Race 8 today Wednesday at Gulfstream Park

[onefast99]

Fla bred maidens 12.5k claimers going for a whopping 9k purse. I thought the slots were doing better? :bang:

[john del riccio]

Fla bred maidens 12.5k claimers going for a whopping 9k purse. I thought the slots were doing better? :bang:

frank is cheap, i'll bet he doesn't even have a watch.......

now that PUN was intended


john

[onefast99]

No excuses they shouldnt be running a maiden 12.5k for the 8th race, thats poor race card strategy. Maybe just maybe someone will buy that track and bring it back to what it once was.

[the little guy]

No argument with the odd placement of races at Gulfstream.....but all things considered, this particular race was somebody's BC Classic.

Somebody got it ALL in here.

[sandpit]

That's what you get when you hire the racing secretary from Thistledown, which supposedly holds a different class of racing than Gulfstream. I'm sure the gentleman is a great guy, and this is not an attack on him personally, but rather the philosophy that's permeating a once top class track. It's not like the best stables in the eastern U.S. aren't stabled w/in an hour of the place. As GP falls further each year, Tampa Bay Downs is on the rise thanks sensible management of the simulcast signal, a well organized stakes program, and a racing secretary that spent many years on the Keeneland/Churchill Downs circuit and knows what it takes to put on races with full fields and attractive betting opportunities.

[Zman179]

Never thought I'd see the day when Tampa Bay Downs would become the premier track in Florida.

[joeya]

Friday's card is soooooooo much better ..

Race 1 ... One Mile ... Md12,500 ... 3YO (Purse - $9,500)
Race 2 ... One Mile (T) ... Clm75,000N2L ... 3YOF ($33,000)
Race 3 ... One Mile ... Md12,500 ... 3YO ($9,500)
Race 4 ... One Mile (T) ... Clm25,000 ... 3YOF ($23,500)
Race 5 ... 6F ... Md50,000 ... 3YO ($17,000)
Race 6 ... 5F (T) ... Clm30,000N3L ... FM 4UP ($22,000)
Race 7 ... One Mile ... Clm12,500N2L ... 4UP ($11,000)
Race 8 ... 1 1/16M (T) ... OC62K/N2X ... 4UP ($44,500)
Race 9 ... 6F ... MSW ... 3YO ($40,000)

Split divisions of a $12,500 maiden claimer ... both with 8 starters. Here are the last-race Beyers for the runners making up these two races:

Race 1 ... 30, 26, FTS, 26, 3, 8, 48, 19 ... Combined record: 0-44

Race 3 ... 41, 22, 34, 31, 8, 8, 21, 15 ... Combined record: 0-54

Couldn't they combine these races so we'd only have to watch the carnage once?

[joeya]

Saturday's feature, the $350,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap-G2, drew a full field of FIVE ...

$350,000 ... Grade II ... Gulfstream

and you can only scrounge up five runners?

[point given]

Never thought I'd see the day when Tampa Bay Downs would become the premier track in Florida.

TBD is what it is, GP is not what it was, but it doesnot make TBD premier. I think people are just so turned off the GP bull.... that they are seeking a place where they are comfortable and feel welcome. They have certainly stepped up their game and done some of the right things to attract horseplayers to "come on down " as Bob Barker used to say. It is fan friendly, and has not forsaken its core audience.
GP speaks with forked tongue, saying racing is their core product, but their website is slots , they have too little seating and charge for it , unlike say a calder where its free.(although you pay admission and parking). BUT, players are used to free seating to watch the races live , as opposed to the other way around. GP has attempted to stratify ? their clientel by various ways of charging for stuff. I think they are making a couple of right moves at GP, but not nearly the effort needed to bring back the old customers who would rather go to a simo place than go to GP.
Also think the Sunshine millions is not worth the purse money for the quality of races and purses reduced and put elsewhere during the meet. , as well as races for $350k with 5 entered reduced a %( full field of 8, 350 6-7, 250, 4-5, 200. But I don't kknow what horses are on the grounds , etc like the racing sec. so easy to 2nd guess.

[onefast99]

Also think the Sunshine millions is not worth the purse money for the quality of races and purses reduced and put elsewhere during the meet. , as well as races for $350k with 5 entered reduced a %( full field of 8, 350 6-7, 250, 4-5, 200. But I don't kknow what horses are on the grounds , etc like the racing sec. so easy to 2nd guess.[/QUOTE]
You were doing fine until the Florida Sunshine Millions stuff. That particular day is a great racing day for those who own Florida breds. Maryland does the same thing in the fall and other states have state bred days like Pa and NJ. We pay a $5k fee to enter our horse in the distaff(dirt)and I believe every penny of it was well spent. Despite the issues at Santa Anita this year every race was exciting. The slots will eventually produce enough to pick up the purse money during the season. I just feel that the current management is not experienced enough in bringing top horses to the track which would make the race card only better for the 4 months of racing. GP needs to standout, and as of now it doesn't.

[point given]

Also think the Sunshine millions is not worth the purse money for the quality of races and purses reduced and put elsewhere during the meet. , as well as races for $350k with 5 entered reduced a %( full field of 8, 350 6-7, 250, 4-5, 200. But I don't kknow what horses are on the grounds , etc like the racing sec. so easy to 2nd guess.
You were doing fine until the Florida Sunshine Millions stuff. That particular day is a great racing day for those who own Florida breds. Maryland does the same ........ I just feel that the current management is not experienced enough in bringing top horses to the track which would make the race card only better for the 4 months of racing. GP needs to standout, and as of now it doesn't.[/QUOTE]

GP used to standout when they had good purses and racing, without the Sunshine Millions. While I am a believer of the state bred days, it shouldnot just be restricted to FL and CA.. Take the top 2-4 in each state bred program from NY, PA, MD, too and toss them in the mix and you have alot more interesting races with big contentious fields. The top couple of races also have larger purses than the present stock warrants, IMHO, without citing any examples, a general observation.