Quote:
Originally Posted by thaskalos
If that's really the case, then...why were the horsemen so adamant in their conviction that the casino-assisted purses would lead to larger and more competitive fields? Were they just being INTENTIONALLY MISLEADING in order to make a more convincing argument, so they could get what they wanted all along, regardless of how this would ultimately affect the "quality" and 'competitiveness' of the sport? And...why did the ultra-short fields start proliferating right at the arrival of the augmented purses? Coincidence?
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The sad fact is that trainers/owners relish short fields as they provide an easier path to purse money. While it might be short sighted, they would rather compete in a small field vs a highly competitive 12 horse field. At the same time horseman realize that betting is proportionately higher as field size increases.
But IMO, the real culprit in short fields is due to a shortage of horses. Fewer horses are being bred. According to Jockey club stats, slightly more than 35,000 foals were registered in 2008. In 2018 about 22,000 foals were registered. Fewer horses available. The timing of this trend does coincide with the proliferation of racinos.
While many other factors come into play here, fewer available horses pose a big problem for this industry.
TonyK
