Sears & Tetrick Abandon Ship - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

badcompany · 05-08-2011, 01:10 AM

Took a peek at Saturday's Meadowlands entries and noticed that the top two drivers, Brian Sears and Tim Tetrick were nowhere to be found. So, I did a bit of research and found they were driving at Chester which had a card that started at 5pm.

First, it was Brennan, who moved to Yonkers full time. Now Sears and Tetrick leave.

Looks like the writing is on the wall.

grant miller · 05-08-2011, 01:40 AM

I think sears and tettrick(SP?) were commited to chester,brennen was driving at yonkers all year (1st call on pena horses).

grant miller · 05-08-2011, 01:42 AM

JMO they didnt know if the meds was gonna be running.

The Bit · 05-08-2011, 09:28 AM

Tetrick stayed to drive One More Laugh in a $100,000 dollar race and Sears had a good shot in that race as well as some solid three year olds in some of the other stakes, including Wink N Atcha.

Today on the other hand, almost the entire colony goes to Chester. Miller, Miller, Tetrick, Pierce, Gingras, Dube and Sears all at Chester. A $70,000 open, a $32,000 WO, four other races worth $20,000 or more will have that affect. Those purses draw the best horses and the drivers want to drive the best stock they can and the trainers want the best drivers. And 32 people will be in the grandstands watching.

badcompany · 05-08-2011, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grant miller

brennen was driving at yonkers all year (1st call on pena horses).

Brennan was the real Canary in the coal mine. In 2010, he was the top driver at M1; yet, he didn't drive there for the fall meet. Even with his success at Yonkers, he's gonna make less that he did last year. So, he obviously didn't like what he saw at M1.

sonnyp · 05-08-2011, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badcompany

Brennan was the real Canary in the coal mine. In 2010, he was the top driver at M1; yet, he didn't drive there for the fall meet. Even with his success at Yonkers, he's gonna make less that he did last year. So, he obviously didn't like what he saw at M1.

the thing that's a huge difference between drivers in harness and jocks in the runners, is that the jock agents give a predraw commitment to ride a specific horse in a specific race, a "call".

it used to drive me nuts that he harness guys can wait till after the draw and pick and choose, based on competition, post position etc. who they want to drive. in their heyday, o'donnell and campbell would be listed on maybe 6 horses every race at the meadowlands. they'd sit down, like they were lookin at a memue at a restaurant and take their choice. i always thought this part of the process to be unfair. everybody suffers the consequences of the draw but the drivers, and don't hold your breath expecting loyalty.

Hanover1 · 05-08-2011, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonnyp

the thing that's a huge difference between drivers in harness and jocks in the runners, is that the jock agents give a predraw commitment to ride a specific horse in a specific race, a "call".

it used to drive me nuts that he harness guys can wait till after the draw and pick and choose, based on competition, post position etc. who they want to drive. in their heyday, o'donnell and campbell would be listed on maybe 6 horses every race at the meadowlands. they'd sit down, like they were lookin at a memue at a restaurant and take their choice. i always thought this part of the process to be unfair. everybody suffers the consequences of the draw but the drivers, and don't hold your breath expecting loyalty.

Outside of the circle getting smaller, I don't see much of a change. Friend of mine does the entries for Erv Miller, and every day she speaks to Tetrick, Sears, Miller (both Andy and Doug) and others. They are always "Let me call you back on that". If a horse is live she says so, but sometimes it matters not, and sometimes she gets the favor in return as well. Same old deal......it IS nice to know that your guy stays with you if you have gotten one ready at a decent level too.

wilderness · 05-08-2011, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonnyp

the thing that's a huge difference between drivers in harness and jocks in the runners, is that the jock agents give a predraw commitment to ride a specific horse in a specific race, a "call".

It's apples and oranges.

"Jocks" get paid twice as much (10 %; T-Bred trainers too), while Standardbred drivers and trainers split 10% (5 % each).

sonnyp · 05-08-2011, 05:03 PM

don,

what relevance does the compensation have ? i was talking about the fact that jocks commit, blindly, to ride a horse in a race where as the drivers decide after the races are drawn who they will drive.

by the way, at the height of their careers o'donnell and campbell were asking for and getting 10% in stakes.

pandy · 05-08-2011, 05:21 PM

I know not many will agree with me on this, but the racing at the Meadowlands is better without Sears and Tetrick, etc. The fall meet was the best meet in years for overlays, many juicy winners that actually figured, and the reason for the overlays was that the top drivers weren't there.

Last night was amazing. In the first race last night I picked NY Ice and made him 8-5, he won and paid $17, with Steve Smith. In the 4th All American Arena was my third choice and I made him 5-1 odds, he won and paid $49.00, with Simon Allard.

In the 6th I made Panesthetic 7-5 as my second choice figuring I’d take a shot at a price because he’d be odds on, he won and paid $8.20. In the 7th, Blueridge Western was my top pick and I made him 7-5, he won and paid $7.40, and in the last race I picked Jetty to win and made him 2-1, he won and paid $10.40. All driven by Lachance. Obviously some bettors don't think that Lachance can win anymore (wrong).

In the fall meet the bettors were under betting certain drivers, like Jim Meittinis for instance. They were confused because the top drivers weren’t there.

Last night they underbet Steve Smith, Mike Lachance (3 winners) and Simon Allard.

Pandy

Hanover1 · 05-08-2011, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badcompany

Took a peek at Saturday's Meadowlands entries and noticed that the top two drivers, Brian Sears and Tim Tetrick were nowhere to be found. So, I did a bit of research and found they were driving at Chester which had a card that started at 5pm.

First, it was Brennan, who moved to Yonkers full time. Now Sears and Tetrick leave.

Looks like the writing is on the wall.

There is no "writing on the wall". Horses are going to get over that strip on the way to seasons roadmaps for each one of them. Drivers including the above mentioned will show up at the appropriate time to secure mounts in upcoming stakes. Did you forget that no matter what happens, Hambo week is a go? Think these guys are going to forsake owners/trainers/top colts that are coming along, to race at Chester full time?? umm...not so much.

wilderness · 05-08-2011, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonnyp

by the way, at the height of their careers o'donnell and campbell were asking for and getting 10% in stakes.

And on the other hand for "decades" drivers and trainers were not even paid 5%.

When Jimmy Cruise won the 1946 Golden West Pace for a purse of 50k (25 to winner), the owner gave Jimmy a whopping $400.

FWIW, the fees are as relevant as the comparison of "apples and oranges".
The two sports are entirely different.
Some horseman accept gratuities in the form of wagered dollars, however it is frowned upon (more so today than in previous years.)

Hanover1 · 05-08-2011, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonnyp

don,

what relevance does the compensation have ? i was talking about the fact that jocks commit, blindly, to ride a horse in a race where as the drivers decide after the races are drawn who they will drive.

by the way, at the height of their careers o'donnell and campbell were asking for and getting 10% in stakes.

I always wondered why those guys didn't use agents, like the TB guys. Good agents secure the best mounts for the jocks in the morningtime, sometimes going barn to barn, daily, and they have a wealth of info regarding daily works, ect......really on top of the game. Takes the guesswork out of it for the riders. Of course, it was always easy to refuse drives if you had your own barn full.........

sonnyp · 05-08-2011, 05:35 PM

so pandy, your pockets are full ?

i know when o'donnell and campbell were on top, they would end up driving the 2 best horses in every race and NEVER, EVER, do anything to hurt each other during the running of the race.

im not saying anything was going on, please don't take it that way. they're both friends of mine and i don't mean to imply that in any way. they just never hurt each other.

im sure, as you have stated, it effected the betting and infuriated some of the other drivers.

i will never forget the night another good friend mike gagliardi left the paddock in silence when he confronted o'donnel and campbell. gag was a tough kid. cat manzi stood up to him on one occasion and it was lights out with one punch from gag.

great stories.

wilderness · 05-08-2011, 05:35 PM

Bob,
Some overlays at M1 are also traditional for the three weeks (Burlington and North American Cup) in Toronto, when the top guys leave.

I caught Yannick one year on a $100 ship in from Dover during this time.

Such overlays in Toronto are quite difficult to find.
I heard a rumor that eventually harness racing will be eliminated entirely from Woodbine. Sure hope so, as Mohawk is more "Don friendly"