DM Problems

[King Glorious]

In addition to having to cut purses, there is this. I thought junk track was supposed to change all of this? I thought this stuff was supposed to lead to bigger fields because more horses were able to stay fit for longer? Trainers saying that their stables were "hard-hit by injuries" at Hollywood? Wasn't junk supposed to end this? Hasn't Del Mar always run on a longer week than the other tracks? Why is it being used as an excuse now? Then, the races we do get are junk maiden claimers. Over 25% of them have been maiden claimers. This is great.
--------------------------------------------

Track officials have been disappointed with field sizes. Through Thursday, the 14th day of the meeting, fields have averaged 8.29 runners per races, compared with 8.47 per race for the same time last year. Smaller fields makes for fewer betting opportunities in exotic wagers such as exactas, trifectas, or pick threes.

On Thursday's eight-race program, no race had more than nine runners and four races had six or fewer.

Director of racing Tom Robbins said the smaller field size has been caused by several factors, including tougher rules against steroid use enacted on Friday that has forced some trainers to leave race-ready horses in the stable until the medications clear their systems.

"We didn't know what to expect" regarding steroids, Robbins said. "Some trainers use them more often than others."

In addition, several trainers have said in recent weeks that their stables were hard-hit by injuries at the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting. Del Mar demands more from the horse population. Santa Anita and Hollywood Park run five days a week, while Del Mar runs six days a week, taking Tuesdays off.

"Six days a week, you have to hit on all the cylinders," Robbins said. "We're dealing with the same Southern California inventory that Santa Anita and Hollywood Park have five days a week."

Robbins is hoping that entries will improve as trainers become more comfortable starting horses on the Polytrack synthetic surface. The surface was criticized last year for fast work times and slow times during races, but has been more uniform this year.

"Will we end up with a field size greater than last year?" Robbins said. "Given what we're facing, I hope we're close, but I'm not we sure can be."

The quality of racing is also a concern. Through Thursday, 31 of the 119 races run at the meeting were for maiden claimers.

Sadler, Oneill, Mitchell top 3 trainers.

[Storm Cadet]

Director of racing Tom Robbins said the smaller field size has been caused by several factors, including tougher rules against steroid use enacted on Friday that has forced some trainers to leave race-ready horses in the stable until the medications clear their systems.


Could we really be starting to see trainers keeping their horses stalled and not racing as they try to withdraw them from steroids in preparation of the new regulations? New drug penalties are very tough on trainers in the future.

Cannon...any thoughts? Have you ever inherited a horse that was on steroids either from sales or claim and did you ever try to get him/her clean? How long did/does it take?

We had a 2 YO that we bought at the Mid-Atlantic sales and when Bill Turner got the colt back to the barn at Belmont, we couldn't race him for months as Bill tried to cold turkey the colt off the juice. The colt was very tough in the barn during withdrawal period. We took before and after pix and what a difference in size and girth of the horse

[Danzig]

no doubt they are being careful, wanting the horses to get all the drugs out of their systems. no point in running a horse, and then he's positive. then you lose the purse money, and then face punishment as well.
poor timing i guess. but some track had to be the one that was hit by the timing of the ban.