Chad Brown-ization of NY dirt racing

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by cj

I think some of the newer guys are changing it up. The game is evolving. It isn't too tough to figure out which ones. I'm not knocking any trainers let alone Hall of Fame ones, but that doesn't mean the newer ones can't improve on what was done in the past.

I know the trainers today have more access to breezing their horses on the turf. In the "old" days you had to be eligible for a stake to breeze on the grass. Now everyone is training off site and breezing their maidens on turf before they ever run. So yes i agree with you that it has evolved in some way. When i worked for Lukas we didn't have much success with turf horses. Everyone around would say he can't train a turf horse. Then Steinlen showed up. He was a bit of a basket case, but he adapted to the Lukas training regimen.

[plainolebill]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

Forego - west coast
Travers - west coast
Personal Ensign - Ky
Test- 1-2 west coast

most of the two year old stakes have been shippers, in fact maybe all of them.

Looks, just saying, the evidence is mounting up. The grab and hold tactics win, yes when the trips are sweet (ie Jim Dandy winner).

You can ignore it all you want.

Its the opposite on turf shippers coming out west, its gotta be 50% strike rate. The west coast trainers are struggling on turf since Whittingham and Frankel retired, also the stock quality is down without some of the major turf owners sending good stock there anymore.

This isn't new, with a few exceptions West Coast turf has been 2nd rate for years.

[Fager Fan]

Originally Posted by cj

I think some of the newer guys are changing it up. The game is evolving. It isn't too tough to figure out which ones. I'm not knocking any trainers let alone Hall of Fame ones, but that doesn't mean the newer ones can't improve on what was done in the past.

Chad was training them all the same as well which is demonstrated by his lack of success with dirt runners for so long. He had to learn how to train a dirt horse if he wanted to participate and run in our biggest races, and it looks like he did (or one of his trainers did and he got on board). He's an extremely ambitious sort who cares more than anyone about stats and titles and eclipses and money. He bristled like a rabid porcupine to be called a turf trainer. Whether those who train for dirt horses care to be able to train for turf is anyone's guess. Why would Baffert care? Speed will always remain a weapon in dirt racing.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by plainolebill

This isn't new, with a few exceptions West Coast turf has been 2nd rate for years.

Exactly right.

One reason is our turf purses are way down. We used to give away serious money in turf racing-- we had several races on the schedule with $400,000+ purses, and our best races, like the Matriarch and the American Oaks, drew the top horses in the division including some eastern and European horses.

Now, most of our grass races are $250k, tops, despite intervening inflation, and filled with the same California retreads race after race. I honestly don't know how we got Lady Eli out here earlier in the year.