Saratoga is the be all end all of thoroughbred racing in the US, and a true test of the handicapper. Horses shipping in from Woodbine in the north, all the way down to the gulf coast and west to the Mississippi River. Sharpies from Finger Lakes and New England...well I guess no more New England.
Well meant firsters, seconders and everything else. The racing has declined as you would expect due to racino purses...not nearly as many sharp shippers from the Mid Atlantic as in years gone by..but all the right trainers and outfits are there. There has been plenty of thinning in the maiden ranks especially...it used to be you had to be something to break your maiden at Saratoga.
Del Mar's isolation makes it second rate. Shippers from...well, nowhere? Arapahoe, TuP? New Mexico? Does anyone ship there from out of state? Besides the ambience, which apparently is first rate, what exactly distinguished Del Mar from the rest of SoCal?
Keep in mind this is mostly truly but a decent splash of hyperbole as well, so please no hate mail