Racing is just so disorganized

To further expound upon and illustrate the sheer insanity of the lack of racing's premier tracks and circuits to stop killing each others strength of stakes races, as written about by our host Steve, I'd like to point to the sheer insanity this upcoming weekend of 3Yo grass races all being run at the same time.

Belmont- Jamiaca Handicap, graded race on turf for 3 year olds.
Hawthorne- Hawthorne Derby, graded stakes race on turf for 3 year olds
Santa Anita-Oak Tree Derby, graded stakes race on turf for three year olds.


This is just ridiculous. Instead of one good field gathering together at one locale for a great race, we will have three watered down versions.
You'd think at least one of these venues would look at the other venues schedules upon release and call an audible and move the dates around a little so they didn't all conflict. This is quite stupid.

[Linny]

You left out the Calder Derby!

Originally Posted by Linny

You left out the Calder Derby for 3yo grass horses on Oct 17.

LOL!!! Thats pretty funny, make sure you run all four graded stakes for three year old grass horses in a short time frame.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by oracle80

To further expound upon and illustrate the sheer insanity of the lack of racing's premier tracks and circuits to stop killing each others strength of stakes races, as written about by our host Steve, I'd like to point to the sheer insanity this upcoming weekend of 3Yo grass races all being run at the same time.

Belmont- Jamiaca Handicap, graded race on turf for 3 year olds.
Hawthorne- Hawthorne Derby, graded stakes race on turf for 3 year olds
Santa Anita-Oak Tree Derby, graded stakes race on turf for three year olds.


This is just ridiculous. Instead of one good field gathering together at one locale for a great race, we will have three watered down versions.
You'd think at least one of these venues would look at the other venues schedules upon release and call an audible and move the dates around a little so they didn't all conflict. This is quite stupid.

Yeah, it blows my mind how you can have so many races for the same conditions on the same weekend. So stupid.

[disrespectnfool]

this has always been a major contention w/me.
if only states,people, commissions, could put aside their egos and create a true racing league!!
think of how many more people would be drawn to an organized sport?!
a place where the average oracle, errr i mean joe, could follow the sport with actual standings that were relative, possible creating more rooting interest for some, and forcing more head to head match ups from the big boys, rather than them dodging each other except for BC day.
so frustrating!!!

Devils Advocate reply


It would only result in maybe one or two extra horses in a field. The number of races a horse runs in would go down drastically.

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

Devils Advocate reply


It would only result in maybe one or two extra horses in a field. The number of races a horse runs in would go down drastically.

Pillow I can tell you right now it would result in more starters if those races were run staggered.
Guys have 4 options right now with grass horses. They are gonna shop accordingly. It would result in bigger more competitive fields.

Oracle Those three races have been run for over thirty years, your suggestion that they be staggered is absurd. What would you like one 24 horse field, once a month?

[sumitas]

Originally Posted by disrespectnfool

this has always been a major contention w/me.
if only states,people, commissions, could put aside their egos and create a true racing league!!
think of how many more people would be drawn to an organized sport?!
a place where the average oracle, errr i mean joe, could follow the sport with actual standings that were relative, possible creating more rooting interest for some, and forcing more head to head match ups from the big boys, rather than them dodging each other except for BC day.
so frustrating!!!

At the least you would think there would be a computerized poll that ranks the horses according to their group. Like that NT Times BCS college football poll that ranks the college teams even though they don't play each other. Maybe a computerized poll with rankings could liven up the sport in North America.

Steve, you can have a DERBY TRAIL COMPUTERIZED POLL of the different divisions throughtout the season in 2007...start with North America...this is my project for you...maybe even a DerbyTrail/Thoro-graph Ranking of top 10 division leaders in North America for the 2007 season.

[avance2000]

Originally Posted by oracle80

To further expound upon and illustrate the sheer insanity of the lack of racing's premier tracks and circuits to stop killing each others strength of stakes races, as written about by our host Steve, I'd like to point to the sheer insanity this upcoming weekend of 3Yo grass races all being run at the same time.

Belmont- Jamiaca Handicap, graded race on turf for 3 year olds.
Hawthorne- Hawthorne Derby, graded stakes race on turf for 3 year olds
Santa Anita-Oak Tree Derby, graded stakes race on turf for three year olds.


This is just ridiculous. Instead of one good field gathering together at one locale for a great race, we will have three watered down versions.
You'd think at least one of these venues would look at the other venues schedules upon release and call an audible and move the dates around a little so they didn't all conflict. This is quite stupid.

good points....but i guess my question is.....is there anything that the NTRA or anyone else can realistically do to correct this problem?

Originally Posted by avance2000

good points....but i guess my question is.....is there anything that the NTRA or anyone else can realistically do to correct this problem?

Look this drives the racing secretarys nuts. They all wanna put on the best show they can. You don't need an organization to do it. Just a little common sense.

And another thing ...

... and this particularly applies to the NYRA ...

... whenever a graded stakes races is run at ... say ... 9f around two turns on dirt ... why is it that none ... zero ... of the other nine races on the same card are run at that distance? Are the tracks oblivious to the fact that having some sort of yardstick for gauging the relative speed of stakes performances is very important?

It just buzzes me to see a 9f dirt stakes ... along with four turf races and five 6f sprints. How the heck can we get reliable speed ratings from cards like that?

Happens all the time in New York.

[Pointg5]

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

And another thing ...

... and this particularly applies to the NYRA ...

... whenever a graded stakes races is run at ... say ... 9f around two turns on dirt ... why is it that none ... zero ... of the other nine races on the same card are run at that distance? Are the tracks oblivious to the fact that having some sort of yardstick for gauging the relative speed of stakes performances is very important?

It just buzzes me to see a 9f dirt stakes ... along with four turf races and five 6f sprints. How the heck can we get reliable speed ratings from cards like that?

Happens all the time in New York.

Also happens on Ky Derby Day...

[Byebyemermaid]

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

And another thing ...

... and this particularly applies to the NYRA ...

... whenever a graded stakes races is run at ... say ... 9f around two turns on dirt ... why is it that none ... zero ... of the other nine races on the same card are run at that distance? Are the tracks oblivious to the fact that having some sort of yardstick for gauging the relative speed of stakes performances is very important?

It just buzzes me to see a 9f dirt stakes ... along with four turf races and five 6f sprints. How the heck can we get reliable speed ratings from cards like that?

Happens all the time in New York.

Brooklynite you might remember that the day they run the Belmont stakes they used to always run a starter allowance race at 1 1/2 mile.In fact i remember some of the horses names.On e of them was a horse called Rio Tunyan as well as Viborg.As i have stated before this sport lacks a rivalry and hasn't had one for years.There is so much money around to be made that owners and trainers have a smorgesboard of where they can go.I follow Mountaineer mostly and i see horses that have earnings of 600k and i say i've never heard of this horse.When i started following racing if a horse made 250k you knew who he was.

[sumitas]

JR Holmes won that 1 1/2 mi race the day Commendable won I believe. JR 's time was about .2 slower. i miss that race on Belmont day too.

Originally Posted by Byebyemermaid

Brooklynite you might remember that the day they run the Belmont stakes they used to always run a starter allowance race at 1 1/2 mile.In fact i remember some of the horses names.On e of them was a horse called Rio Tunyan as well as Viborg.

That was when tracks were alert to the needs of the true racing fan ...

... now they're more concerned about t-shirts and bobbleheads.

[disrespectnfool]

Originally Posted by avance2000

good points....but i guess my question is.....is there anything that the NTRA or anyone else can realistically do to correct this problem?

it's not a question of wether this can change, it has to.