new SA race conditions

[mountainman]

Horsemen friendly, for sure...but, player friendly?? that's (very) debatable.

I've seen lots of crutches handed out to "the little guy," and it rarely helps the product. Perhaps years down the road-if it really DOES stimulate smaller breeding.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

So you sort of have to get beat up for awhile until they all graduate or drop into maiden claiming before you really know what you have. This will split the division into 2 classes. I'm not sure how that helps the field sizes unless a lot of those second tier horses were just sitting in the barn, but it's giving some of the smaller owners and trainers a better chance to win without dropping into the claiming ranks.

According to a handful of people I know well, who are heavily invested in Cali racing, this is exactly the issue and it's been known for years. And not just at the MSW level either. They've always refuted the idea that it's solely a population size issue.

[lamboguy]

my guess is the idea behind is that you can either get 1 person or a group of 3 or 4 put up money and buy a yearling for about $50,000 or $75,000 and have a chance to win races there. the way it is today, you can't beat Baffert, Hollandorfer, Mandella, or Miller and a few others out there, its like taking your money and pouring down the sewer. so this move should bring new owners and maybe trainer's to the game which will also equate to more betting at the window's, more parking and more attendance.

i have to give Timmy plenty of credit for coming up with the plan and trying it out. i say you will see a positive from it and other tracks will copy the plan.

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

my guess is the idea behind is that you can either get 1 person or a group of 3 or 4 put up money and buy a yearling for about $50,000 or $75,000 and have a chance to win races there. the way it is today, you can't beat Baffert, Hollandorfer, Mandella, or Miller and a few others out there, its like taking your money and pouring down the sewer. so this move should bring new owners and maybe trainer's to the game which will also equate to more betting at the window's, more parking and more attendance.

i have to give Timmy plenty of credit for coming up with the plan and trying it out. i say you will see a positive from it and other tracks will copy the plan.

I wonder if they get regular mdn races to fill, Baffert and others may have to ship in those races.

[Prioress Ply]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

my guess is the idea behind is that you can either get 1 person or a group of 3 or 4 put up money and buy a yearling for about $50,000 or $75,000 and have a chance to win races there. the way it is today, you can't beat Baffert, Hollandorfer, Mandella, or Miller and a few others out there, its like taking your money and pouring down the sewer. so this move should bring new owners and maybe trainer's to the game which will also equate to more betting at the window's, more parking and more attendance.

i have to give Timmy plenty of credit for coming up with the plan and trying it out. i say you will see a positive from it and other tracks will copy the plan.

Exactly. Maiden races won with Beyers in the 60s or 70s are nothing but giveaways to big breeders and trainers given the horses by the fatcats who pay the breeders exorbitant prices hoping to catch a Derby prospect, In what other sport is SLOWER or LESS EFFECTIVE talent rewarded with bigger money (than, say, to a $20,000 claimer)?

The entire system needs to be reconfigured. Breed horses to last, pay the purses to those that do last and run fastest. This is a good first step.