Gee.. Where's the righteous indignation?
 

For all the glassy-eyed carrying on over Gulfstream's 'horseplayer friendly' innovations, how is it that no one seems concerned with bettors being patently screwed by the entry snafu in Thursday's 5th? At the start of the multi-race carryover sequence, it was discovered only in the paddock that the Michael Dubb ownership entrymate (#1a) Sr. Henry had no intention of running. Whether Rick Dutrow hadn't notified the racing office or the racing office hadn't notified the public, it was an egregious error that defrauded anyone who bet the entry, in which Sr. Henry was the more potent partner. Bill Mott's Carson Hall (#1) went off as the 2-1 favorite, and never lifted a hoof finishing 9th of 10.

With him went money bet on the supposed entry in straight and exotic pools, the P6, P5, three P3's and two DD's. This is the same pattern of disregard that Gulfstream has exhibited in recent years when taking races off the turf after P4 sequences have started. Bettors in New York are spoiled when it comes to this kind of situation, because racing law there requires a remaining portion of an entry to run for purse money only should their other half not make the gate, and players get protected. Even though there isn't a requirement by law in Florida for a pre-race entrymate scratch, the stewards certainly have the discretion to declare the remaining entrant a 'purse only' runner. The failure to do so is far more telling about Gulfstream's concern for the horseplayer than a 15% takeout wager.

Still waiting on the outcry from the professional horseplayer advocates...

Well said.

"This is the same pattern of disregard that Gulfstream has exhibited in recent years when taking races off the turf after P4 sequences have started."

It didn't happen at a NYRA track so it's A-OK! Besides, they have a dime P6 and a 15% take out pick 5 so this must have just been a mistake!

Ugh, that still grinds my gears.

:tro:

If NYRA would just get with it and remember their place by adjusting their post times then everything at GP would be completely perfect. :rolleyes:

Al,

As my man Sciacca says, "Exactly!"

I wasn't aware of the incident Thursday, but I did see they abandoned the Sunday All Grass Late Pick 4 which was wildly popular last year (at least is was with me :o).

As with all Magna owned tracks, it seems to be one step forward and two steps back.

I'm obviously biased because it was the brainchild of a very good friend of mine (the all-turf Pick 4 that is) but it's just a further example of a Magna/MID track not getting it.

You know what kills me though? In a case like this everyone complaining about it says "Look what even NYRA (pronounce that with all disgust possible) does to protect the bettors in this case!" but then when it happens about one day out of the year there, you invariably get complaints about how it's wrong that bettors couldn't keep the other half of the entry on their bets because they had the <fill in the blank>. When you can't win no matter what you do, do you wonder why track management starts to get surley?

I always refer to Rule #5 in these situations: No matter how good something is, some horeplayer will start bitching about it....

At least there hasn't been any problems with the starting gate.:zz:

In this game you just get so used to getting screwed, its hard to work up much indignation over any one incident. We're all walking around wearing "kick me" signs.

Pretty much which is why we should starve the beast where applicable.

Where is HANA now? LOL at them

I tried to move the All Turf P4 over to our quarterhorse meet here at Louisiana Downs starting Saturday, but the grass is dormant. Bummer!

Get Tim Ritvo warmed up in the bullpen he is smart enough to know this nonsense should not continue.

So this week will had an imposter horse, a snafu at GP, and Englehardt back on track today after a crushing defeat for his 8th in a row. Good news though Spring is coming.

I'm pretty sure that was only towards the end of the meet ( March + ) after a lot of the larger outfits shipped out.

It started on February 21.

We started it in mid-February or so.

The larger outfits start the mass exodus right around Fla. Derby, or as the joke goes, when the first condition book for Keeneland comes out.

You're going to be waiting a long time.