Nyra detention barn elimination

[welltakethat]

Steve - I know you've been at times critical of the Monmouth meet both in terms of the quality of racing given the higher purses and also on the inability of connections to draw into desired spots because of the reduced days and higher purses. From the bettors perspective I appreciate the fuller fields compared to what we have been seeing at Hollywood or Belmont recently.

While I know there has been talk of the expense side of the decision, it seems to me that this decision to eliminate the detention barn has more to do with attracting both the top quality horses that they were worried about missing out on and also trying to provide a carrot with more relaxed standards to attract horses away from Monmouth. Do you think this at all legitimizes the concern that Nyra is feeling, that the Monmouth purse increases and the ringing endorsement it has received through increased attendance and handle could hamper the saratoga meet. Or is it purely a money decision do you think?

[Kasept]

The elimination of the detention barn was being considered long before New Jersey developed the changes and experiment with the NJSEA, particularly as a way to save quite a bit of money. Its' use as a deterrent to milkshaking has been outlived by improved CO2 level testing, but it sent a valuable message at a time when one needed to be sent.

That an out of town trainer might use it as an excuse not to run in NY races is totally tangential to the decision. Exactly how many trainers other than John Shirreffs cite it as a major reason not to run in NY? Another one or two maybe but I can't think of whom. It's been a much greater inconvenience to NY trainers than ship-in outfits.