Quote:
Originally Posted by MutuelClerk
The Jug is great Reddog but's like many great things it's becoming a thing of the past. Race twice in a day doesn't mean what it used too. Only eight horses in this years Jug is a joke. Either really raise the purse or just pack it in. I believe there is only eleven entered in the Jugette. Disgraceful.
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The small fields are a symptom of a sport in its death throes. The number of owners are fading as the number of bettors fade.
The few rich owners (most of whom benefit from illegal drugs, IMO) spend top dollar at yearling sales to chase the slot machine inflated purses. The honest owners cannot compete. Betting entries for the same trainer have become a thing of the past as track owners try to keep as many betting interests as possible in a race.
The rich breeders could finance a marketing explosion to put harness racing back on the map, but they won't risk one dime that might impact the huge money they are making now. When harness racing is a memory, these breeders can move on to something else with all of the money they are making now.
Let's not forget it is the owners that pay for the illegal drugs. The trainers are paid by the owners. Think of the owners as the Godfathers and the trainers as their muscle.
