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03-28-2010, 11:01 AM
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#1
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Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,908
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Steve Crist: Tapeta Shmapeta!
How synthetic surfaces can make a complete mess of so-called world-class championship
http://cristblog.drf.com/crist/2010/...crapshoot.html
Excerpt:
The richest horse race in history was staged in Dubai earlier today, and it was a $10 million advertisement for how synthetic surfaces can make a complete mess of so-called world-class championship racing. For all that it proved about the quality of the contestants either individually or as a group, the results of the Dubai World Cup might as well have been drawn out of a hat.
Excerpt:
Tapeta may well be a lovely training surface, and it has gotten high marks among synthetic tracks, but no one can really explain why anyone needs a third type of horse racing to go along with the dirt and turf racing that has defined the sport and its great horses for centuries. The Maktoums' decision to replace dirt with Tapeta at their gaudy new racing palace was a premature guess that these new surfaces might somehow magically combine dirt and turf racing into one globally-accepted footing. That hasn't happened and isn't going to anytime soon, or probably ever.
Instead, it remains entirely unclear what this World Cup proved other than Bob Baffert's adage that synthetic tracks make good horses look ordinary and ordinary horses look good. (And put down your torches -- this has nothing to with Zenyatta, a transcendently great horse who handles everything and is probably as good or better on dirt than on synthetics.) Sure, plenty of major dirt races end with befuddling finishes (cf. Kentucky Derby, 2005 and 2009) and there were even bigger upsets on grass today than on Tapeta. But in the past, the World Cup was a true showcase for champions, such as Cigar, Silver Charm, Dubai Milennium, Invasor and Curlin. Now? Step right up and spin the wheel.
Last edited by andymays; 03-28-2010 at 11:07 AM.
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03-28-2010, 11:11 AM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Boston+Ocala
Posts: 23,492
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everyone that got interviewed yesterday at mey dan were asked how they felt about this racetrack. everyone responded that they loved it.
they actually spent $2billion to put the place together. i don't think that the meet that they run is that long either. one thing i notices is that they take their horseracing pretty serious there. there was one breakdown and alot of pullups that i noticed. i don't know if it was surface related or not.
since the penn national fiasco about 3 months ago, i have yet to see 1 breakdown on the track, and very few pullups and eased either. but penn national supposedly has the best and safest surface for racing these days.
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03-28-2010, 11:12 AM
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#3
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The Voice of Reason!
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Canandaigua, New york
Posts: 111,479
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Sounds like he lost his ass yesterday. 
I thought the big race was totally predictable - I just made the wrong betting choice was all. The winner figured absolutely.
Sour grapes from the DRF......the Master of Mediocrity.
Hey, Steve, contact Winter Triangle - she knows how to handicap. Maybe she will tutor you!
__________________
Who does the Racing Form Detective like in this one?
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03-28-2010, 11:14 AM
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#4
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Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,908
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by lamboguy
everyone that got interviewed yesterday at mey dan were asked how they felt about this racetrack. everyone responded that they loved it.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by lamboguy
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I wonder what the penalty is over there if you say you don't like it. 
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03-28-2010, 11:15 AM
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#5
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Racing Form Detective
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Lincoln, Ne but my heart is at Santa Anita
Posts: 16,316
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About ten years ago, Youbet had a contest. Pick more winners than Crist at Laural and split the prize. I and 80% of the entrants shared the prize. Ever since then I have taken anything he says with a very large grain of salt.
__________________
Some day in the not too distant future, horse players will betting on computer generated races over the net. Race tracks will become casinos and shopping centers. And some crooner will be belting out "there used to be a race track here".
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03-28-2010, 11:27 AM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Boston+Ocala
Posts: 23,492
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by andymays
[B]
I wonder what the penalty is over there if you say you don't like it. |
i would get that they only cutoff about 3 of your fingers if you do that.
boy do those guys spend alot of money on building things in dubai.
if one of their own people asked them for a glass of water they would tell them to go take a hike.
a few years ago there was a string of princes that all died due to thirst.one of those prince's owned a kentucky derby winner and died of thirst 3 months later.
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03-28-2010, 11:39 AM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 16,487
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I think you mean a heart attack.
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03-28-2010, 11:43 AM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 7,230
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Robert Goren
About ten years ago, Youbet had a contest. Pick more winners than Crist at Laural and split the prize. I and 80% of the entrants shared the prize. Ever since then I have taken anything he says with a very large grain of salt.
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Yeah, one day of playing a track he never looks at is the correct barometer of his skills as a player.
And, of course, this has a great deal to do with the article he wrote yesterday.
If you're a horseplayer you are lucky Steve Crist exists.
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03-28-2010, 11:45 AM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 7,230
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Tom
Sounds like he lost his ass yesterday.
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Come on, Tom, you're a lot better than this.
I imagine I'm the only one here who knows what he bet....and it was pennies. However, this is irrelevent, and you know that. Whether you agree with what he wrote, or not, his betting results are superfluous...and always are.
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03-28-2010, 11:50 AM
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#10
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Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 791
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 Right on tlg, AM is a waste of typing 
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03-28-2010, 11:51 AM
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#11
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Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,908
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Trotman
Right on tlg, AM is a waste of typing |
Which part?
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03-28-2010, 12:00 PM
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#12
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Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,908
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Crist has been consistent in his criticism of synthetic surfaces. He didn't form his opinion yesterday.
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03-28-2010, 12:00 PM
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#13
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Racing Form Detective
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Lincoln, Ne but my heart is at Santa Anita
Posts: 16,316
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The thing that some people wonder about is whether someone's stance on poly is colored by their ability to pick winners on it. I have yet to hear anyone say I am making a ton of money betting poly tracks, but I wish they would go back to dirt. It is ok if you hate poly because you can't show a profit on it, but at least be upfront about it. JMO
__________________
Some day in the not too distant future, horse players will betting on computer generated races over the net. Race tracks will become casinos and shopping centers. And some crooner will be belting out "there used to be a race track here".
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03-28-2010, 12:09 PM
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#14
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@TimeformUSfigs
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,686
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by lamboguy
everyone that got interviewed yesterday at mey dan were asked how they felt about this racetrack. everyone responded that they loved it.
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Why would anyone complain about the surface with the purses they are offering? That doesn't make it a good surface.
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03-28-2010, 12:12 PM
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#15
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@TimeformUSfigs
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,686
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Robert Goren
The thing that some people wonder about is whether someone's stance on poly is colored by their ability to pick winners on it. I have yet to hear anyone say I am making a ton of money betting poly tracks, but I wish they would go back to dirt. It is ok if you hate poly because you can't show a profit on it, but at least be upfront about it. JMO
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Actually, this is brought up all the time here. The two are not necessarily related. I hate synthetic racing as a fan, but my results at the window are similar on dirt and rubber. I just think it is bad for the sport, as does Crist.
How is Dean's Kitten running in the Derby good for the sport? It doesn't matter if I bet on him yesterday or not. The two can exist independent of each other.
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