How come no 'quality' racing on Mon or Tues?

[Stillriledup]

Wouldnt a higher class track benefit from racing on Mon or Tuesday or do they just assume that all horseplayers need 2 days off before the major NY track races on Weds?

If NYRA, So Cal or another major track like Gulfstream was racing tomorrow, would you be tempted to handicap the card and wager only on that signal, or, do you need 2 days off before Weds?

[letswastemoney]

Yes, throw up some stakes races on Mon or Tues, and I'd be somewhat motivated to at least take a look.

I'm not motivated to look at those $5k or so claiming races at Turfway Park. Then it just becomes random.

[MightBeSosa]

really. nothing random about those races in NY and CAL, huh.

that must why all the 5k claimers produce wild results and huge mutuels.

[letswastemoney]

really. nothing random about those races in NY and CAL, huh.

that must why all the 5k claimers produce wild results and huge mutuels.
I am no fan of 5k claimers at SA/Hol or Aqueduct either, but the form holds slightly better in those claiming races at top tier tracks than at the 2nd tier ones.

[maclr11]

I would definetely wager that the winning price of a 5000 clm race at little tracks is smaller than the avg winning price of a horse at a big track

[cj]

I am no fan of 5k claimers at SA/Hol or Aqueduct either, but the form holds slightly better in those claiming races at top tier tracks than at the 2nd tier ones.

How would it even be possible to be a fan of 5k claimers at Aqu and Hol?

[Robert Goren]

The result would be shorter fields.

[therussmeister]

I miss Fairgrounds and Tampa on Monday. If either of those still ran on Monday, I'd play. I play Mondays for most of the year but tend to not to in the dead of the winter.

[mannyberrios]

Parx is a high class track! :lol:

[mannyberrios]

Really , Parx is not that bad

[mabred]

what about parx takeout??

really high right???

[gm10]

Bring back Great Lakes Downs!

[OTM Al]

Whatever happened to "less is more"......

[letswastemoney]

How would it even be possible to be a fan of 5k claimers at Aqu and Hol?
That's right they don't go that low. Well my main point is, if the top tracks were running on Mon. and Tues., I'd probably look. It's different for everyone, but looking at higher quality horses is easier, even if there are still longshot surprises.

[therussmeister]

what about parx takeout??

really high right???
On some bets. About average for a track that size on WPS and exactas.

[CincyHorseplayer]

I hate betting this time of the year wholeheartedly.Chalk and nonsense results IMO.Crap weather and connections playing out the string up north.In transition down south.Then add a Monday and tuesday into the equation.If you are playing out of bordeom and lifelessness at this point,you're probably not going to win anyway!Put a little gunpowder in that Metamucil,might put a little pep in the step!!:cool:

[thespaah]

This is why I refer to this time of year as "Horse Racing Nuclear Winter"..
Gulfstream has no business being open right now. The track should stick to it's traditional schedule.

[andicap]

I'll take a stab at the answer.

Perhaps tracks running five days a week have found the highest handles are on Wed-Sunday, plain and simple. People who have been playing on the weekends take a break on Mon-Tues.

Also, horsemen, jockeys, etc. probably want two days off in a row as do track officials.

I am absolutely certain that if tracks thought they could make more money opening on Monday or Tuesday they would.

[Tom]

Monday/Tuesday was always a big day for FL because they got the simulcast money, much more so before NYOTB took out of state tracks.

Nice $75K stake at Parx today in the 8th.

[MaTH716]

Alot of people complain about field sizes, maybe there just aren't enough horses to run 7 days a week (with competitive fields).

[castaway01]

Alot of people complain about field sizes, maybe there just aren't enough horses to run 7 days a week (with competitive fields).

It's not to run seven days a week, it's why no major circuit runs Friday to Tuesday instead of Wednesday to Sunday, so they can theoretically dominate Mondays and Tuesdays.

I think Andicap called it. The tracks know which days most people are used to betting and that they do better with a larger audience. Hard to say if one track deciding to run on Monday would suddenly get people paying attention. It would probably just hurt Parx and whoever else runs Monday afternoon which the major track wouldn't have a better handle than it would on a random Wednesday.

[RXB]

This is why I refer to this time of year as "Horse Racing Nuclear Winter"..
Gulfstream has no business being open right now. The track should stick to it's traditional schedule.

Makes perfect sense for Gulfstream to be open now. In years past I used to wonder why they didn't go after the December dates. Once Churchill closes and NYRA stops carding grass races, it's an excellent opportunity for Florida to have a major meeting. And expanding the grass course several years ago was a great idea.

[therussmeister]

It's not to run seven days a week, it's why no major circuit runs Friday to Tuesday instead of Wednesday to Sunday, so they can theoretically dominate Mondays and Tuesdays.

I think Andicap called it. The tracks know which days most people are used to betting and that they do better with a larger audience. Hard to say if one track deciding to run on Monday would suddenly get people paying attention. It would probably just hurt Parx and whoever else runs Monday afternoon which the major track wouldn't have a better handle than it would on a random Wednesday.
Fairgrounds and Tampa used to run Mondays, and they gave it up. I'd be very surprised if Mondays are not Saratoga's worst day of the week for average handle.

[thespaah]

Makes perfect sense for Gulfstream to be open now. In years past I used to wonder why they didn't go after the December dates. Once Churchill closes and NYRA stops carding grass races, it's an excellent opportunity for Florida to have a major meeting. And expanding the grass course several years ago was a great idea.
My point was this: expanding higher quality meets simply waters down the product.
Look, there are only so many horses to go around. And as we all know, horses of higher caliber have finished their campaigns and those in training have been "sent home". Most will not resume training until The beginning of February.
When Gulfstream ran it's more traditional dates, the races filled and of course the connections of some of the better stock showed up.
With the expanded meet, they just created "Calder at the Beach".

[thespaah]

Fairgrounds and Tampa used to run Mondays, and they gave it up. I'd be very surprised if Mondays are not Saratoga's worst day of the week for average handle.
They are...Followed closely by Wednesday's.
I have advocated Saratoga go back to a 5 day week. I get "screamed" at by certain horse players on here as though I suggested cutting off one of their limbs.
I cannot remember who suggested it but somewhere along the line I read that there is a move afoot to exapnd the Spa meet to include ALL of July right through Labor Day.....NUTS...
What makes the Saratoga meet special in part is it's brevity.
In fact, the meets with the highest attendance and handle figures and larger fields are "boutique meets"...Keeneland and Saratoga come to mind.

[RXB]

My point was this: expanding higher quality meets simply waters down the product.
Look, there are only so many horses to go around. And as we all know, horses of higher caliber have finished their campaigns and those in training have been "sent home". Most will not resume training until The beginning of February.
When Gulfstream ran it's more traditional dates, the races filled and of course the connections of some of the better stock showed up.
With the expanded meet, they just created "Calder at the Beach".

"Calder at the Beach" handles a few million $ per day more than "Calder Not at the Beach," offers superior purses and also has a fresh grass course to greet the shippers instead of the chewed-up Crc course at the end of an eight-month meet.

December racing at GP is better than anything Crc could offer so who cares if it doesn't have as many big races as the Jan-March portion of the meet? It's an upgrade and that's what matters.