. A lot.

10) Some players at Mnr simo suck up to and consult a core group of mnr horsemen who wager there everyday. I had no idea there were still players that stupid.

11) One of the tellers got me shut out of a 7/2 winner last week by pausing to flirt with the dude in front of me. I will retaliate by switching to the Sams. With sparse crowds there on certain weekdays, clerks need the business to justify their hours.

[bello]

Thanks for the recap mountainman.

Beginning to figure this place out. And I noticed some really awful favorites that can be against. Luis Q had a 1-5 shot in a maiden last week race 1 from the rail. ( sorry forgot the name of the horse)WHY ???? Ive noticed a few of those underlays.

[bbopjz]

Do you mean Luis Colon?

[mountainman]

Do you mean Luis Colon?

my bad...BIG difference...

[mountainman]

Thanks for the recap mountainman.

Beginning to figure this place out. And I noticed some really awful favorites that can be against. Luis Q had a 1-5 shot in a maiden last week race 1 from the rail. ( sorry forgot the name of the horse)WHY ???? Ive noticed a few of those underlays.

THAT'S the race I got shutout on. The winner (Shack's Harem??) got pushed on extremely fast splits race before last and then swallowed by a potent bias last start.

[bello]

THAT'S the race I got shutout on. The winner (Shack's Harem??) got pushed on extremely fast splits race before last and then swallowed by a potent bias last start.

Lone speed and the rail was golden that day. Of course race 1 we didn't know the rail would be so good but nonetheless lone speed

[appistappis]

love MV, you can find them there.

[arw629]

Scattershot observations:

1) Luis Quinones should have been dq'd for jock interference in Monday's (?) second race. His intimidation antics crossed the line in deep stretch.

2) The surface has been mostly fair lately.

3) Lots of people who bet Luis Gonzalez yell "stiff job" when he loses, and it often DOES look like he's straining to slow his mounts down, but that's just how the guy rides. Gonzalez is old school and thinks every horse should be taken off the pace, and his idea of rating is to snatch on the horse's mouth right after the break and try slowing up to a canter. Really, I'm serious.

4) Love the size and quality of veteran condition fields up there, but they card simply too many mdn races and struggle more each season to fill higher class events not restricted to ohio breds.

5) Certain Ohio bred races carry incorrect connotations in drf.

6) Jose Colon is by FAR the best rider in this region. Not even close.

7) When the weather is cold, fast tracks tend to develop a slight rail-bias late in the day.

8) Where did the live crowds go?????

9) Mvr's signal has grown in popularity at mountain simo. A lot.

10) Some players at Mnr simo suck up to and consult a core group of mnr horsemen who wager there everyday. I had no idea there were still players that stupid.

11) One of the tellers got me shut out of a 7/2 winner last week by pausing to flirt with the dude in front of me. I will retaliate by switching to the Sams. With sparse crowds there on certain weekdays, clerks need the business to justify their hours.

I’ve been keeping track of biases similar to how you do for
The mountains and I’ve been writing Fair a lot lately. This makes me feel better about my notes! You think we’ll have racing tomorrow with the big storm coming through?

[mountainman]

I’ve been keeping track of biases similar to how you do for
The mountains and I’ve been writing Fair a lot lately. This makes me feel better about my notes! You think we’ll have racing tomorrow with the big storm coming through?

Yes. Storm not supposed to hit until noon. Actually, Nancy does the bias notes for the website. It was, however, my idea and I'm considering doing them myself this year.

[rrpic6]

Thanks for the recap mountainman.

Beginning to figure this place out. And I noticed some really awful favorites that can be against. Luis Q had a 1-5 shot in a maiden last week race 1 from the rail. ( sorry forgot the name of the horse)WHY ???? Ive noticed a few of those underlays.


Race 1 on January 12. #1 Sweet Evy Grace. She won in her debut going a mile on November 13 by 14 lengths. She then raced December 17 in an Allowance sprint vs NW1X. She broke badly and looked sluggish throughout that day. Soon after, she was DQ'd from her Maiden win due to a positive drug test. Therefore she was placed back into a Maiden Special Weight race. Anyone watching the 12-17 race knew something was wrong. To bet her down to 1-5 was insanity. #2 Shack's Harem was 0 for 23 coming into that race but was certainly the lone speed exiting 2 races vs open MSW's, then placed back into OH Bred MSW's. 7/2 was a true gift. Also my top pick on my Postman's Picks Tipsheet for that race.;)


RR

[rrpic6]

Mountainman mentioned Jockey Luis Colon being the best jockey in the area. I've been saying that at MVR for the past 3 years. No one comes close. Rumor has it he may be going to Oaklawn when their meet opens in 2 weeks. He deserves a chance to try a major circuit. There is a huge drop off in talent after Colon. Jaime Rodriguez from Finger Lakes hasn't returned to MVR, Walter DeLa Cruz has left for Oaklawn, Augustin Bracho has followed his son Jose Bracho (hope he quits growing, talented as DeShawn Parker) to Tampa. Not sure about Magan Fadlovich's where abouts. My gradings for the riders here:


A+ Luis Colon


A- Luis Quinones (Won the Fall Meet here and at MNR.3rd nationally in wins)
Christian Pilares


B+ Erik Barbaran
Victor Santiago (Just arrived from Hawthorne)


B T D Houghton
Luis Gonzalez


B- Luis Rivera
Edgar Paucar


C+ Sonny Leon
Kaitlin Bedford (Apprentice has shown strength, timing and ability)
Hector Rosario


C Noel Vigil
Gerrardo Corrales
David Cardoso
Kirk Johnson



I'll be polite and won't name the riders I'd labeled a D or F.


RR

[arw629]

Mountainman mentioned Jockey Luis Colon being the best jockey in the area. I've been saying that at MVR for the past 3 years. No one comes close. Rumor has it he may be going to Oaklawn when their meet opens in 2 weeks. He deserves a chance to try a major circuit. There is a huge drop off in talent after Colon. Jaime Rodriguez from Finger Lakes hasn't returned to MVR, Walter DeLa Cruz has left for Oaklawn, Augustin Bracho has followed his son Jose Bracho (hope he quits growing, talented as DeShawn Parker) to Tampa. Not sure about Magan Fadlovich's where abouts. My gradings for the riders here:


A+ Luis Colon


A- Luis Quinones (Won the Fall Meet here and at MNR.3rd nationally in wins)
Christian Pilares


B+ Erik Barbaran
Victor Santiago (Just arrived from Hawthorne)


B T D Houghton
Luis Gonzalez


B- Luis Rivera
Edgar Paucar


C+ Sonny Leon
Kaitlin Bedford (Apprentice has shown strength, timing and ability)
Hector Rosario


C Noel Vigil
Gerrardo Corrales
David Cardoso
Kirk Johnson



I'll be polite and won't name the riders I'd labeled a D or F.


RR

To me Quinones is the best gate rider of them all. His horses seem to always break well and more times than not if his horse has speed he will make the front with ease. He seems to be aware of any biases that come up from time to time at MVR and MNR. After him and Colon I’d put barbaran, Houghton,paucar, and Rivera in the next tier. I’ll be on track today and I’m
Hoping the weather cooperates but I think the card is in doubt.

[arw629]

To me Quinones is the best gate rider of them all. His horses seem to always break well and more times than not if his horse has speed he will make the front with ease. He seems to be aware of any biases that come up from time to time at MVR and MNR. After him and Colon I’d put barbaran, Houghton,paucar, and Rivera in the next tier. I’ll be on track today and I’m
Hoping the weather cooperates but I think the card is in doubt.

Also side note. I’ve noticed when the track here or at MNR gets very quirky (extreme bias) Luciano Hernandez can spring a long shot here and there. He doesn’t get the best mounts but look for him on prices on quirky days.

[porchy44]

There is a trainer Rodney Moyers who is 0/1000. don't know his exact percentage. He owns the horses he trains. Also he has the same results in 0n other Ohio tracks. How can someone survive owning these horses with such dismal percentage ?

[cj]

There is a trainer Rodney Moyers who is 0/1000. don't know his exact percentage. He owns the horses he trains. Also he has the same results in 0n other Ohio tracks. How can someone survive owning these horses with such dismal percentage ?

Can't say if this is the case for this guy, but I know some guys that train here in Oklahoma that do it as a hobby. They legit have full time jobs away from the track. They keep the horses at home, van them in on race day, lose almost always, and go home. They do it for fun, not for money.

How that is fun I have no idea. :)

[AlbertButtry]

Mountainman mentioned Jockey Luis Colon being the best jockey in the area. I've been saying that at MVR for the past 3 years. No one comes close. Rumor has it he may be going to Oaklawn when their meet opens in 2 weeks. He deserves a chance to try a major circuit. There is a huge drop off in talent after Colon. Jaime Rodriguez from Finger Lakes hasn't returned to MVR, Walter DeLa Cruz has left for Oaklawn, Augustin Bracho has followed his son Jose Bracho (hope he quits growing, talented as DeShawn Parker) to Tampa. Not sure about Magan Fadlovich's where abouts. My gradings for the riders here:


A+ Luis Colon


A- Luis Quinones (Won the Fall Meet here and at MNR.3rd nationally in wins)
Christian Pilares


B+ Erik Barbaran
Victor Santiago (Just arrived from Hawthorne)


B T D Houghton
Luis Gonzalez


B- Luis Rivera
Edgar Paucar


C+ Sonny Leon
Kaitlin Bedford (Apprentice has shown strength, timing and ability)
Hector Rosario


C Noel Vigil
Gerrardo Corrales
David Cardoso
Kirk Johnson



I'll be polite and won't name the riders I'd labeled a D or F.


RR

Fadlovich was headed to Sam Houston

[rrpic6]

There is a trainer Rodney Moyers who is 0/1000. don't know his exact percentage. He owns the horses he trains. Also he has the same results in 0n other Ohio tracks. How can someone survive owning these horses with such dismal percentage ?


Mr. Moyers had a banner day on Saturday, winning the 1st race (Kaitlin Bedford up). His coupled entry ran 3rd. Later on he had a horse finish 2nd. He is very active in the claim box at MVR. With a career winning percentage of about 3%, it is indeed a hobby. I think he and his family are produce suppliers to various supermarkets in Ohio and West Virginia. I've been told he does have odd training habits. He often lets horses "train" themselves by running free for hours in hilly areas of his farm.



RR

[rrpic6]

Fadlovich was headed to Sam Houston


Glad to hear she is doing ok. I thought she had purchased a home in Austintown this past Summer. She had some bad spills, resulting in some serious injuries the past few years. Wish her well at Sam Houston.


RR

[ZippyChippy423]

Scattershot observations:

1) Luis Quinones should have been dq'd for jock interference in Monday's (?) second race. His intimidation antics crossed the line in deep stretch.

2) The surface has been mostly fair lately.

3) Lots of people who bet Luis Gonzalez yell "stiff job" when he loses, and it often DOES look like he's straining to slow his mounts down, but that's just how the guy rides. Gonzalez is old school and thinks every horse should be taken off the pace, and his idea of rating is to snatch on the horse's mouth right after the break and try slowing up to a canter. Really, I'm serious.

4) Love the size and quality of veteran condition fields up there, but they card simply too many mdn races and struggle more each season to fill higher class events not restricted to ohio breds.

5) Certain Ohio bred races carry incorrect connotations in drf.

6) Jose Colon is by FAR the best rider in this region. Not even close.

7) When the weather is cold, fast tracks tend to develop a slight rail-bias late in the day.

8) Where did the live crowds go?????

9) Mvr's signal has grown in popularity at mountain simo. A lot.

10) Some players at Mnr simo suck up to and consult a core group of mnr horsemen who wager there everyday. I had no idea there were still players that stupid.

11) One of the tellers got me shut out of a 7/2 winner last week by pausing to flirt with the dude in front of me. I will retaliate by switching to the Sams. With sparse crowds there on certain weekdays, clerks need the business to justify their hours.

Thanks for the observations. Believe it or not I compare MVR to Gulfstream Park. Not in the sense of quality of horses and facility. They are similar because both tracks have nice sized fields and bring in a blended mixture of chalk, mid level prices and long shots every race day. A few observations I will add.

Rarely do you see jockeys drop back and close at MVR. They all gun their horses to the lead and pray the speed lasts even in longer races. It seems like it’s hard to rate horses there or very few try.

The finish line is oddly placed about three feet before the finish pole. Many people when watching the races there misjudge where the wire is really at.

If you are alive in the pick 6 or just want to know more info the mutuel department is very accommodating. They will actually break it down for you in detail.

[mountainman]

Mr. Moyers had a banner day on Saturday, winning the 1st race (Kaitlin Bedford up). His coupled entry ran 3rd. Later on he had a horse finish 2nd. He is very active in the claim box at MVR. With a career winning percentage of about 3%, it is indeed a hobby. I think he and his family are produce suppliers to various supermarkets in Ohio and West Virginia. I've been told he does have odd training habits. He often lets horses "train" themselves by running free for hours in hilly areas of his farm.



RR

Some fine day I will write about Mr Moyers' singular impact on thoroughbred racing.

On a related note: What a force in the O-bred ranks Little Blaker might be, given a rider who could fully capitalize on his talent and versatility.

[arw629]

Mr. Moyers had a banner day on Saturday, winning the 1st race (Kaitlin Bedford up). His coupled entry ran 3rd. Later on he had a horse finish 2nd. He is very active in the claim box at MVR. With a career winning percentage of about 3%, it is indeed a hobby. I think he and his family are produce suppliers to various supermarkets in Ohio and West Virginia. I've been told he does have odd training habits. He often lets horses "train" themselves by running free for hours in hilly areas of his farm.



RR

Lol ...The conditions were far from ideal but after race 1 (a rareMoyers win)a man by the bar shouted “I always said it would take a cold day in hell for Rodney Moyers to win a race!” The verbiage was somewhere along these lines...

[ZippyChippy423]

Lol ...The conditions were far from ideal but after race 1 (a rareMoyers win)a man by the bar shouted “I always said it would take a cold day in hell for Rodney Moyers to win a race!” The verbiage was somewhere along these lines...


Isn’t he the same trainer that back in 2017 ran a horse 23 times in 6 months? It was a bottom level claimer that nobody would ever claim. Hobby or no hobby you don’t run horses into the ground like that. With some quick research it seems he is notorious for this.

[mountainman]

More scattershots:

Today's first race sadly exemplifies the growing problem of "pace scratching," which often results in non-competitive cakewalks and renders early handicapping useless. It's not only that sharp horses landing in competitive fields get scratched in pursuit of walkovers, but any contender deemed unsuitable to the pace scenario is likewise scratched, which changes everything.

I'm guessing the beyer guys don't trust Mahoning times-at all. Why else would (virtually) identical clockings at the same distance (and class level) result in a 9-point spread????? This tinkering happens a lot there. With no weather changes involved. For the record, mvr continues to clock each race, for purposes of comparison, by hand and with both the old and new systems. Six furlong races produce the widest discrepancies.


I have never seen a track, absent rain and not in the process of drying, change so much and on so many occasions during the course of respective cards. Or does it?? Real or imaginary, whatever surface-trend that seems to influence early results will usually contradict itself as the day wears on. Which, i'm starting to think, presents opportunity to outflank all the wise-guy wannabes who see Mahoning as uncharted territory and are ohhh so eager to plant their flags by proclaiming a bias. There might be value in backing some post position or running style that seemed disadvantaged in the first several races.

[rrpic6]

A 2 day Pick 4 Carryover of over $18,000 awaits MVR players today. That doesn't seem like a big pot, but the Pick 4 pool usually gets about $6000 daily. With a 15% takeout, this is a great opportunity. It won't be easy though. A cold, steady rain on top of 10 inches of snow that was removed from the surface Monday will make handicapping the card difficult. 2 Maiden Special Weight races for females, a NW3L for fillies and mares and an Ohio Bred claiming race are the races needed to solve to get the prize. I predict a payout of at least $1800 for 50 cents. Good Luck!


RR

[rrpic6]

My Caveman Pick 4 Ticket:


Race 5: :3:,:5:,:6:,:7:


Race 6: :1:,:3:,:5:,:7:,:9:


Race 7: :1:,:3:,:5:,:6:,:7:


Race 8: :1:,:2:,:6:,:9:,:10:


Cost = $250


RR

[ZippyChippy423]

More scattershots:

Today's first race sadly exemplifies the growing problem of "pace scratching," which often results in non-competitive cakewalks and renders early handicapping useless. It's not only that sharp horses landing in competitive fields get scratched in pursuit of walkovers, but any contender deemed unsuitable to the pace scenario is likewise scratched, which changes everything.

I'm guessing the beyer guys don't trust Mahoning times-at all. Why else would (virtually) identical clockings at the same distance (and class level) result in a 9-point spread????? This tinkering happens a lot there. With no weather changes involved. For the record, mvr continues to clock each race, for purposes of comparison, by hand and with both the old and new systems. Six furlong races produce the widest discrepancies.


I have never seen a track, absent rain and not in the process of drying, change so much and on so many occasions during the course of respective cards. Or does it?? Real or imaginary, whatever surface-trend that seems to influence early results will usually contradict itself as the day wears on. Which, i'm starting to think, presents opportunity to outflank all the wise-guy wannabes who see Mahoning as uncharted territory and are ohhh so eager to plant their flags by proclaiming a bias. There might be value in backing some post position or running style that seemed disadvantaged in the first several races.


A few months ago MHV had back 2 back race days where post 1-1a won the first four races. I’m willing to bet that has never ever happened before.

[AskinHaskin]

Isn’t he the same trainer that back in 2017 ran a horse 23 times in 6 months? It was a bottom level claimer that nobody would ever claim. Hobby or no hobby you don’t run horses into the ground like that. With some quick research it seems he is notorious for this.


Actual data shows just three runners who have started as many as 23 times for Moyers at all during the past three years, and none of those were close to "23 starts in six months".

[FakeNameChanged]

More scattershots:

Today's first race sadly exemplifies the growing problem of "pace scratching," which often results in non-competitive cakewalks and renders early handicapping useless. It's not only that sharp horses landing in competitive fields get scratched in pursuit of walkovers, but any contender deemed unsuitable to the pace scenario is likewise scratched, which changes everything.

I'm guessing the beyer guys don't trust Mahoning times-at all. Why else would (virtually) identical clockings at the same distance (and class level) result in a 9-point spread????? This tinkering happens a lot there. With no weather changes involved. For the record, mvr continues to clock each race, for purposes of comparison, by hand and with both the old and new systems. Six furlong races produce the widest discrepancies.


I have never seen a track, absent rain and not in the process of drying, change so much and on so many occasions during the course of respective cards. Or does it?? Real or imaginary, whatever surface-trend that seems to influence early results will usually contradict itself as the day wears on. Which, i'm starting to think, presents opportunity to outflank all the wise-guy wannabes who see Mahoning as uncharted territory and are ohhh so eager to plant their flags by proclaiming a bias. There might be value in backing some post position or running style that seemed disadvantaged in the first several races.

Mark, It would be interesting to hang out with you at MVR to pick your brain for a few days; as Mahoning seems to be a "riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma" to me.

[ZippyChippy423]

Actual data shows just three runners who have started as many as 23 times for Moyers at all during the past three years, and none of those were close to "23 starts in six months".

I had to research it to get the exact info but it was 21 races in the first 9 months of 2017, Lady Of Rivendale ? Spelling? Basically drove the horse into the ground bottom level horse should not have been racing IMO.

[mountainman]

Mark, It would be interesting to hang out with you at MVR to pick your brain for a few days; as Mahoning seems to be a "riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma" to me.

Easily arranged, sir. And would be my honor.

I already counsel enough Mahoning money that Penn Gaming should put me on retainer.

[arw629]

Race 8 Saturday is a very interesting MSW for registered Ohio Breds. I think the 6th race on January 8th will prove to be a strong race going forward. Attack Angle (2) drew the rail pp here and was ultra impressive last time after a very poor start. There is a ton of speed here and should be very dangerous with a decent start but will probably be very overbet. Any input Mountainman?

[rrpic6]

Let's try that 18K Pick 4 carryover again. With all eyes on the Pegasus at Gulfstream, some smart money might let the locals get a nice prize.


Race 5: :1:,:2:,:4:,:5:,:7:


Race 6: :1:,:3:,:7:


Race 7: :1:,:4:,:5:,:8:,:11:


Race 8: :2:,:4:


Cost is $75


If you want to go Caveman:


ALL/:1:,:3:,:7:/ALL/:2:


Cost is $198


RR

[mountainman]

Race 8 Saturday is a very interesting MSW for registered Ohio Breds. I think the 6th race on January 8th will prove to be a strong race going forward. Attack Angle (2) drew the rail pp here and was ultra impressive last time after a very poor start. There is a ton of speed here and should be very dangerous with a decent start but will probably be very overbet. Any input Mountainman?

Don't disagree with anything you've said. But the beyer and today's obvious pace -scenario will destroy the price. And the private sale of such a promising prospect makes me leery. Very leery. Given a good ohio bred, Rivelli is more than willing to quarter the horse in Chicago and shuttle. He's not normally looking to sell or leave the horse behind with another trainer.

FWIW...If the surface permits closing today, my ticket(s) will lean heavily on #7 Lunar Approach in race 5 .

Best of luck today, sir.

[bello]

Geez, race 5 is a tough one

P4 5789/37/1/23

#3 in last race has an interesting rider switch

[arw629]

Don't disagree with anything you've said. But the beyer and today's obvious pace -scenario will destroy the price. And the private sale of such a promising prospect makes me leery. Very leery. Given a good ohio bred, Rivelli is more than willing to quarter the horse in Chicago and shuttle. He's not normally looking to sell or leave the horse behind with another trainer.

FWIW...If the surface permits closing today, my ticket(s) will lean heavily on #7 Lunar Approach in race 5 .

Best of luck today, sir.

Very interesting late pick 4. Lunar Approach should be able to get a nice trip with this post. I’ll admit I think I overlooked this one but the last race was sneaky good considering she was buried inside. There is a lot to think about in this race and Im going to take a shot with Waki Patriot who might get first run on Sneakthegiantpearl. I also thought On the Clock was interesting at a big price. Pappada is having a great meet and is almost 30% second time in the barn. She should be in the mix. There are races to go back to that make her fast enough to win.

Back to the finale. Your points are well taken and I feel like Attack Angle will be very overbet. Plus not sure how much kickback Attack Angle dealt with last time
Considering how bad the start was and how wide the trip was. Lots of questions imo

[stuball]

Thanks for the winner


Don't disagree with anything you've said. But the beyer and today's obvious pace -scenario will destroy the price. And the private sale of such a promising prospect makes me leery. Very leery. Given a good ohio bred, Rivelli is more than willing to quarter the horse in Chicago and shuttle. He's not normally looking to sell or leave the horse behind with another trainer.

FWIW...If the surface permits closing today, my ticket(s) will lean heavily on #7 Lunar Approach in race 5 .

Best of luck today, sir.

[arw629]

Don't disagree with anything you've said. But the beyer and today's obvious pace -scenario will destroy the price. And the private sale of such a promising prospect makes me leery. Very leery. Given a good ohio bred, Rivelli is more than willing to quarter the horse in Chicago and shuttle. He's not normally looking to sell or leave the horse behind with another trainer.

FWIW...If the surface permits closing today, my ticket(s) will lean heavily on #7 Lunar Approach in race 5 .

Best of luck today, sir.

Nicely done. I thought the track played fair today. Do you agree?

[ElKabong]

Let's try that 18K Pick 4 carryover again. With all eyes on the Pegasus at Gulfstream, some smart money might let the locals get a nice prize.


Race 5: :1:,:2:,:4:,:5:,:7:


Race 6: :1:,:3:,:7:


Race 7: :1:,:4:,:5:,:8:,:11:


Race 8: :2:,:4:


Cost is $75


If you want to go Caveman:


ALL/:1:,:3:,:7:/ALL/:2:


Cost is $198


RR

Soooo very close, rr. Good pickin, would have been a nice payoff given the cost of the ticket.

[arw629]

Sir Stevieboy was quite the head scratcher in the second today at 50-1...he won like a 4-5 shot

[mountainman]

Golden rail apparent very early, sir.

[arw629]

Golden rail apparent very early, sir.

I’m not denying that it wasn’t a gold rail today bc every winner rode the pine for most of the races but this horse hasn’t shown anything recently at all.

[arw629]

Mahoning is absolutely packed today. The south lot is completely full and many cars are parked in the grass. I like the entry in the 8th and Cookstown Creed in the finale if anyone is playing along. Check it out ! Beautiful day here after the ice cold week that was.

[rrpic6]

Mahoning is absolutely packed today. The south lot is completely full and many cars are parked in the grass. I like the entry in the 8th and Cookstown Creed in the finale if anyone is playing along. Check it out ! Beautiful day here after the ice cold week that was.


Total bet on track was just over $38,000. Considering about 1000 people can fit in the betting areas, this was a good day. A small Pick 4 carryover ($1785) along with the Buckeye Pick 6 Carryover of $16,500 should make Monday's card interesting. Not to mention how much moisture is sitting below the track surface, waiting to thaw and make it a mud fest.


RR

[turfeyejoe]

Must be some problem with a portion of the track that caused all 6F races to be reduced to 5.5 furlongs. But routes remain intact. Is the track muddy after the freeze and thaw?
RRPic: Interested to see your selections for today's late pick 4.

[rrpic6]

A decision was made at 11:30 AM this morning to cancel the races. We all want the horses and riders to be as safe as possible. The continuous thaw of over a foot of snow and ice that has turned into a peanut butter like mix of mud and sand is certainly dangerous for man and beast.


RR

[mountainman]

Rather than laying the surface open to promote complete and even thawing, dirt was added in hopes of smothering the unsafe footing-a measure that has at the very least backfired, while at worst proven a total disaster.

The track-super, himself, today expressed grave concern to the jocks (several of whom had no intention of riding) about surface conditions, while management adhered to their commendable policy of making safety a singular priority.


The footing has become extremely uneven and seems likely, should racing resume Wed, to produce biased or unpredictable results.

Unsure footing in the 3/4 chute became an issue well before recent cancellations.

FWIW-There probably WAS no effective way for Mahoning's super to counter changing weather

[mountainman]

Nicely done. I thought the track played fair today. Do you agree?

Sorry, sir, just noticed this post. Will post backlog of daily bias-notes soon.

[bello]

Back in my days at Monticello Raceway, March would bring out the doge ( cones).

The track would begin thawing out after a cold winter and cones were placed around the far turn to keep the horses off the rail on that part of the track which would develop sinkholes.

Pre-racino days when racing would never be cancelled. Of course easier to accomplish in hanress racing. I would imaging some of the rough riding jocks would hers dome of their rivals into the cones and potholes.

[castaway01]

Going back to my days at Keystone/Philadelphia Park, these conditions were always close to impossible for the track super. As Bello noted, with racinos there's no longer a need to force the track to run on days like this. Of course safety is paramount, but for us handicappers, these thawing conditions do lead to extreme biases at times and lots of bet-back opportunities, so from a selfish perspective racing on those days was often lucrative.

[bello]

Pretty surprised they are racing in the rain today.

Jockeys are the most fearless people there are.

Save travels to all.

[bello]

Pretty surprised they are racing in the rain today.

Jockeys are the most fearless people there are.

Save travels to all.
Never mind...they just cancelled...rrpic, will they refund my toner and paper?

[rrpic6]

Never mind...they just cancelled...rrpic, will they refund my toner and paper?
It used to be a tax write off for me, but the new Tax Laws have set me back!


RR

[mountainman]

Disastrous Washout on clubhouse turn. Now more and more rain. Widely fluctuating temps in forecast. Austintown's woes appear far from over.

Will sub in Charles Town until Mvr up and running. Have experienced good success there.

[rrpic6]

22 horses had official workouts this morning on a surface labeled as fast. These included horses trained by many of MVR's leading Trainers. Hoping the surface remains safe and sound and live racing can resume Saturday 2-9-19.


RR

[mountainman]

Seeing tons of precip flash freeze provides a temporary, much anticipated, and very ominous fix, one that MIGHT let them race as scheduled for a short time. The next thawing trend could have biblical effect.

[mountainman]

Word is tomorrow's racing will proceed unless the jocks balk and refuse.

Clods, though, did become a serious concern after the renovation break.

[tcasolo]

I've been following this thread, as I love the info. Admittedly, I don't bet MVR, but since I'm at their facility multiple x each week for simulcasting I like to keep up on the happenings.

For my own curiosity, I keep a spreadsheet comparing daily handles from year to year at MVR. I use the daily handle amount from after the last race chart on every Equibase PDF chart for my total. I assume that is the official handle amount.

I find it interesting that handle since opening last October is DOWN on average $100,000 per racing day. This comes to more than 11% decrease, as opposed to the national average in 2018 of a 3% increase.

I know PNG could care less about racing handle, as they are all about gaming. This certaninly shows in their lack of any viable rewards program for racing. (I do sadly recall last year they did offer everyone a straight superfecta bet for .10...how nice of them), but this should be of concern to Ohio racing in general.

[rrpic6]

I've been following this thread, as I love the info. Admittedly, I don't bet MVR, but since I'm at their facility multiple x each week for simulcasting I like to keep up on the happenings.

For my own curiosity, I keep a spreadsheet comparing daily handles from year to year at MVR. I use the daily handle amount from after the last race chart on every Equibase PDF chart for my total. I assume that is the official handle amount.

I find it interesting that handle since opening last October is DOWN on average $100,000 per racing day. This comes to more than 11% decrease, as opposed to the national average in 2018 of a 3% increase.

I know PNG could care less about racing handle, as they are all about gaming. This certaninly shows in their lack of any viable rewards program for racing. (I do sadly recall last year they did offer everyone a straight superfecta bet for .10...how nice of them), but this should be of concern to Ohio racing in general.




Total handle today was almost 1.5 million. Couldn't find the HANA 2018 final stats but the 2017 stats showed a 25% increase in handle from 2016.


http://horseplayersassociation.org/2017Sortable.html


RR

[arw629]

Race 1 tomorrow looks like quite a doozy of an allowance nl2 for 3 YO buckeyes. On numbers the race looks competitive but Attack Angle has been the most visually appealing of the field IMO. It rained all day and night in Austintown and I hope the track is good to go tomorrow.

[MONEY]

R1. 02/13

#5 Make the Call, won on a wet track.
I think that he wins with a trouble free race.

[bello]

Agree with you both. Just cant separate 3 and 5. Rail has been golden last couple of cards. Depends on the trip

[arw629]

R1. 02/13

#5 Make the Call, won on a wet track.
I think that he wins with a trouble free race.

Interesting take. It feels like there is a lot of speed in this race and I think Attack Angle is the best finisher. I’m curious as to how this race gets bet. The card tomorrow is a nice one with many allowance races and big fields.

[mountainman]

hi guys....Attack Angle has displayed more talent than Make The Call, a handy stalker with no finishing kick or killer instinct yet in evidence.

But Attack Angle having been sold on the heels of a super-impressive debut still bugs me, and the horse stayed lefty and looked rocky to me in the final stage of his recent win. He did, however, move aggressively to hold position on a hard pace, which probably took a toll late.

Make The Call was compromised by stumbling badly at the start, but recovered almost instantly and fell into a great position just off a competitive pace.

Tough call as visual interpretation of their respective efforts seems critical. Were I offered stock in either horse, though, I would choose Make The Call.

FWIW-I think Speak No Evil in race #5, and One Step Closer in race #9 , neither of which figures much value, both loom likely winners...

And please remember that I was not bullish on Attack Angle going into his mdn score-so I'm probably the wrong guy to size him up...

[mountainman]

Agree with you both. Just cant separate 3 and 5. Rail has been golden last couple of cards. Depends on the trip

I agree that racing close to the pace and saving ground was the preferred trip yesterday, but I did not find the bias extremely potent. Especially when compared to Monday's, and more so to Saturday's (epic bias).

Good luck today, sir.

[arw629]

I’m on site and there is a very strong wind blowing directly north (directly into the top of the stretch). I’ll be curious to see if this calms down by race time or if it has an effect on the races. I don’t mind bad weather but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t uncomfortable outside.

[mountainman]

I’m on site and there is a very strong wind blowing directly north (directly into the top of the stretch). I’ll be curious to see if this calms down by race time or if it has an effect on the races. I don’t mind bad weather but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t uncomfortable outside.

Do you mean a tail wind down the backstretch, sir??

[arw629]

Do you mean a tail wind down the backstretch, sir??

The flag poles look like they want to blow over

[mountainman]

The flag poles look like they want to blow over

From behind the field on the backstretch??

[arw629]

Do you mean a tail wind down the backstretch, sir??

The weather report says 20-30 mph winds this afternoon with gusts over 40mph at times. I’m wondering if the card is in doubt. It’s rough

[arw629]

From behind the field on the backstretch??

Yes

[arw629]

Yes

It’s turned into a cross wind blowing northeast

[bello]

Going to box 3-5 in race 1 and play them both to a longshot #5 in race 2

[arw629]

I decided to come home for the races and watch on the couch and the guy on tvg just commented on the weather at Mahoning and referred to the track being just outside Cinci.....can someone get him the memo that cinci is over 4 hours away?

[arw629]

Going to box 3-5 in race 1 and play them both to a longshot #5 in race 2

Bingo

[arw629]

Bingo

Worst DQ ever.

[Saratoga_Mike]

Worst DQ ever.

I benefited from it, but I tend to agree with you.

[arw629]

I benefited from it, but I tend to agree with you.

The 5 came into the 3’s path first! Watch where they are at the top of the lane and where they finish. I’d argue the 5 altered course more than the 3! Unbelievable. They’ll hire any idiot there to be a steward

[Saratoga_Mike]

The 5 came into the 3’s path first! Watch where they are at the top of the lane and where they finish. I’d argue the 5 altered course more than the 3! Unbelievable. They’ll hire any idiot there to be a steward

Yeah, I thought the 5 leaned into the 3 earlier, then I thought the 3 was already by when he allegedly interfered with the 5.

[arw629]

Yeah, I thought the 5 leaned into the 3 earlier, then I thought the 3 was already by when he allegedly interfered with the 5.

I know I feel like someone just stole money from me.

[bello]

Worst DQ ever.

I agree, but i"ll take it.especially if the 5 can win here.

[tophatmert]

I decided to come home for the races and watch on the couch and the guy on tvg just commented on the weather at Mahoning and referred to the track being just outside Cinci.....can someone get him the memo that cinci is over 4 hours away?

Maybe he is taking in to account the high winds.

[arw629]

Maybe he is taking in to account the high winds.

I’m so bitter. I’m not one to even complain when I get taken down bc I know there is so much subjectivity to a decision but I don’t see in what universe this is the right call.

[bello]

I’m so bitter. I’m not one to even complain when I get taken down bc I know there is so much subjectivity to a decision but I don’t see in what universe this is the right call.

Shame is MVR getting noticed of late and bad judging can take the starch out of it. I am going to look at the head on when I get a chance...maybe he got hit with the whip or something we missed.

[tcasolo]

lol. PARX cancelled.

Total handle today was almost 1.5 million. Couldn't find the HANA 2018 final stats but the 2017 stats showed a 25% increase in handle from 2016.


http://horseplayersassociation.org/2017Sortable.html


RR

[arw629]

Anyone care to comment on the DQ in the opener Monday the 11th? Bayern left the gate and wired the field but he was DQd for interference leaving the gate

[rastajenk]

I think it was legit. First it broke outward into the 6 and7, which by itself wasn't too unusual, but as he moved toward the rail he pinched off at least two or three others one by one. This wasn't Bayern crashing at the start, it was well after correcting course after the first few steps. I've seen similar before, I have no problem with it.

[Jeff P]

Anyone care to comment on the DQ in the opener Monday the 11th? Bayern left the gate and wired the field but he was DQd for interference leaving the gate

Here's what I see based on the head on shot:


The #5 broke outward a bit. The rider of the #5 then corrected by angling his mount inward - and crossed over in front of the field rather quickly. Or took what the stewards may have seen as too sharp an angle when crossing over in front of the field.

There's a fine line when it comes to crossing over. Do it too sharply and other riders can be caught off guard - increasing the likelihood of a spill. Do it too gradually and you risk giving other riders the chance to deny you the rail.

Was that line crossed here? In my opinion no.

But in the opinion of the stewards? I'm thinking it was.


The rider of the #3, Ashley Kauffman, appears to steady ever so slightly as the #5 crosses in front of her. But Imo both the head on and pan shots show the #5 was clear of the #3 at that point in the race.


The rider of the #2 horse checked sharply.

What I'm about to say is based on my gut reaction after watching the replay several times -- AND after looking at stats in my database.

Prior to the running of the race in question, my database shows Logan Holbrook the rider of the #2 horse with:

1 win from 49 starts at Mahoning Valley and 4 wins from 159 starts at all tracks everywhere over the most recent 365 days.

I guess that's my way of forming an opinion -- combining what I think I'm seeing as I watch the replay with numbers pulled from a database.

I think the rider of the #2 horse PANICKED and checked far more severely and took his mount much further back than what was called for --

Or at the very least, overreacted compared to what I think a more talented/experienced rider would do in a similar situation.


Imo, the rider of the #5 never actually crossed over in front of the #2 or even took away the path of the #2.

Imo, the rider of the #5 stopped his mount from coming over just prior to the point of contact had the #2 been there.

But because the rider of the #2 had checked so severely there was no contact -- only extra space which the #5 promptly occupied -- making the whole thing look far worse from the head on view than it actually was.




Here's what I see based on the pan shot:


At the point in the race when the #5 crossed over in front of the #3, it appears to me the #3 (who the stewards placed the #5 behind in their ruling) was a few lengths behind the #5 and was therefore not affected by the crossing over incident.


I thought the rider of the #2 clearly overreacted -- and that the #5 never really took away the path of the #2 or committed a DQ worthy foul against the #2.


All of that said:

If you focus strictly on the head on shot without ever considering the pan shot, I could understand a ruling where the stewards believed the #5 had fouled the #2 and as a result decided to place the #5 behind the #2.

But that isn't where the stewards placed the #5.

They placed the #5 behind the #3 -- who in my opinion was far enough behind the crossing over incident that the #5 did not commit a foul against the #3.

If the stewards ruled the #5 fouled the #3: Then I say it's a bad call.

If the stewards ruled the #5 fouled the #2: Then I see it as a bad call because I don't want stewards rewarding the kind of severe overreaction exhibited by the rider of the #2.

If the stewards ruled that a foul must have occurred because the rider of the #2 checked so severely -- that a rider doesn't check that severely unless he's been fouled: Then I see a racing jurisdiction with a bad steward problem.

However, if the stewards ruled the rider of the #5 crossed over in front of the field too quickly or took too sharp an angle in crossing over the field -- and in so doing put the other riders at risk from a safety standpoint:

Then I am perfectly ok with the call.




-jp

.

[mountainman]

Today's card in doubt. Track conditions. Horsemen meeting as I type this.

[bello]

Today's card in doubt. Track conditions. Horsemen meeting as I type this.
If it is that iffy, I will lay off either way

Thanks for letting us know. There is always the meadows.

[mountainman]

If it is that iffy, I will lay off either way

Thanks for letting us know. There is always the meadows.

Word now is that racing WILL proceed.

[rrpic6]

Excellent job by the track crew. Track condition is fast despite 3 inches of snow from 7 to 9 this morning. Just some mist now. We Youngstown Breds are a hearty bunch. (Despite most of the schools in the area cancelling early).


RR

[mountainman]

When the footing is dry and the weather is cold there, the grain usually changes late in the day. Never get married to an apparent bias, guys. Identify and ride emergent trends, but stay loose and very flexible.

It is rare there when even potent surface trends are not contradicted by the end of a card. Believe me, well-timed bets ostensibly contrarian to the grain can be extremely profitable at Mahoning.

[mountainman]

Track closed to training. Some conjecture about potential rail-bias. Which would be a reversal of recent trend.

[lamboguy]

When the footing is dry and the weather is cold there, the grain usually changes late in the day. Never get married to an apparent bias, guys. Identify and ride emergent trends, but stay loose and very flexible.

It is rare there when even potent surface trends are not contradicted by the end of a card. Believe me, well-timed bets ostensibly contrarian to the grain can be extremely profitable at Mahoning.that is so true and great advice.

[mountainman]

Clods. Not much cushion. Cancellation now speculated.

[mountainman]

Racing will proceed.

[bello]

Rail sure looked like the place to be in race 1 but my guess is that second time starter would have won if he gave the rest of the field a head start. 29-1 in debut, 4-1 today, Dark Maze was very well meant.

Going to play a p3 in race 2. 45/6/45. A bit chalky but that is why P3s were invented.

[mountainman]

The anti-rail trend continued, but could not be characterized as a "wider the better" bias. Nor was speed angled a bit out from the rail compromised in the slightest.

[bello]

Hey Mountainman,

I have noticed over the years an interesting phenomenon at the Mountain and MVR.

I do not want to mention names of some of the lesser talented jocks on both circuits. We both know who they are.

Why do some of the conditioners continually use the worst jocks. Even when one comes off, they are replaced by another weak riding jock, even though there are better ones available.

Is it just a hobby for some of these owners or trainers and they simply want to give some rarely used and rarely winning riders a break?


Thoughts?

[rrpic6]

Hey Mountainman,

I have noticed over the years an interesting phenomenon at the Mountain and MVR.

I do not want to mention names of some of the lesser talented jocks on both circuits. We both know who they are.

Why do some of the conditioners continually use the worst jocks. Even when one comes off, they are replaced by another weak riding jock, even though there are better ones available.

Is it just a hobby for some of these owners or trainers and they simply want to give some rarely used and rarely winning riders a break?


Thoughts?


I did grade MVR's jockey's earlier in this thread. Colon is gone, probably won't be back to MVR. Jaime Rodriguez did arrive from Finger Lakes and is now the best rider on the grounds. Victor Santiago hasn't ridden lately and is not named to ride any horses in the near future. Unfortunately the current jockey colony is an average one at best. Most of the jocks are now Mountaineer based, along with a few from T-Down. I assume owners and Trainers reward jockeys that will work their horses in the morning. Some Trainers have no choice but to use less talented riders because those are the ones willing to ride for them. Obviously Jock Agents should already know the better riders stick with the better Trainers.


RR

[turfeyejoe]

When the footing is dry and the weather is cold there, the grain usually changes late in the day. Never get married to an apparent bias, guys. Identify and ride emergent trends, but stay loose and very flexible.

It is rare there when even potent surface trends are not contradicted by the end of a card. Believe me, well-timed bets ostensibly contrarian to the grain can be extremely profitable at Mahoning.


Thanks for this advice, Mountainman. Wednesday's card was favoring early speed in the first several races, but I included a couple horses with strong late pace figures in my late pick 3 play. Specifically, Coney Island Kid had the best late pace fig according to Brisnet and he delivered at 40-1.
My $1 pick 3 play returned $2,550 and would have been a couple hundred dollars higher if there hadn't been a late scratch at the gate.

[rrpic6]

Thanks for this advice, Mountainman. Wednesday's card was favoring early speed in the first several races, but I included a couple horses with strong late pace figures in my late pick 3 play. Specifically, Coney Island Kid had the best late pace fig according to Brisnet and he delivered at 40-1.
My $1 pick 3 play returned $2,550 and would have been a couple hundred dollars higher if there hadn't been a late scratch at the gate.


Nice hit, but I doubt there were too many live Pick 3 tickets to #8 in the last race (who then got the post time favorite and winner). Her ML was 20-1 and was about 40-1 when scratched at the gate. You have to be happy that Race 7 was changed to 5 1/2 furlongs from 6 in the middle of the card. #6 Coal Miners Son was rolling late and would have won easily at 6 furlongs. A big difference as he went off at 8/5.


RR

[castaway01]

Thanks for this advice, Mountainman. Wednesday's card was favoring early speed in the first several races, but I included a couple horses with strong late pace figures in my late pick 3 play. Specifically, Coney Island Kid had the best late pace fig according to Brisnet and he delivered at 40-1.
My $1 pick 3 play returned $2,550 and would have been a couple hundred dollars higher if there hadn't been a late scratch at the gate.

If you can hit a $1 Pick 3 for $2500, you're having a good day...nice work!

[Unicorn]

Mountainman mentioned Jockey Luis Colon being the best jockey in the area. I've been saying that at MVR for the past 3 years. No one comes close. Rumor has it he may be going to Oaklawn when their meet opens in 2 weeks. He deserves a chance to try a major circuit. There is a huge drop off in talent after Colon. Jaime Rodriguez from Finger Lakes hasn't returned to MVR, Walter DeLa Cruz has left for Oaklawn, Augustin Bracho has followed his son Jose Bracho (hope he quits growing, talented as DeShawn Parker) to Tampa. Not sure about Magan Fadlovich's where abouts. My gradings for the riders here:


A+ Luis Colon


A- Luis Quinones (Won the Fall Meet here and at MNR.3rd nationally in wins)
Christian Pilares


B+ Erik Barbaran
Victor Santiago (Just arrived from Hawthorne)


B T D Houghton
Luis Gonzalez


B- Luis Rivera
Edgar Paucar


C+ Sonny Leon
Kaitlin Bedford (Apprentice has shown strength, timing and ability)
Hector Rosario


C Noel Vigil
Gerrardo Corrales
David Cardoso
Kirk Johnson



I'll be polite and won't name the riders I'd labeled a D or F.


RR

I thought I saw Fadlovich at Sam Houston over the winter, but I could be wrong.

[bello]

I thought I saw Fadlovich at Sam Houston over the winter, but I could be wrong.
She is at Sammy getting very few live mounts, unfortunately. Good patient rider IMO

[rrpic6]

I thought I saw Fadlovich at Sam Houston over the winter, but I could be wrong.




Not a great business decision by Fadlovich IMO. As of today she is 0 for 41 with 2 2nds and 3 3rds.



RR

[mountainman]

Thanks for this advice, Mountainman. Wednesday's card was favoring early speed in the first several races, but I included a couple horses with strong late pace figures in my late pick 3 play. Specifically, Coney Island Kid had the best late pace fig according to Brisnet and he delivered at 40-1.
My $1 pick 3 play returned $2,550 and would have been a couple hundred dollars higher if there hadn't been a late scratch at the gate.

Tx, dude. And congrats on some fine handicapping.

Kudos, btw, to J Rodriguez for wiring the 2nd despite the left rein snapping early. Unreal guts and balance.

Kudos also to steward Lori Dinoto, a former member of my crew at Mnr, for catching it instantly and radioing the outrider to be ready to grab the filly right after the wire.

And a tip of the hat to announcer Matt Hook, for professional grade and imaginative selections in his secondary role as track analyst. Matt also works as Rosario's agent, btw, and I do suspect bends over backwards now and then to pick his clients on top, and thus keep peace in the family and his morning income flowing.

Btw, I finally took my hardest stance against Angle of Attack, a short favorite (yesterday) that I've considered HIGHLY suspect for various reasons. And the way my play got nailed, and the illogical horse that nailed him, has made it hard to maintain my poise. But I have managed to.

Disturbing signs of intelligent life seen in two or three of today's late tote-corrections.

I will soon update my bias notes here.

[mountainman]

that is so true and great advice.

hope all is well, pal.

[mountainman]

Hey Mountainman,

I have noticed over the years an interesting phenomenon at the Mountain and MVR.

I do not want to mention names of some of the lesser talented jocks on both circuits. We both know who they are.

Why do some of the conditioners continually use the worst jocks. Even when one comes off, they are replaced by another weak riding jock, even though there are better ones available.

Is it just a hobby for some of these owners or trainers and they simply want to give some rarely used and rarely winning riders a break?


Thoughts?

Comradery amongst losers....commitments to the lesser jocks who get their horses out in the morning...an arrogant desire to be benefactor and mentor to young, or low-ranked riders...resentment toward the "power" agents they believe have spurned them.....fear of getting "handled" (a euphemistic and catch-all racetrack term for getting stiffed, having your horse claimed, having a high-ranked jock take off the horse to be left hanging..etc..etc...)

[turfeyejoe]

The "will pays" after race 7 showed the pick 3 with Regina George was worth $2,770. So the late scratch cost me $220. I was also live to 2-Sherz Zippy and I was rooting hard for her and her $3,996 payoff.

[mountainman]

Some fine day I will write about Mr Moyers' singular impact on thoroughbred racing.



One year suspension and 1k fine for sending a horse to the paddock with an ugly, seeping wound. Even more ominous, now a MANAGEMENT EXCLUSION at Tdn, with Mvr likely to follow suit.

Just desserts to the most destructive force in the history of this racing region. COUNTLESS sharp and productive thoroughbreds taken tragic hostage through the claim box and deconstructed into perpetual trailers with no purpose, no money bet on them, and no future WHATSOEVER.

A man whose unpardonable sins against the sport have left deep, permanent stains and brought shame to his "profession."

It is my fervent hope that he is never permitted to claim and ruin another racehorse.

[Thomas Roulston]

But doesn't just about every track rule "perpetual trailers" off with rules like "Stall space will not be given, nor entries accepted, to any horse which: 1) Has started for a claiming price of $5,000 or less and since starting for $5,000 or less has not finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in its last 10 starts, all inclusive; or 2) Has started for less than $4,000, and has not won for $4,000 or more since last starting for less than $4,000; or 3) Is a maiden which has started for less than $8,000 until winning"?

[mountainman]

But doesn't just about every track rule "perpetual trailers" off with rules like "Stall space will not be given, nor entries accepted, to any horse which: 1) Has started for a claiming price of $5,000 or less and since starting for $5,000 or less has not finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in its last 10 starts, all inclusive; or 2) Has started for less than $4,000, and has not won for $4,000 or more since last starting for less than $4,000; or 3) Is a maiden which has started for less than $8,000 until winning"?

Such policies, in Moyer's case, barely scratch the surface, treating the symptoms instead of the root problem. And as history has WELL established, when the performance(s) of a Moyer's runner drops below even HIS "standards," the man simply claims (and ruins) five more in its stead.

In general, the sort of "eligibility" requirements you refer to are EXTREMELY tolerant of hopeless horses, almost IMPOSSIBLE to run afoul of, and banish such a small percentage as to be almost completely ineffective.

It's like purporting to clean up Chicago by incarcerating one murderer per month.

With some 30 years experience as a racing official, sir, I can speak with some authority on this topic.

Tx for the response.

Btw, believe it or not, I like Moyers, consider him a gentleman, and respect his considerable success in other endeavors. Nor is the man some super-villian insensitive to animals. He is just utterly clueless when it comes to the care and training of thoroughbreds.

[rrpic6]

My friend Roger B. (whom trained my one and only race horse) used to work for Mr. Moyers from maybe 2002-2007. Roger loves horses and practically lived on the backside of Mountaineer. Moyers' winning percentage "sky rocketed" to about 4% with Roger looking after his horses. Not sure of why they parted ways, but no one ever took such good care of Moyer's horses after that.


I believe that Ryoan and Eskendulce have been re-claimed recently. They somehow held their form (Eskendulce won 3-23) even under Mr. Moyers.



Mountainman: Will Mr. Moyers be permitted to run any horses this meet when Mountaineer opens?


RR

[mountainman]

My friend Roger B. (whom trained my one and only race horse) used to work for Mr. Moyers from maybe 2002-2007. Roger loves horses and practically lived on the backside of Mountaineer. Moyers' winning percentage "sky rocketed" to about 4% with Roger looking after his horses. Not sure of why they parted ways, but no one ever took such good care of Moyer's horses after that.


I believe that Ryoan and Eskendulce have been re-claimed recently. They somehow held their form (Eskendulce won 3-23) even under Mr. Moyers.



Mountainman: Will Mr. Moyers be permitted to run any horses this meet when Mountaineer opens?


RR

Hi Ron. Hope your wagering is going well.

In response to your question: The situation has become complicated and murky. While WV stands obligated to honor Ohio's suspension of Moyers, he has, as expected, filed an appeal. And while during the appeal process he is not TECHNICALLY prohibited from running horses at Mahoning, and is not (yet??)) a management exclusion there, they are not accepting his entries.

Consequently, Mnr-at least until the suspension is (in all probability) upheld-could only bar Moyers by making him a management exclusion, or by simply refusing his entries.

Given that Moyers has now hit PETA's radar, I'd bet money that Mountaineer will somehow keep him from running horses here. But that is simply my guess, and concerns an impending decision to be made far above my pay grade and power.

I have heard, btw, that he is now holding a clearance sale, of sorts.

[HorsemenHeist]

Nor is the man some super-villian insensitive to animals..

Sending a horse with a seeping wound to race is pretty insensitive to me, and deserves every bit of punishment that he gets for putting racing into disrepute.

[mountainman]

Sending a horse with a seeping wound to race is pretty insensitive to me, and deserves every bit of punishment that he gets for putting racing into disrepute.

Compassion for animals aside, it was an incredibly dumb thing for Moyers to do and has become a career-defining moment.


Rest assured, sir, that stiff punishment seems inevitable.

[mountainman]

Don't misinterpret these sour grapes-it's been a profitable meet for me. But why IS it that (with the obvious exceptions of Quinones and Houghton) most Mvr jocks will do CONTORTIONS to avoid establishing the lead early in route races, but then send like KEEEEEEERAYZEEEEEE down the backstretch to attack the pacesetter????????

And on a closely related note: shame on Lagunes for a pathetic effort on Eternal Power in today's 3rd race. His RIDICULOUS insistence on somebody else taking the lead turned a routine wire job into a tuff beat. And then committing the ULTIMATE SIN for a grab and hold jock, he put a weak finish on his mount.

Riders like him live in mortal terror of winning a race, but not appearing to be the reason for victory. Very costly for me-and I am still livid.

[mountainman]

My friend Roger B. (whom trained my one and only race horse) used to work for Mr. Moyers from maybe 2002-2007. Roger loves horses and practically lived on the backside of Mountaineer. Moyers' winning percentage "sky rocketed" to about 4% with Roger looking after his horses. Not sure of why they parted ways, but no one ever took such good care of Moyer's horses after that.


I believe that Ryoan and Eskendulce have been re-claimed recently. They somehow held their form (Eskendulce won 3-23) even under Mr. Moyers.



Mountainman: Will Mr. Moyers be permitted to run any horses this meet when Mountaineer opens?


RR

I like Roger. And I'm not saying he is a black cat. But if I'm the resurgent Browns, I pay him to stop rooting for us and wearing our colors.

[castaway01]

Don't misinterpret these sour grapes-it's been a profitable meet for me. But why IS it that (with the obvious exceptions of Quinones and Houghton) most Mvr jocks will do CONTORTIONS to avoid establishing the lead early in route races, but then send like KEEEEEEERAYZEEEEEE down the backstretch to attack the pacesetter????????

And on a closely related note: shame on Lagunes for a pathetic effort on Eternal Power in today's 3rd race. His RIDICULOUS insistence on somebody else taking the lead turned a routine wire job into a tuff beat. And then committing the ULTIMATE SIN for a grab and hold jock, he put a weak finish on his mount.

Riders like him live in mortal terror of winning a race, but not appearing to be the reason for victory. Very costly for me-and I am still livid.

Hard to argue with what you wrote here. I tend to go easier on jockeys than most here because of the risks they take on the track, often for not a huge income. However, many don't seem to ride with any sort of logic or planning. You just wonder why they never look at the past performances and say, "Man, I'm the only speed here, best get out there on the lead."

.

[rrpic6]

Hi Ron. Hope your wagering is going well.






March was by far my best month ever wagering on MVR's races. I just finished doing my monthly numbers. I was plus $2966 on my bets on MVR's races in March. My on-track tipsheet also had a banner month. My top pick won 56 of 144 races (39%). Combined 1st and 2nd picks won 80 of 144 (55.5%).
The track surface did not change much during March, with most days being dry and fast. This certainly aided my handicapping. Presser types dominated at almost all distances.



RR

[mountainman]

March was by far my best month ever wagering on MVR's races. I just finished doing my monthly numbers. I was plus $2966 on my bets on MVR's races in March. My on-track tipsheet also had a banner month. My top pick won 56 of 144 races (39%). Combined 1st and 2nd picks won 80 of 144 (55.5%).
The track surface did not change much during March, with most days being dry and fast. This certainly aided my handicapping. Presser types dominated at almost all distances.



RR

Glad to hear it. I'm ahead a bit on the season, but nothing like my best meets there. Since you're a bris guy ..right?...you and I categorize running styles a bit differently. But my bias notes do summarize numerous days in March as 'not speed-biased, but very difficult to close,' which probably concurs with your generalization.

And that would make March typical of Mahoning's intrinsic nature, since it has never been a particularly speed-favoring track, and the bizzarre 'earth is flat' contour of the turn works against lots of closers.

It is my anecdotal observation that tons of route races have been straight up stolen around the first turn this year.

On an unrelated note: I suspect they made the 'safe call' on that dead-heat Friday and buried the actual winner's nose just a tad into the wire to give the appearance that the other horse was on the line simultaneously. It's an old ploy used by placing judges, not to cash a ticket or favor anybody, but either to make whatever call a low-def monitor can support, or because the margin of victory is so very, very, slight as to be considered practically non-existent. I've worked thousands of races as a placing judge, and can speak to this from considerable experience.

I'm guessing, since your best success came during a spate of 'fair' surfaces, that you are locked in during the races and unable to adjust to emergent trends.

[rrpic6]

I'm guessing, since your best success came during a spate of 'fair' surfaces, that you are locked in during the races and unable to adjust to emergent trends.


Yes, as far as my tipsheet goes of course. And yes as far as when I'm physically working on race days, as my wagers are pre-bet on Xpressbet as per company policy. Interesting is that when I get to Keeneland on Thursday, their policies encourage employees, managers/supervisors included, to send it in while you work as long as you do it discreetly and don't shut out patrons!



I was able to cash some exotic bets on longhots like Critical Humor, who is entered today, trained by Alejandro Gomez. Machinist, trained by Brenda Ball, also a huge longshot, scored 2nd time at MVR, when cutting back in distance about 10 days ago, both helping my ROI immensely. Tampa shippers seemed to grasp the quirky surface better than Gulfstream shippers IMO.



I tend to use BRIS daily, but occasionally will purchase a DRF for Saturday's card, especially this time of year to 'cap big races at Gulfstream, Oaklawn, etc. The $10.50 cost of DRF is too pricey for a semi-retired guy to endure daily!


RR

[rrpic6]

Any opinions on today's featured 9th Race? It's a Mile and a half on the Turf Course Starter Allowance for 3 year olds and upward Grey Horses of any Sex that were not foaled or sired in Kentucky. Purse is $50,000. Winner takes it all! ;)
RR