Aquaduct meet 2002-03

[joeprunes]

I have been playing NY for 40 yrs. I`ve survived,made money lost money had some real good years, but this year has to be my worst I definatley am losing at NY inner track this year and I attribute it to (I think) track bias.Usually my horses are near the pace near the finish,however latley I sit back and wonder were the hell are my horses?. Any body else having trouble at NY?

Joeprunes

[Tom]

I hate NYRA!
Seriously, though, I think the number of off tracks has hurt the consostency of the track. Too many wet/dryingout days. My pace numbers this years are by far the most erratic I've ever seen.
My personal feeling is that the stock is just plain cheap and inconsistent. One good race is about all many of the plugs can put together. Not uncommon to see a day where one race goes fast 5 on pace and another goes slow 15 on pace.
CJ makes pace numbers here too - wonder if he is seeing anything different this season?

[Suff]

Yup.. Tough meet... agreed,,, weather .. cancels... weak stock( thanks to Gulf Stream's STELLAR meet!!)

But Nyra won't sit on it's hands.... the AQD inner has always been the weak sister of all the NYRA meets,,, but it's the price of year round racing in the NorthEast. I personally have had a tough Jan and Feb at the windows... But it's almost over anyway... and I LOVE NY racing... but I'm not a Diplomat for them... everyone has thier preferences,,, but to me its a NO brainer... they handle more and they take less? And they are Growing and getting Bigger... while most are losing.. or staying flat


http://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/feature.asp?track=A&id=607

[CapperLou]

Hey Guys:

I have been having a fairly decent meeting at AQU only because I have been playing the speed horses--the Front Runners for the most part because of the bias. But. it has not been easy because the usual figures are not holding up.
Much of this can be attributed to track conditions, weather etc.
On the other hand--Gulfstream has been proving very difficult for me this meeting to this point. Nothing is doing what it normally does for me there.
The only bright spot has been Santa Anita for the last many weeks--there everything has been going fine!! Go figure!!!
I have stopped playing Gulfstream for now even though I'm here and have concentrated on SA and smaller play at AQU.
This is always a tough game---you always have to "go with the flow" when you recognize what usually works is not working!!

Gill and Shuman are eating Gulstream for lunch & dinner and IMO are up to no good compared to their competition. It's obviously chemical concoctions that work wonders!! Just my opinion!!!

All the best,

CapperLou

[formula_2002]

PRIOR TO 2002-2003 INNER DIRT TRACK AVERAGE WINNING ODDS WAS $5.01-1.( FOR 651 HORSES)

2002-2003 SEASON INNER DIRT TRACK WINNING ODDS IS $5.65
(FOR 244 HORSES).

LONGER PRICED HORSES MEAN FEWER WINS..

Joe M.

[Observer]

Originally posted by joeprunes
Any body else having trouble at NY?

Joeprunes

I definitely do not think you are alone! There have been so many carryovers in the Pick 6 .. like no winter I ever remember!

Hang in there .. the tides will turn!

As for the quality of racing on the Inner .. geez, every year I hear the same grumblings about how weak the stock is at this time of year .. is it really a surprise??? It can get so cold here, and the weather can be unpredictable .. so why would the elite barns that fill the shedrows during the rest of the year want to stay with their more talented runners when they can be in the sun and fun of a warmer climate?? Besides, as handicappers trying to get the best bang for our buck .. do we care if the quality is inferior to the rest of the year?? Shouldn't we be happy that the prices are better??

In general, I was feeling that this winter had been pretty good in terms of field size .. sure there are more races going with 6-7 horses, however, I feel that there have been many races with full or over-filled fields .. which typically is rare at this time of year. I'd have to say from my days of statistics, that when the field sizes are higher, the chances of winning are lowered.

[WINMANWIN]

I was thinking early in the Aque meet, and was wondering why
the top stables always ship to gulf this time of year.I read this
thread and wanted to ask this question. If I am a large scale
trainer, I want to win as many races in N.y. this time of year as possible. The purses are higher in special weights here, The purses are higher in nw1,2,3. I believe its the thing to do,Ship
down to fla, and hang with the elite of racing and run your better stock. But I thought the mighty dollar ruled, And these trainers
are blowing conditions, and winning purse money FAR LESS compared to N.Y.R.A'S INNER MEET...:confused: Guess the bottom line in this business is respect. If the smaller stables cant have the winter mths in N.Y to Eat. There may be bad blood.
Also the top stables know when they arrive, Things change back to normal again....If im involved on a large scale. I try and WIN
THIS MEET ALSO..:p

[Suff]

Fact is...

Guys Like Barbara...and many other 2nd tier Trainers

And Jockeys like Castellano and Castillo...

All those Guys would'nt make the BIG money if the others did'nt ship out.

Just heard that The leading Rider at GULF is going to Saratoga this Summer.... and Guidry is going Fulltime to. Guidry and C. Velesquaz shared the same agent... But Guidry changed last week.. Simply because he wanted a seperate agent for his Spring and summer Bookings.

So at Saratoga this Summer... We'll have quite a Jockey Colony

Chavez
Santo's
Prado
Bailey
Day
J. R Velesquaz
Cornielus Velesquez
Bridgemohan
Migilore
Guidry



Then Mckee,, Castillo,, Castellano.. Luis Chavez

What Kind of Mounts do you think Castellano will get once these get back? not the one's he's getting now.. thats for sure.

Scott lake was 0 for 30 or something like that last year at Saratoga ... All those guys have to make hey on the INNER. Maybe not so much Scott lake.,.. but some of these guys would be out of business if the others did'nt ship out.

[Observer]

Originally posted by Sufferindowns
And Jockeys like Castellano and Castillo...

All those Guys would'nt make the BIG money if the others did'nt ship out.

What Kind of Mounts do you think Castellano will get once these get back? not the one's he's getting now.. thats for sure.

First off, I think it's wrong to group Castellano and Castillo together .. and I'm not really sure which Castillo you 're referring to .. Herbie, Luis or Oscar.

Doesn't really matter though, because take your pick from those three, and none of them are as good as Castellano. I'm curious to know though .. what BIG mounts has Castellano gotten this winter, in your opinion?? Sure, he's been winning a lot of races, that's what makes a leading rider a leading rider; however, I'm not even sure he has a stakes win over the Inner this winter. Oh, and by the way, Castellano was given a chance with a real nice filly named Exogenous .. who he guided to a second in the G1 Alabama, then wins in the G1 Gazelle and G1 Beldame before her untimely death after she flipped over on Breeders' Cup day.

Looking at it realistically, Castellano has not been in NY for a long time, and he hasn't even been in the racing game for a long time. He's still so young compared to the best riders in the game .. so absolutely he is going to have a hard time competing for mounts against the likes of far more experienced veterans like Bailey, Prado, Velazquez and Chavez .. that's just the way this game is. According to the NY Calendar, Castellano ranked 3rd in races won during 2002, finishing behind Velazquez and Prado .. and from what I remember, considering the fierce competition at Saratoga, I don't think Castellano was embarassed there last summer. This is a kid with a future who is just awaiting his break.

Originally posted by WINMANWIN
But I thought the mighty dollar ruled.

It isn't always about the mighty dollar. If you are an elite stable, with nice runners in your barn, you want to be able to provide the best climate and conditions for your runners to train and race. Believe it or not, in order to be successful in this game, it helps to put the care of a horse high on the priority list, so barns move a number of horses to the more consistent conditions of Florida to pick up some stakes victories, or prep to something bigger and better down the line (where the real big money is). So, sometimes the bar is lowered and they bite the bullet, and that means taking lower purses. However, you will sometimes see a horse come in if the spot is right.

I don't think anyone would argue Florida has better weather at this time of year, so it's much easier to keep horses in training, or get them started back from the normal hiatuses that usually come after the Breeders' Cup. And yes, maybe a part of it is that it's the "thing to do" for some .. but moving a stable around, especially that far .. is no small expense.

Originally posted by Sufferindowns
Scott lake was 0 for 30 or something like that last year at Saratoga

That's how this game runs .. in streaks. Shug McGaughey had a real rough time during Belmont Spring/Summer 2001, but got off to a sensational start to the 2001 Saratoga meet. I think it's also important to look at the stock .. especially when talking about Saratoga .. that's a really rough meet, and guys who normally do well at any other meet can find themselves struggling there, especially if they don't have the nice allowance horses or stakes quality horses. Trainers can't just ship anywhere they want and maintain the same level of success with whatever is in the barn, and it's unfair to expect that.