Still real concerns about synthetic tracks

[Indulto]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/horseracing/la-sp-horse4-2008sep04,0,6118026.story
There are still real concerns about synthetic tracks
By Lance Pugmire 09/03/08…two summers ago … the fatal breakdowns of 19 animals, clinching a cry for action after the statewide deaths of 240 horses between 2003 and 2005.

Del Mar's new Polytrack installed last year cut down on fatalities, but also led to much slower racing, frustrating horsemen and troubling track executives desperate to please the lifeblood of the sport, handicappers.Los Angeles, we have a credibility problem.Management's solution this summer was to water down the racing surface to create a firmer track, which resulted in faster racing. But the conditions created a new issue: an apparent increase in non-fatal injuries.

Just two weeks into the Del Mar season, which concluded Wednesday, concerned trainers met with track executives to present survey results showing that 69 horses had already suffered season- or career-ending injuries.

… Racing and training deaths at Del Mar have been reduced from the 2006 carnage to six in 2007, and eight this season.
Joe Harper, Del Mar's president, also pointed to statistics gathered by the Southern California Equine Foundation showing 389 X-rays of sore or injured horses required this season, compared with 456 in 2005 and 439 in 2006. Some 2,400 horses train or race at Del Mar.

… Still, not everyone is sold on synthetics.

Trainer John Shirreffs, … , says synthetics are "too hard" on young horses.

He complains the weather-sensitive tracks feature an unpredictable maintenance schedule that causes headaches for trainers trying to script a race plan.

"I've asked that we put the money we're putting into these surfaces into research that will allow us to do a better job of saving injured horses, but, being a logical person seeing how things are now, you ask yourself, why go against City Hall?" Shirreffs said.

John Sadler, … , said the track's push for more speed resulted in "not more, but different" injuries, with more tenderness being found this year around the feet, hind-leg, back and bottom.

The trainers' concern about introducing so much water to the seven-inch Polytrack mixture of silica sand, recycled rubber, fibers and wax over a blacktop base peaked early in the meet in July, when they met with track executives.

"They made it too hard, there's no give," thoroughbred owner Tom Garrity said this week. "It's like they're running on concrete."

…Trainer Bob Baffert said his reluctance to embrace synthetic tracks remains rooted in news like that at Saratoga, where no horse has been euthanized in afternoon racing on dirt this summer. "I think synthetics take away the brilliance from a horse," he said.

Baffert, who shifted to Saratoga last summer after a powerful owner relocated his stable there, returned to Del Mar for this year's meet.

"This was sold to us as being better than dirt," Baffert said this week. "If it's not better than dirt, why have it?"Is there a line out anywhere on Big Brown's actually starting in the Classic?

[classhandicapper]

As I stated on another thread......

The safety of the Saratoga meet deserves some press.

Perhaps a well maintained dirt surface is equal or superior to synthetics in terms of safety.

That's one of the things I've been curious about while we wait for long term data on the synthetics. If race track managements spent as much money installing new dirt tracks as they did on the new synthetics, perhaps the results would have improved as much or even more. I believe that many of the tracks that have switched did so because their dirt tracks were in such poor shape to begin with.

That's one of the problems with statistics. It's often very difficult to isolate whatever factor you are trying to learn something about even if you are unbiased. When bias becomes a factor, it's often possible to convince people of all sorts of nonsense.

I sent an email to Steve Crist hoping he would have something to say about Saratoga.

[JeremyJet]

I sent an email to Steve Crist hoping he would have something to say about Saratoga.

Classhandicapper,

I recently was looking for Crist's e-mail. I was never able to find it. Would you be so kind as to e-mail me his e-mail address? I would appreciate it.

Please send to jeremyjet@comcast.net

JeremyJet

[JeremyJet]

Classhandicapper,

I recently was looking for Crist's e-mail. I was never able to find it. Would you be so kind as to e-mail me his e-mail address? I would appreciate it.

Please send to jeremyjet@comcast.net

JeremyJet


Thank you, classhandicapper. I got your e-mail.

JeremyJet

[CincyHorseplayer]

I wonder what the breeding industry thinks of this???

As horseplayers we'll adjust,even though personally it has been frustarting to some extent predicting surface to surface form.But what about breeders.I wonder how they feel after generations of and millions of dollars put into breeding speed and favoring traditional dirt surfaces,followed then by putting out moon surfaces to race on!I know for one some of the prep races for the Triple Crown are a joke because of it.

[Charlie D]

An interesting article and i hope those considering installing synthetic surfaces read it

Stop souping up Dirt tracks and provide a good cushion, stop giving horses muscle building drugs, breed from sound stock


That way if i'm still around next year, the year after and so on, i can watch and enjoy the good Dirt horses racing on Dirt, just like i can watch and enjoy the good synthetic, turf horses racing on synthetic and turf


Thank you, rant over

[Indulto]

http://www.drf.com/news/article/97947.html (http://www.drf.com/news/article/97947.html)
Cup preps may feel pinch
By DAVID GRENING9/3/2008As summer turns to fall, thoughts of many in horse racing turn to the Breeders' Cup. With this year's Breeders' Cup being contested over a synthetic surface at Santa Anita, horsemen have plenty to think about.

Many New York horsemen will be grappling with whether to prep their potential Breeders' Cup horses over a synthetic surface - such as Santa Anita's, Keeneland's, or Turfway Park's - or stick close to home and run over the dirt course at Belmont Park.

… "One, it's on the West Coast, and two, it's on synthetic; obviously the logical thing for most guys to do is get a race over the course," Campo said Wednesday in his Belmont Park office. "Being it's synthetic and there's so much controversy about it, a lot of guys might stay home and then run straight over it. But it is a big concern of mine."

Last year, when the Breeders' Cup was held at Monmouth Park, Belmont was the place to prep. No fewer than six BC winners - Curlin, Indian Blessing, War Pass, Lahudood, English Channel, and Ginger Punch - won a Grade 1 at Belmont in the fall. …

[Indulto]

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/columnists/gary_west/story/886138.html (http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/columnists/gary_west/story/886138.html)
Some horses may be shying away from Breeders’ Cup
By GARY WESTEveryone agrees, all the coaches and all the fans, that the game played Jan. 8 in Miami will determine the national champion of college football.

... But about the game itself and what it means nearly everyone agrees. And that agreement confers championship importance. In fact, championship status depends entirely on such agreement. Without it, there would be only championship confusion.

That’s precisely where horse racing finds itself ...

... The sport’s championship event, the Breeders’ Cup, may not in fact determine many championships at all, simply because the races, or at least eight of them, will be run on a surface that precludes agreement about their significance.

The Breeders’ Cup, diluted to 14 races and two days, will take place Oct. 24-25 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. After a calamitous winter season that lost several days of racing to impossible conditions, Santa Anita has installed another synthetic surface, called Pro-Ride.

If nearly two years of racing on these faux tracks has taught us anything about them, it’s this: Some horses love them, some hate them, and you can’t tell the one group from the other until the latches of the starting gate spring open.

… Last year, nine of the 10 champions participated in the Breeders’ Cup, and eight of them won. But the upcoming Breeders’ Cup won’t be so definitive.

.. Having seen many strange outcomes on synthetic surfaces, some trainers might put their faith in bizarre possibilities and run horses that wouldn’t otherwise even be considered for the Breeders’ Cup. But many trainers have expressed apprehension. Trainer Larry Jones already has indicated he won’t run the country’s top 3-year-old filly, Proud Spell, in the Breeders’ Cup.

... Jess Jackson, the principal owner of Curlin, announced Thursday that the champ will make his next start Sept. 27 in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. And if he wins there, Curlin could clinch Horse of the Year simply because the Classic has been shorn of its championship significance.

In a move that’s perverse even by horse racing standards, the Breeders’ Cup will again have its "Championships" at Santa Anita in 2009. But the Breeders’ Cup board meets today, and it’s expected to restore championship significance to the event by announcing it’ll be at Churchill Downs in 2010.

[Bobzilla]

I'm all for restoring championship significance by having dirt championships settled entirely on actual dirt tracks and not synthetic grass (all-weather surfaces), a.k.a. the third surface type. BUT... any possibility there is a behind the scenes agreement between CD and the BC that CD will convert before 2010? I for one wouldn't be surprised. There might be more to this entire synthetic thing then what people see on the surface.

[Indulto]

http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20107027&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=31001&rfi=6 (http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20107027&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=31001&rfi=6)
If I had a hammer ...
By: Nick Kling, The Record 09/05/2008… For most of its first two decades of existence, Breeders' Cup Ltd. was a harmless organization. It set the rules and managed the second most important event in the sport after the Kentucky Derby. Then things began to change. Change can be good or bad. Breeders' Cup officials made some serious missteps, like changing the name of the Distaff to the Ladies' Classic and moving the race from Saturday to Friday.

… The good things the organization has done were all wiped out when it named Santa Anita as the host site of the Cup for two consecutive years. Imagine a scenario where the Super Bowl was to be held in a stadium which was going to install a playing surface never before used in the NFL, or any major U.S. sports league. That is what the Breeders' Cup has done.

It compounded the lunacy by committing to two years at the same place. That would be an egregious mistake even if Santa Anita was going to be using a proven surface. Why? Because the whole premise of the Cup is to gather the best horses in America, and move them around the country to promote the sport.

What was the reasoning of Cup officials? That holding the event at the same site back-to-back would help with marketing, branding, and selling the sport to corporate sponsors. What happened to showcasing the best horses?

Holding the Breeders' Cup at a hot weather venue, over an unproven, synthetic surface, guarantees that many of the best horses will not show up. Even if Curlin's owner, Jess Jackson, changes his mind and brings the colt to Santa Anita, it will not make up for the loss of several other Thoroughbreds, whose owners and trainers have already opted out.

…Everyone is losing. No one will benefit if racing patrons reduce their betting activity. That is what is happening right now. If I had a hammer, I'd use it to ring a bell in the head of Charlie Hayward and NYRA Board Chairman Steve Duncker. The bell would ring out a song of warning to the Breeders' Cup.

NYRA has on its Belmont fall schedule races which could be used to undercut Cup events. They will be run over a dirt surface, or turf courses much more conducive to attracting European entrants. If NYRA was willing to move the Cigar Mile from its Aqueduct fall spot, and group it with races like the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, Champagne, Frizette, Kelso, Flower Bowl, Vosburgh, Beldame, etc., it could provide a duplicate of the race categories held at the Breeders' Cup.What a great idea!… Remember - many top horses would be required to have expensive supplementary nomination fees paid to the Breeders' Cup to make them eligible to compete. For example, America's best turf miler, Kip Deville, would have to be supplemented for $150,000, according to the Breeders' Cup website. A horse needing a 15 percent supplement would have to pay $750,000 to get in the Classic, $450,000 for the Turf. …

[Indulto]

I'm all for restoring championship significance by having dirt championships settled entirely on actual dirt tracks and not synthetic grass (all-weather surfaces), a.k.a. the third surface type. BUT... any possibility there is a behind the scenes agreement between CD and the BC that CD will convert before 2010? I for one wouldn't be surprised. There might be more to this entire synthetic thing then what people see on the surface.BZ,
You reminded me of the following article which I first thought was the vanguard of a pro-active Breeders Cup’s best-defense-is-a-good-offense campaign, but perhaps it's more than that.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/columns/story?columnist=plonk_jeremy&id=3531311 (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/columns/story?columnist=plonk_jeremy&id=3531311)
All-weather surfaces looking better every day
By Jeremy Plonk August 12, 2008… Truth be told, ask 100 handicappers why they enjoy betting turf races and the answers almost universally will be: full fields, big payoffs and thrilling finishes. The same scramble-feel finishes that elicit excitement in turf races somehow have been spun by disgruntled handicappers and media members to be the bane of synthetic surfaces.

… Handicapping the synthetic surfaces has been a new challenge to horseplayers, and one that has been met with resistance. The grumbling core probably is unaware that they picked a smaller percentage of winning favorites over Keeneland's beloved turf course last year than over the tradition-be-damned Polytrack.

And while everyone griped that the Del Mar surface was as slow as molasses and therefore un-handicappable last summer, the quickened surface in 2008 has done nothing to improve the horseplayers' proficiency. At last check, only 27.8 percent of favorites were successful at this meeting, about 10 percent below the national average for winning favorites.

… Some of the biggest complainers you hear on the synthetic-surface front most often are trainers who have had little success. That makes sense. It's a prize-money game, and you would expect guys like Nick Zito, Steve Asmussen and Bob Baffert to turn sour to a surface over which their horses have failed to bring home the bread -- especially when their owners complain. That's why any type of anti-Breeders' Cup grandstanding trainers or owners take toward the next two championships held on a synthetic surface should be readily dismissed. Trust me; if they thought they had the horse for course, you would not hear a peep. It would be a shame to see a few big names oppose the synthetic surfaces and impact the future. The Breeders' Cup was a championship event long before horses like Curlin were born, and it will remain that way long after their careers pass.

Furthering the Breeders' Cup debate concerning Santa Anita's all-new Pro Ride surface, what possibly could be more of a neutral court than a brand-new racetrack? No advantages. Bring your best horse and let's dance. They say the mark of a great horse is that he'll run over crushed glass, if need-be, to win. And, let's not forget, the last two Breeders' Cups were run over a Churchill Downs' track that conspiracy theorists claimed was rigged for inside horses and a Monmouth main track that looked like the most unappetizing bowl of chocolate pudding you had ever seen. If Curlin was not scratched over last year's surface at Monmouth, which contributed in taking the life of George Washington in the very same race, then it's awfully hard to believe that the wax-coated materials of Pro Ride are the only reasons he is being pointed away from the Classic in 2008.

But even beyond the one or two-day Breeders' Cup championships, the idea of a singular, all-weather surface at any racetrack might actually be the best future scenario.

… Fewer weather-related cancellations and race-day scratches, as well as reduced uncertainty in multi-race betting pools, are all things that benefit horseplayers. And horsemen can focus on breeding, buying and training healthy racehorses fit for a more universal surface, thus giving each a more comparable value vs. one another.

I'm tired of five-horse fields, $3.20 winners, off-the-turf races that destroy a race card and average American racehorses running out millions of dollars on the turf against similarly inferior competition.

I know it's "out there" and unpopular to say, but if getting rid of all that can be achieved by all-weather surfaces, while at the same time further protecting the racehorses for whom we cheer and bet, then bring them on.

[Bobzilla]

Cute article by Jeremy. I remember him during the NYRA franchise renewal process and how misguided he was in regard to that issue as well. If I'm thinking of the right guy one might have assumed he was former New York state senator Joe Bruno's punk concubine.

I'm not sure why it is but it would seem that the few members of the turf media who have had the audacity to question the wisdom behind mass surface conversion across this great land (been watching too many conventions) are those who have already established their reputations and credentials over the span of at least a few decades. Steven Crist, Steve Haskin, you get the idea. The young turks rarely question mass conversion and seem overly anxious to let the world know they're worshiping at the alter of a higher moral authority than the rest of us when it comes to equine welfare and knowing what's best for racing, almost as if they're scared to death for their careers and for fear of possibly being seen on what they perceive now to be the wrong side of history. But in the end this is about the game, and the game is much larger than the Jeremy Plonks of the world will ever be.

Anyway, as I've said before many of us aren't so much anti-sythetic as much as we're anti-steamrolling this revolution into North American main track racing before anybody in the industry or its fan base truly knows wtf is going on. Thanks for sharing the article.

[Tom]

JMHO, but the whole rush to synthetics was motivated by being perceived a as a cheap, easy, low maintenance way to do as little as possible by the tracks. Safety was merely the sales strategy. They used to run commercials telling us that cigarettes were HEALTHY!!!!!

Just look at Santa Anita last year - at every thurn they cut corners and took the cheapest alternative. The result was getting rewarded with the BC two years in a row! :bang::bang::bang:

[CincyHorseplayer]

Good post Bob and I agree.These people know nothing about racing and/or horses at all.I love the Peta people.Do they really think it's cruel to hit a 1000lb animalon the a$s with a stick as a wake up call???That would be the equivalent of getting smacked with a pencil to a human.Ouch!

Complete overestimation of self opinion and opportunism at it's worst and un-American if I do say so to attempt to spoon feed us reality.And a reality that goes against the grain of a near universally accepted great tradition at that.

As for synthetics I think it just amkes form more spurious and unpredictable for horseplayers on track to track basis.If it became the norm I'd hate it to be honest.I play the Ohio circuit mainly and if the Californized the tracks here I'd find another all-dirt circuit.I can deal with the winter meets at Turfway.That track plays pretty even and there were a lot of breakdown before the switch.The only thing that annoys me is that they think it's a super-surface.I have to go back and look at weather reports to see how much it rained on certain days when there are aberrations in the track profile because they won't even declare it a wet track.And when it's wet it DOES affect the way the races are run.

[Tom Barrister]

The only synthetic track I play is Woodbine, and only because there's too much money to pass by.

As far as I'm concerned, the only thing a synthetic track MIGHT be good for is winter racing in a cold-weather area (which I believe is why Turfway put theirs in). Tracks which conduct winter racing might put an inner synthetic track down for that block of days. Other than that, it's worthless as far as I'm concerned.

[JeremyJet]

I sent an email to Steve Crist hoping he would have something to say about Saratoga.

classhandicapper,

Crist mentioned it in his most recent article.

JeremyJet

[PaceAdvantage]

What a great idea!I like to think I got the ball rolling on this back in May:

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=531189&postcount=29

It would be great if many if not most of the top horses decide to boycott this "artificial" BC Classic in favor of the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont. Somehow, get NYRA to up the purse of the JCGC (how and by how much, I'm not sure) if BB, Curlin and a few other choice stars agree to show up....that would be amazing, and it would also allow BB to retain home court advantage.

[PaceAdvantage]

The fact that no horses broke down at Saratoga is nothing more than a happy statistical coincidence. It probably means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Just like all those horses breaking down at Del Mar a few years ago was an unhappy coincidence (same as at Arlington). But in those cases, something DID happen....a rush to AWS....

Absolutely nothing will come of the fact that the Saratoga meet went untouched by tragedy during the afternoons. Certain INFLUENTIAL segments of this industry are too heavily invested in this artificial junk to allow any serious talk of reverting back to basics.

Now, if the Breeders' Cup is rendered fairly meaningless because not enough top horses show up in 2008, and NYRA gets smart and alters its stakes schedule to offer an alternative in 2009...well...now we're talking MONEY....

[Indulto]

I like to think I got the ball rolling on this back in May:

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=531189&postcount=29Kling reads this board, so who knows? But to be fair, his idea involved combining all NYRA BC Preps onto a single or possibly successive cards.

For years I've been advocating that tracks cooperatively schedule their stakes so that as many horses in a division could participate in each, and allow more horses to face one another more than once prior to the Breeder' Cup.

In addition, I've suggested that the most important graded stakes be organized into a series where bonuses in each leg are paid to each in-the-money finisher based on its cumulative finishes in prior legs.

Ideally the BC would be the last leg in each divisional series and their huge purses would be paid through such bonuses. Eligibility for the BC would be determined by cumulative performance in prior legs. Champions would then be more likely to have repeatedly outperformed their rivals and less likely to be crowned on the basis of a single performance under favorable circumstances.

The biggest possible payoff for a BC winner would obviously go to one who went undefeated in all series legs. A divisional champion determined on the basis of multiple victories prior to the BC might then still earn as much money in the BC as the winner by finishing second or maybe even third. In the first example, no second or third finisher would have won a prior leg and so their bonuses would be minimal.

I would argue that this strategy retains the BC's place as the most important day in racing while increasing field size, competitiveness, interest, and attention across the nation multiple times during the year. It's all about giving customers what they've proven they still want ... to watch the best repeatedly face the best until a clear champion emerges.

Imagine as many as eight (once-a-month?) multiple-venue Pick Sixes with optimally a different divisional leg at each venue. Imagine the degree of participation in such pools with a $.50 minimum wager and no carryover. Imagine being able to bet it from any ADW and watch it on any TV.

I would further argue that similar cooperative scheduling and bonus strategies at lower class levels could lead to fuller, more competitive fields at most venues.

But I know how you feel, PA. I recently read something by Haskin discussing purse incentives and thought to myself, "Once again, what's said isn't as important as who said it."

[Bobzilla]

I like to think I got the ball rolling on this back in May:

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=531189&postcount=29

I agree, it would be great if the purse for the JCGC could be hiked as to entice more participation on the part of the world's best dirt horses. The results would be indisputable and would never be seen with an asterisk or considered irrelevant and counterfeit. However, if the JCGC was viewed in any way as competitive to the BC Classic rather than as a prep, or obstructionist in any way to the Universal Surface Agenda by the most powerful within the industry I would wonder if it might compromise NYRA's chance to host the BC at Belmont Park in 2011.

[Indulto]

http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20107027&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=31001&rfi=6 (http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20107027&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=31001&rfi=6)
If I had a hammer ...
By: Nick Kling, The Record 09/05/2008… NYRA has on its Belmont fall schedule races which could be used to undercut Cup events. They will be run over a dirt surface, or turf courses much more conducive to attracting European entrants. If NYRA was willing to move the Cigar Mile from its Aqueduct fall spot, and group it with races like the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, Champagne, Frizette, Kelso, Flower Bowl, Vosburgh, Beldame, etc., it could provide a duplicate of the race categories held at the Breeders' Cup.For DRF subscribers:
Cause of declines tough to pinpoint
By STEVEN CRIST 9/5/2008… Just for the record, despite continued claims from supporters of synthetic tracks that they are indisputably safer than dirt surfaces, there reportedly were five catastrophic breakdowns during races over Del Mar's Polytrack and none in races over Saratoga's dirt.

The biggest business disappointment of the summer, though, may have come at Saratoga and on a day where there was a healthy year-over-year business increase: the ontrack turnout of 22,572 for Curlin in the Woodward, up only 2,599 from the 19,973 who turned out for Lawyer Ron on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend a year ago. While a 13 percent increase at the gate would normally be great news, Saratoga had never promoted an individual horse's appearance so heavily and officials had hoped for a crowd of 30,000.

It was the first time in a decade, and only the third time in 25 years, that a reigning Horse of the Year had run at Saratoga. The mild turnout was not a persuasive argument that the game would be thriving if only its stars stayed in training longer. Curlin’s appearance in the Woodward was, by itself, hardly enough of an attraction to stem the exodus of vacationers from the Adirondacks. Certainly the field displayed more competition on the track than it did on paper, but was the off-track handle on that race commensurately lower than those of the Whitney and Travers?

Transferring the Woodward from Belmont to Saratoga eliminated that race as an opportunity for the moved-back Travers’ participants to test their elders prior to the Jockey Club Gold Cup. The Whitney’s traditional position in advance of the Travers is also a factor in preventing the former from drawing many three-year-olds.

Considering the Breeders’ Cup’s snubbing of Belmont together with the termination of the “win and you’re in” promotion at Saratoga, NYRA should consider moving Whitney Day to the end of the meet. By also moving the Jim Dandy to opening day and Travers Day midway between the two, both the Whitney and the Woodward could attract Jim Dandy, Haskell, and Travers performers for fuller, more competitive fields in both.

This strategy might also be useful in transforming a re-positioned JCGC into the headliner of a NYRA Dirt Cup Day fed by the Super Derby, Pennsylvania Derby, Pegasus, Meadowlands Cup, and the formerly conflicting Hawthorne Gold Cup. Ideally that event would take place the Saturday before the 2009 Breeders’ Cup so that horses left out of a full JCGC field could still run in the Classic albeit on a synthetic surface.

Would the appearance of Curlin in a Whitney so configured have attracted more than 22,000? It might have if Mary Lou’s party had kept high-society from leaving town. :jump:

[Indulto]

http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=20118078&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=665218&rfi=8 (http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=20118078&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=665218&rfi=8)
You can't make this up
By: Nick Kling, The Record 09/12/2008One of the on-going themes in this space is that whatever success Thoroughbred racing enjoys occurs despite, not because of, the people who run the game. …

… Last week it said here that Breeders' Cup Ltd. had made a horrendous mistake siting the Cup at Santa Anita for two years in succession. I also took Cup officials to task for apparently pulling out of a deal to award the 2010 Breeders' Cup to the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and Belmont Park.

Some of the comments in the piece did not sit well with one of the 14 members of the Breeders' Cup Board of Directors. Besides being a Cup director, Terry Finlay is the founder and President of West Point Thoroughbreds, Inc.

Terry made it clear that he was not on the site selection committee which chose Santa Anita. However, he has opinions about the site which are more favorable than the consensus heard to date from fans and commentators.

Finlay told me he looks at the Santa Anita decision as adding one year to the original siting for 2008. He believes it gives Cup officials an edge on marketing the event by holding it at the same, warm weather venue back-to-back.

"It is unfair to characterize it as a two-year deal," said Finlay. "The NYRA franchise had not been settled. (Cup officials) could not get to a point to close a deal for 2009 with Churchill Downs," he added.

… Terry went on to say that some sponsors might prefer a venue like Santa Anita, where the weather is less likely to be inclement than other choices. He said, "What happens if we land a huge company, a car company?" His inference was that getting a company like Mercedes or a major electronics firm would boost the prestige of the event.

I asked Finlay what impact that would have on racing fans. How would enhanced sponsorship improve the experience of the people who bet on races and spend a ton of money for travel and tickets to the Breeders' Cup?

"Nobody knows for sure. (However), it puts the business (of racing) in the consciousness of America," Finlay said. And that is one thing on which Finlay and I had no problem agreeing. Thoroughbred racing is under the radar of mainstream America because it doesn't have the cachet of some other sports.

He concluded the subject by saying, "If (two years at Santa Anita) doesn't work out, it is not as if it's going to ruin the Breeders' Cup."

…, Terry told me he believes the budding conflict between NYRA and Cup officials is a misunderstanding.

"Greg Avioli (Breeders' Cup CEO) is a man of his word. He didn't get to where he is by not telling the truth," Finlay said. He went on to add that one side might have believed the 2010 decision was farther along than did the other. …It all depends on what the definition of “done deal” is. Your Honor, I never shook hands with that track executive. I did give him a cigar though.

It seems to me the best way to put racing “in the consciousness of America” would be to NOT limit its viewing audience, but note Finlay said “the business.” I wonder if he meant the business of putting on the Breeders’ Cup? Anybody want to weigh in as to whether Finlay’s input changed their thinking about BC decision makers?

[TurfRuler]

No Wagering on the 14 races on synthetic BC Day '08

No one wants to lose a race on a new track surface. No fan wants to lose their hard earned money betting on unpredictable race outcomes. "Doping horses, shoving sponges up their noses, and buzzing them with batteries are among the more common, to say nothing of the old favorite of paying the jockey to “hold” the horse." (http://www.thatsamorestable.net/blog/?p=99) Watching Big Brown or Curlin lose at low odds is what will outrage me as a fan this year. All the hype, all the money wagered only to see that the predictable thoroughbred could not handle the track.

Thanks for your input INDULDO:

http://www.horseraceinsider.com/blog.php/John-Pricci/09132008-fan-wants-media-to-be-part-of-the-solution/

[Indulto]

No Wagering on the 14 races on synthetic BC Day '08

No one wants to lose a race on a new track surface. No fan wants to lose their hard earned money betting on unpredictable race outcomes. "Doping horses, shoving sponges up their noses, and buzzing them with batteries are among the more common, to say nothing of the old favorite of paying the jockey to “hold” the horse." (http://www.thatsamorestable.net/blog/?p=99) Watching Big Brown or Curlin lose at low odds is what will outrage me as a fan this year. All the hype, all the money wagered only to see that the predictable thoroughbred could not handle the track.

Thanks for your input INDULDO:

http://www.horseraceinsider.com/blog.php/John-Pricci/09132008-fan-wants-media-to-be-part-of-the-solution/
TR,
Thanks for the kind words and for posting the link. It was quite a surprise.:faint:

[Bobzilla]

Indulto,

I would just like to state that I believe your letter to John Pricci was PERFECT! Racing officials across this land need to start seeing more letters like yours en masse before it's too late and we totally lose this game we all love. I also thought John made some good points with his respectful reply, particularly when he states that the industry has not done an effective job in educating those in state governments that have control of such issues as takeout.

TurfRuler, thanks for providing the link to this important article.

Bob

[Indulto]

Indulto,

I would just like to state that I believe your letter to John Pricci was PERFECT! Racing officials across this land need to start seeing more letters like yours en masse before it's too late and we totally lose this game we all love. I also thought John made some good points with his respectful reply, particularly when he states that the industry has not done an effective job in educating those in state governments that have control of such issues as takeout.

TurfRuler, thanks for providing the link to this important article.

BobBZ,
It's interesting that the idea of protesting the BC on Filly Friday hasn't gained as much traction here on PA as it has elsewhere. Personally, I'm not big on letters and e-mails. In fact my "letter" was a response to his previous blog column which he apparetly, and thankfully, took very seriously.

There is also an on-line petition being circulated at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/2008bc/

One of its sponsors posts here as greenbutgame.

IMO the only way to get their attention is to significantly lower handle for BC Friday and raise it the following day.

If the BC Brain trust had any common sense, they'd do four things ASAP:
1) Announce that the graded stakes scheduled for Friday were being returned to Saturday and that the Distaff would retain its name.
2)Issue an apology to fans for not seeking their input prior to implementing that unpopular decision.
3) Acknowledge they are experimenting with the synthetic surface for the benefit of the horsemen.
4) Announce they will experiment with the Ultra Pick Six for the benefit of the fans by lowering the minimum wager on both days to $.50 as a way of letting their customers know they are listening, and to build a loyal fan base for future renewals.

That still may not make the Classic winner HOTY, but Friday might then be a festival

[Indulto]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2008/09/11/2008-09-11_the_day_at_the_races-2.html (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2008/09/11/2008-09-11_the_day_at_the_races-2.html)
The Day at the Races
By Jerry Bossert 09/11/2008Attendance at race tracks will never be what it once was, thanks to OTBs, Internet wagering and telephone wagering, but now handle is suffering, too.

According to Equibase Company, the official statistician of horse racing, wagering on all races conducted in the United States through August is down 3.99% compared to last year, ...

... This despite the fact that there were 29 more race days this year.

Sure, Saratoga (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Saratoga) had nasty weather the first three weeks of the meet that definitely hurt its handle, but with more and more circuits using synthetic surfaces, that could be the real culprit.

It sure will be interesting to see what the handle turns out to be on the Breeders' Cup races to be run Oct. 24 and 25 at Santa Anita over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface.

Many big players I know already have said they are going to skip the Breeders' Cup or just wager on the turf races.

The shame of it all is that the synthetic surfaces were promoted as being safer for the horses and needing less maintenance, but the former, at least, just isn't true.

There were five deaths at the just-concluded Del Mar meeting run on a synthetic track, compared to none at Saratoga over a conventional dirt strip. Saratoga lost one runner in a grass race.

Despite the objections of many fans and Hall of Fame trainers, the racing executives continue to install synthetic surfaces rather than try to improve dirt strips, as Oaklawn Park did.

... Maybe the only good thing about the New York Racing Association being in bankruptcy is that it can't afford synthetic surfaces.

Let's hope NYRA never does, as on-track handle at both Aqueduct and Belmont (spring meeting) were up this year. ...

[Bobzilla]

Thanks for the ipetitions link, Indulto. I just signed it and made a donation. I took the time to write down some comments but they didn't go through. Knowing me I probably exceeded a word limit. Just as well I suppose, I wasn't very nice to the current Breeders' Cup regime.

[Indulto]

Thanks for the ipetitions link, Indulto. I just signed it and made a donation. I took the time to write down some comments but they didn't go through. Knowing me I probably exceeded a word limit. Just as well I suppose, I wasn't very nice to the current Breeders' Cup regime.BZ,
Glad I could be of assistance.

I have been trying to recruit a few of my fellow old cyberfarts here in So Cal who actually have the energy to attend both days. It's been a battle, but I think I'm wearing them down. They have finally agreed to at least forego the graded stakes on synthetic on Friday since it turns out that repositioning those races was the straw that broke the camel's back for them.

All, however, are disappointed with Santa Anita's decision not to go back to dirt when they had the chance. My most successful arguments so far for passing on Friday seem to be 1) wait and see how the track is playing for Saturday in terms of running style, 2) give the non-local jocks time to adjust, and 3) a strong favorite like Zenyatta will deflate exotics anyway.

If anybody has any more logical ammunition I can use, please share it. It's hard to find others like the movie, "Network's," character played by Peter Finch that are "mad as Hell" and "won't take it aymore." :bang:

[greenbutgame]

Hi Bobzilla,

If you want to send me your message I'll make sure it gets included with your signature, just tell me which name to include it with!

thx!
dana