Level Playing Field

[phystech]

My trainer ran a horse at Penn National tonight. She ran 4th and was claimed. Not a problem as claiming owners expect to get claimed. She was taken in a 3 way shake. Has no conditions, knocked out her N1X back in Dec, so now she's in jail for 30 days and must move up if she runs back in less than 30. Kind of interesting there were 3 people in for a horse with no conditions.

The 2nd place horse was also claimed - she knocked out her N1X last time out so she has no conditions either - yet she was taken and has to move up if she runs back in the next 30 days.

The winner of the race has the N1X yet she wasn't claimed. She won in 1:09.86 - a pretty sweet time for a $C5k claimer. Won by 8 and wasn't even asked. Now here's the sour grapes portion of this - I owned this horse 45 days ago. Lost her to the magic man - Jamie Ness. I don't use a chump trainer yet Ness, who has probably never even seen or touched the horse, moved the horse up off of my trainer by 10+ lengths tonight. Having recently owned her, I know her problems and what we did to help her. There simply wasn't 10 lengths extra in this horse just on helping her breathe, or helping her aches - we did that - yet forward she went tonight.

When I see stuff like this, I certainly don't feel like I'm playing on anywhere near a level playing field. I think I'd get more enjoyment out of riding down Eutaw Street in Baltimore and throwing $500 out my car window and watching the mad scramble vs. racing against Jamie Ness' horses. Hell, I'd save money by tossing the $500.....

I sure wish I had an explanation to help me understand why I should continue to compete against this guy and his owner.......