Mountaineer Field size

[Viruss]

Where have all the horses gone?

MNR used to have full fields of 10 and was turning AE away now 50% of the races are 7 or fewer...Last night MSW of 6 horse with a scratch dropping it to 5 horse field.


Earl J

[HUSKER55]

ask mountainman he posts here.

[lamboguy]

there are short fields in kentucky as well.

i happen to be dealing with New York bred 2 yo filly's so far this year, and they have only managed a 5 horse field for their first race of the year next week, and the racing secretary let the race go. i have to give that guy credit for letting the race go with less than 6 in it, he must know how tough it is to get those horses ready and if you don't run them, they wind up getting cough's, bucked shins, and ty up. throughout the years it has always been a pleasure to deal with the racing office in New York, they have always run in professionally unlike other places.

[MAGICHORSEMAN]

As the tax laws were changed a few years ago and as expenses go up to own a horse - there are just fewer orders for horses to be bred. Also the real die hard horse racing fans and owners are just dying off or fading away.

Also many racetracks around the country have bad staff. Just people who just carry about one thing- their paychecks, and nothing else like getting new racing fans and owners.

Waterford Park in northern WV used to have a railbird club. People could come early and meet the horse people and hear interesting stories. People could get some handicapping tips. But it can't be anymore since the name was changed.

[Harmonicaslim]

Pretty bad at CT, too.

[jerry-g]

I have an opinion about this so I'll drop my buffalo nickle into the slot and say it. Lowering field sizes is a part of this game. Not to worry, it is only temporary. Just when we thought it was safe to handicap 10 horse fields and get some value, we venture out and fine 5 or 6 horses. However, I think we can find value in short fields but I believe it is very rare. If handicappers pass these races, then control will be returned and we will no longer be in the Outer Limits. As some fellows might say, "It was only business."

[rastajenk]

Originally Posted by MAGICHORSEMAN

Also many racetracks around the country have bad staff. Just people who just carry about one thing- their paychecks...

Another completely unsubstantiated allegation.

[pandy]

This is a big problem which will only get worse over the next few years. The amount of horses being bred is down sharply. Andy Beyer wrote an excellent column on this a few months ago.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports...ASR_story.html

[speed]

Originally Posted by Viruss

Where have all the horses gone?

MNR used to have full fields of 10 and was turning AE away now 50% of the races are 7 or fewer...Last night MSW of 6 horse with a scratch dropping it to 5 horse field.


Earl J

Slot money has dried up at MNR, hence a decline in entries. At the same time other tracks purses have been on the rise.

[mountainman]

Originally Posted by Viruss

Where have all the horses gone?

MNR used to have full fields of 10 and was turning AE away now 50% of the races are 7 or fewer...Last night MSW of 6 horse with a scratch dropping it to 5 horse field.


Earl J

With a monopoly on slots in this region, we enjoyed a blessed existence-and made the most of it-for years, but the gaming landscape has changed radically even as a worsening horse shortage afflicts the entire industry. Reality was always going to visit our doorstep-it just took its time getting here.

The worst part about short fields is that it becomes a vicious cycle-the more you hustle entries, the more entries you HAVE to hustle as available stock becomes depleted and horsemen (sometimes understandably) quit taking your calls. Quantity also reflects quality, since horses whose connections were beseeched to enter tend to be off-form,sometimes out of conditions, and generally less competitive than animals willingly pointed for spots they are entered in. In a role the public does not identify me with, I made my rep as an aggressive race-hustler years ago and don't mind reprising that role. When entries are plentiful, I am, in a sense, a soldier without a war. But I do hate what short fields portend for mnr and for the industry. I'd be a fool not to.

Turf starts up soon here, and that will help, and there will still be periods during the year when we can offer full fields. But make no mistake,short fields are a problem felt industry wide, and permanent relief is not in sight.

[rastajenk]

Originally Posted by mountainman

Quantity also reflects quality, since horses whose connections were beseeched to enter tend to be off-form,sometimes out of conditions, and generally less competitive than animals willingly pointed for spots they are entered in.

I tried to make this point recently in another thread about Beyers being lower than in the past. It didn't get much response then, but I believe there's a great deal of logic in it. Either the well-meant runners win at low odds (good for the churn, but hard to get excited about) or they don't, and the winner's speed rating is below par (and it's not because of a slow surface that day). The various effects of smaller fields are universally negative.