Q: how bad has the weather been on Thursday nights?

[The_Knight_Sky]

And has the weather been better on Thursday afternoons http://i51.tinypic.com/1z5osb8.gif in Inglewatts?


The Oak Tree Racing Association has switched the final Thursday evening card of its meet to the afternoon.

Acting on the suggestion of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) that consideration be given to racing Thursday afternoon instead of at night, Oak Tree decided to move post time on Thursday from 7:05 p.m. to 1 p.m. (PDT). Post time remains 7:05 p.m. Friday.

"We believe there is a need for tracks to continue to experiment with night racing in that racing may not be able to continue to put on its show when most people work," Hollywood Park President Jack Liebau said. "While attendance on Thursday nights has been higher than Thursday afternoons, it was not as high as we hoped it would be.

We believe that with adequate time for promotion, which was not available for this Oak Tree meet, night racing will prove to be successful." Sherwood Chillingworth, Oak Tree's director and executive vice-president, said he was receptive to the TOC's suggestion. "We experimented with Thursday night racing to encourage attendance by a new, younger fan base," Chillingworth said. "It takes time to make the public aware of a change such as this and, unfortunately, the weather has not cooperated.".

Handicapper's Edge (http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/full_edition.cgi)

[andymays]

This meet has been a total disaster. Look for Santa Anita to get the dates next year.

[gm10]

This meet has been a total disaster. Look for Santa Anita to get the dates next year.

Very subtle, Andy.

[Turkoman]

First they need to put on a better show, then they can think about trying some new things. Five horse fields is not the answer.

Turkoman

[andymays]

First they need to put on a better show, then they can think about trying some new things. Five horse fields is not the answer.

Turkoman

Do you mean to say you weren't happy with a 3 horse field and a 4 horse field the other night?

It was an embarrassment.

[Turkoman]

Do you mean to say you weren't happy with a 3 horse field and a 4 horse field the other night?

It was an embarrassment.

I saw someone mentioning the three horse field here. Forgot who it was. Yes, Andy. That is embarrassing. I guess it's the result of all the bad decisions they've made.

Turkoman

[Tom]

Maybe next year they should all just go on vacation for those dates. Obviously, California cannot sustain year round racing. They need to shut it down, or go to a 2-day week. I don't even bother to look at PPs anymore - the isolated good bet I might miss are hardly worth the effort to look for them. And what is coming up.....oh, goody goody, CAL BRED DAY! Whoop-de-doop-de-doopie!

[andymays]

Maybe next year they should all just go on vacation for those dates. Obviously, California cannot sustain year round racing. They need to shut it down, or go to a 2-day week. I don't even bother to look at PPs anymore - the isolated good bet I might miss are hardly worth the effort to look for them. And what is coming up.....oh, goody goody, CAL BRED DAY! Whoop-de-doop-de-doopie!

Yes, they should take longer breaks in between meets. Del Mar and Santa Anita should be on a 4 day a week schedule and anything at Hollywood should be three days a week until the inventory goes way up.

[The_Knight_Sky]

Five horse fields is not the answer.

Turkoman

If California racing is to move forward, the race ready horse inventory must be addressed.

The leaders in that state continues to proceed without asking why aren't theses horses capable of racing more regularly? And why hasn't been sweeping reforms into the backstretch medication policies?

For $80+ million dollars wasted on synthetics, California Racing could have
utilized that amount towards a SuperLab testing program that would have been the envy of the nation. Instead they've become the laughingstock.

With Hollywood Park's meet looming in a week, things do not figure to get much better in terms of horse supply. It is time for California to go to a 3 day racing week or even shut down for a month twice a year.

[rwwupl]

If California racing is to move forward, the race ready horse inventory must be addressed.

The leaders in that state continues to proceed without asking why aren't theses horses capable of racing more regularly? And why hasn't been sweeping reforms into the backstretch medication policies?

For $80+ million dollars wasted on synthetics, California Racing could have
utilized that amount towards a SuperLab testing program that would have been the envy of the nation. Instead they've become the laughingstock.

With Hollywood Park's meet looming in a week, things do not figure to get much better in terms of horse supply. It is time for California to go to a 3 day racing week or even shut down for a month twice a year.

The players in California have been clear how they feel about this for a very long time. I know this problem has taken root with the TOC in California because there is an assigned project to review the Van and Stabling program, and make changes to correct the abuse, with the goal of having more true "race ready " horses available for the Racing Secretary to work with.

A member of the Board of Directors of the TOC is in charge and gave an interim report at the last meeting of the CHRB at Fairplex.

I have been promised an update when available and will pass it on here.

rwwupl