Charles Town Classic in jeopardy
 

I have always said that this game is run by morons.

Bull ring anyway.....

I'm sorry I've just had no use for them since Shared Belief got hurt, there, in the Classic. None. Some horses we get over easily. Can't say this about Shared Belief even though I know his death came later. :(

why cut the purse when they could double it. make that purse $2.5 million, Baffert needs the money!

everything in horse racing always makes so much sense

I see both sides to this. On one hand, they become relevant for one day. On the other, it is a lot of money for one race with their purse structure. They had a field of 8 last year and with the horses that ran, they probably could have offered less to get the same field. Putting money back into the overnights might have helped field size, but we have also seen over the years that throwing money at a race doesn't mean it will happen.

The lower level races are the bread and butter of the purse account.

Problem is the horsemen agreed to the purse. The commission stepped in. I'm guessing there had to be some unhappy horsemen in the lead guy's ear. You never see this kind of move when there is an agreement in place.

I disagree. Using over $1 million in limited purse money for this event is a very poor use of that money. If it takes one commissioner (Ken Lowe) to bring the outrage to light then so be it. I don't believe the race has heightened the popularity of CT beyond that one day, as Mr Zimny (vp of racing) has asserted. I think he's sincere in that belief. I understand he has worked hard to raise the track's profile, and I suspect he has helped increase off-track handle by marketing the track's signal more aggressively. But the local horsemen are suffering, and as someone said "why not just hand the money over to Baffert." The quality of the race, beyond one or two horses, rarely merits the purse.

I don't think a guy from the racing commission thought this all up himself. I do think tracks need to have some kind of signature, and without this race CT falls completely off the map for 99% of horseplayers.

Finger Lakes used to have a Gr3 race - at 6 furlongs.
Groovy won it and held our track record.

We got rid of it for the same reasons. And just look at the spectacular paradise FL has become because of it!

First, thanks for bringing up the Groovy race - I had to look that up. I assume FL canceled that race b/c handle was under pressure? Why was handle under pressure if this marquee race was such a success at drumming up year-round business? I don't buy the cause and effect, but I concede you know a lot more about the history of FL racing than I do.

Charlestown has a few days every year where they showcase West Virginia breds.

when you showcase a big race there with all horses coming from other parts of the country is good for that 1 day. after that Saturday night is gone, the people that came with the horses and the people that bet on their horses forget about the place until next year. at least with the WV breds, the horses will be back in a race over the track 2 or 3 weeks later.

Fully agree. Too many horses get hurt at that track in general and on the big day each year. Even Larry Collmus was pleased he wasn't apart of it in 2015 as noted in an attached tweet despite him now calling to "save" the big race.

Running a $1.2 million race at Charles Town is like putting a tuxedo on a wino.

You ever been there?