Small SoCal Fields

[Kappa]

This may be a dumb question, but why are the fields so small at Hollywood and Santa Anita? The purse structure seems to be such as to attract many runners. Other tracks want to blame small fields on the purse structure, and use that as leverage to obtain outside funding (slots, State financial support etc). Are their outside factors, like labor issues or state regulations that impact this?

Thanks

[Dave Schwartz]

I believe that worker's compensation claims for backstretch employees has taken a huge toll on the CA racing industry.


Dave Schwartz

[Tom]

They lost the "7" saddlecloth. :p

[lousycapper]

They pass all the restrictive laws that prevent horse racing to thrive... hence, more and more owners and trainers will leave our tracks.

-L.C.

[VetScratch]

Dave,
I believe that worker's compensation claims for backstretch employees has taken a huge toll on the CA racing industry.

You can say that again, and again, and again!

Another reason is that the jockeys are well organized and always outsmart the horsemen during labor negotiations. The basic riding fees have escalated out of site in CA, and the provision that forces owners/trainers to buy benefit/insurance packages for the jockeys adds at least $200 to the cost of every start at HOL/SA. Day money charged by trainers has also soared out of sight (although much of this is attributable to pass through costs). I would guess that $60,000 is now the breakeven point for a single horse on the SO-CAL circuit, and every horse that is a good earner must also pick up the slack for three or four others who never made it to the races, get injured, or underperform.

The problem is that horseman always seem to be represented by officials who are out of touch with reality or are in the pocket of someone who does not represent the interests of most horsemen.

Then you have a lot of other abuses. If HOL and SA are typical of many tracks, the feed supply industry operates like a mob-controlled garbage-hauling syndicate. And on, and on, and on...

[so.cal.fan]

I need not add any more.....the above posts tell the sad story!

[JustRalph]

I heard Frank Lyons on TVG a week or so ago. He said that if you bring a two year old into training somewhere in So Cal you can spend 30 G if all you do is work him out twice a month and never race him. He qualifed it by also saying that this means the horse needs just the usual low end vet care and no problems occur during the workouts. Now if you want to race him and attempt to work him right, he said you can double it or in the case of most, triple it when you start paying jocks, Vets and the jocks workers comp rate. This state is so screwed up it is incredible.

:( :( :(

[Kentucky Bred]

It is hitting all tracks in SoCal, not just HP. Santa Anita was showing some real signs of smaller fields as well. NoCal is simply tragic. The racing secretaries there must almost collapse when a scratch ticket is dropped off. I have heard claims (rumor) that in some cases a horseman HAS to run in order to fill the race.

If I may be indulged for just a moment while on my soapbox...I'm curious where all of those horses went to that filled those 2 furlong baby races in very early part of this year?

Horses can't last the training and racing punishment and the greedy pressure that owners and trainers place on the horse. They might be quick enough to go a furlong in 10.1 but what does that mean for the racing career of the horse? He probably would have become a horse that could have worked a 58 and change if he had been given the chance.

Del Mar this year is really important. The key will be if short fields begin to creep in especially towards the latter part of the meet. If so, next year may be rough.

Kentucky Bred

[JimG]

Originally posted by Tom
They lost the "7" saddlecloth. :p

Tom,

Now that was just too damn funny! Cut it out!


Jim

[so.cal.fan]

Ky Bred brings up an interesting point.
I'm sure it is correct to assume that these "2 year old dashes" do not help matters!

[VetScratch]

So Cal Fan,
Ky Bred brings up an interesting point.
I'm sure it is correct to assume that these "2 year old dashes" do not help matters!
Judging from his handle, I'm sure Ky Bred could have gone on to explain the rationale for the 2f baby races.

These events are a bonanza for pinhookers. You buy a moderately priced two-year-old-in-training, immediately crack down and hone for early speed (future consequences, be damned), win one of these events, and then sell for a quick profit based on demonstrated ability. The sad part, as any trainer will confirm, is that even marginal thoroughbreds "can" be conditioned to run a fast 2f, but few can withstand the prematurely brutal training regimen that pinhookers use to make this happen with babies (without bringing these babies to the brink of disaster, which is what the proud new owners usually inherit).

[VetScratch]

Maybe I should amplify my description of how pinhookers operate because it is not usually addressed in handicapping literature.

Out of every 100 fashionably bred foals, quite a few will have confirmation flaws that foreshadow a short racing career due to stress induced injuries that are likely to be precipitated by their confirmation flaws. These kind don't command high prices in the spotlight of scrutiny at the big auctions.

Pinhookers buy these fashionable pedigrees as moderately priced two-year-olds, make their quick score, and profitably pass on these accidents-waiting-to-happen to new owners (who may be getting "bad" advice from their trainers or bloodstock consultants).

This is why 2f baby sprints are a dream come true for pinhookers.

[GameTheory]

Didn't these early 2yr old races traditionally go 3 furlongs in years lost past?

[VetScratch]

Yes, and only the next logical step could be worse... 1f baby races!

Let's see, the Bloodhorse reports that fashionable sire Wellconnected had twelve yearlings that graded into the Select Sale at KEE. Because of high reserves and the two yearlings that sold for over 800K, the average price for Wellconnected yearlings is 392K. The following spring, a pinhooker buys a confirmation flawed Wellconnected two-year-old for 15K, invests 10K in training, wins a 2f baby race, then shops a proven winner by Wellconnected at the bargain basement price of 290K. At 2f, he may not even have to win if the final time "seems" impressive.

[Kentucky Bred]

This seems so obvious to me and other people on this site. Why isn't it clear to others? With 40,000 foals a year to chose between for a relative few (20-30) decent sized tracks around the country to run, why isn't every race filled?

I am a businessman and I can appreciate buying a horse and wanting to see results quickly. But the truth is the owner should buy some stock options if he/she wants quick action. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to have two horses in Charlie Whittingham's barn back in the 80's. I mostly dealt with Rodney Rash, his assistant. But Whittingham conversed with me twice. His theory was that each horse blossoms at a different time and it is different with every horse. His job was to find out when the horse hits its peak and then (and ONLY then) go for it. Rarely did that involve running a horse until later in the 2 year old season. Even his Derby type horse won their maiden race quickly, hit an allowance win and then run in the Derby preps. He was known for his champion horses...normally 3 years and up.

The horse is a living being that is genitically going to do what it will do. Our decision to pinhook to make a killing or run them while they are still not even really two years old yet is simply insane for the long term interest of the sport, in my opinion.

There are many other true reasons as well as this thread demonstrates, but this is one big one (along with drugs) as well.

Oh, one more thing. Around here Lexington had a big event this July. They DIDN'T have a select t-bred sale at Keeneland. The reproductive disease is now hitting. What will the affect be when this highly suspect crop hits the races early next year?

Kentucky Bred (even though I'm not)