Hollywood plans four-day weeks

[Southieboy]

With approximately 2,400 horses currently based at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park, the Southern California circuit can no longer conduct racing five days a week and could struggle to hold four-day weeks.

“We probably have a couple of thousand horses and we can’t fill races,” Liebau said. “I’m afraid it might come to three days at some time.”

http://www.drf.com/news/hollywood-plans-mostly-four-day-weeks-spring-summer-meet

[jelly]

Time to raise takeout. :lol:

[Mineshaft]

2400 horses and still get 6 horse fields.


I would tell some trainers you dont start running some horses you lose ur stalls.

[lamboguy]

in philly park they give john servis 40 stalls and he can't wait to run his horses out of town with no chance to win the race. no trainer should have more than 15 stalls. it would help the game if they limited stalls to EVERYONE.

[duncan04]

I would tell some trainers you dont start running some horses you lose ur stalls.


:ThmbUp: Good idea. Too bad they don't do that.

[illinoisbred]

2400 horses and still get 6 horse fields.


I would tell some trainers you dont start running some horses you lose ur stalls.
Didn't many tracks do this once upon a time? If my memory is correct, Arlington did back in the 80's. Trainers such as Frankie Brothers and Bert Sonnier were allotted many stalls,many of which were occupied by 2 yr olds that never ran during the meet,just trained. I think there was a start per stall number that was used to determine how many stalls one could get the following year.

[macguy]

Trainers in Southern California don't run their horses enough anymore. I just had a quick browse through last Friday's PPs, the vast majority of horses have well under 10 starts in 2010.

I'm not just talking Stakes horses, even the cheap claimers really only seem to run around 10 races a year. That's less than a start a month.

I don't know why with year 'round racing horses in Southern California would have so few starts, but it's certainly the rule, not the exception.

Not to mention all the 2 year old's that maybe only start once or twice (if at all), yet they're in training all year long taking up stall space.

[Tom]

Maybe they should card one last big race - all the horses in California race eastwards to Oaklawn.

[mannyberrios]

Time to raise takeout. :lol:
Raise it to 43% :1:

[Stillriledup]

This is completely true, i always say that if you want to see thoroughbred racing in California, go to clockers corner in the morning, you'll see hundreds of horses training and working!

[therussmeister]

Didn't many tracks do this once upon a time? If my memory is correct, Arlington did back in the 80's. Trainers such as Frankie Brothers and Bert Sonnier were allotted many stalls,many of which were occupied by 2 yr olds that never ran during the meet,just trained. I think there was a start per stall number that was used to determine how many stalls one could get the following year.
I thought this is still standard practice at all race tracks that get more applications than they have space for. The question is, are there trainers wanting stall space in So.Cal. that can't get it?

[Stillriledup]

2400 horses and still get 6 horse fields.


I would tell some trainers you dont start running some horses you lose ur stalls.

I could have sworn Martin Panza did this a few years ago, telling trainers to run or lose stalls at Hollywood, but i'm not sure if he ever did it, or it was just talk.

[toussaud]

that ploy only works when there are horses there to replace the horses that are being replaced, which there is not.

[Dan Montilion]

Welcome to the party F. Jack. Hollywood is on record as saying they are closing and will develop. They are simply not needed anymore. With the low horse population there is likely no reason to be open as a training facility. CHRB should tell Hollywood "No Dates, go ahead and just start on your development."

[The_Knight_Sky]

CHRB should tell Hollywood

"No Dates, go ahead and just start on your development."



I concur. :ThmbUp:
Unfortunately bold and decisive leadership seems to be lacking.

By delaying the inevitable demise of Hollywood Park, :faint:
they're "helping" the financial situation of a real estate development company.

[JohnGalt1]

What about the horse's owners out there?

If I owned a good horse, I'd want him to run more than 2 times a year, and I'd want my cheap claimers to run more than 6 times a year, if they were healthy. Or I might consider another trainer.

Unless I was independently wealthy, I'd want to try to earn some purse money for my 2k+ per month training expenses.

[Southieboy]

Santa Anita is hoping to eliminate racing on the first four Wednesdays of March, due to a lack of horses, according to track president George Haines.

http://www.drf.com/news/santa-anita-seeks-cut-four-wednesday-cards-march

[toussaud]

Santa Anita is hoping to eliminate racing on the first four Wednesdays of March, due to a lack of horses, according to track president George Haines.

http://www.drf.com/news/santa-anita-seeks-cut-four-wednesday-cards-march
Did we call it or did we cal it

[BlueShoe]

Did we call it or did we cal it
Saw this coming weeks ago, and said so here and to my track and otb pals. It really was a slam dunk no brainer prediction, one that I would have much rather been wrong about. :(

[Charlie D]

If i were David Israel here is what i would propose to the board to help save SA


Reduce to 3 days to help get decent field size. Reduce TO across board to the current Win %, Provide Live feed and Tote access to non US residents and lets see if we get the support of the CUSTOMERS .

If this does not work they may as well pull the shutters down and stick up a FOR SALE sign on SA.

[toussaud]

If i were David Israel here is what i would propose to the board to help save SA


Reduce to 3 days to help get decent field size. Reduce TO across board to the current Win %, Provide Live feed and Tote access to non US residents and lets see if we get the support of the CUSTOMERS .

If this does not work they may as well pull the shutters down and stick up a FOR SALE sign on SA.
The absoutly best thing cthey could do, is let Golden Gate race on wednesday and thursday, let santa Anita race on friday,, let both race on saturday and let santa anita race on Sunday. I would actually be pretty stoked about that.

[BlueShoe]

Santa Anita has announced that it will race five days a week after all, starting March 23, and race the last four Wednesdays of the meeting. Will that mean even more short fields of perhaps 6, 5, or even 4 horse contests? If anyone cares to bother, the announcement is on the SA and Bloodhorse sites. :sleeping:

[Southieboy]

If it means cards like Friday's, it won't last long.