Spa 2 yr olds

[Themig]

NYRA must be bored....
Any thoughts?

Saratoga 2-year-old maiden sprints limited to eight starters
By David Grening
   

The New York Racing Association will limit the number of starters in 2-year-old maiden sprint races to eight at the upcoming Saratoga meet. The limit for starters in two-turn dirt races will remain at 10.

Previously, NYRA allowed as many as 14 horses to run in a juvenile maiden sprint.

P.J. Campo, NYRA vice president/director of racing, said there were two primary reasons for the change.

"The smaller fields are expected to produce more cleanly-run events while also creating the opportunity to showcase more high-quality races during the meet and beyond," Campo said in a press release. "We expect this change will strengthen NYRA's juvenile stakes and allowance programs by helping horses gain the experience they need to compete successfully at higher levels."

Two-turn races on turf at Saratoga that are rained off to the dirt are run at seven furlongs. In the event a juvenile maiden turf event is moved to the dirt and retains 10 starters, it is believed all 10 will be allowed to run though NYRA officials would not comment publicly on Wednesday.

Trainer Rick Violette, president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said the smaller fields should be "kinder and gentler" for the 2-year-olds while giving horsemen a better evaluation of their horse's performance.

"Large fields of inexperienced young horses often result in roughly-run races," Violette said. "This approach will offer a kinder, gentler and, perhaps wiser introduction to racing for young horses, and could, in fact, extend their careers.

"Owners will have a better opportunity to fairly evaluate the performances of their horses in manageable fields," Violette added.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who starts more 2-year-olds than anyone at Saratoga, felt that limiting juvenile fields to 10 starters at six and seven furlongs would have been a better approach.

"At six and seven furlongs it's very safe to run 10 2-year-olds or 10 horses of any age," Pletcher said. "I can understand limiting it to eight at five or 5 1/2 furlongs."

Saratoga opens on July 20.

[miff]

P.J.Campo a pretty square shooter, so don\'t think it\'s a 2 yr old inventory problem(i.e.too few). Two things do come to mind:

1.The breakdown issue front and center more than ever with Cuomo et co looking for any reason to \"attack\" NY racing more than he already has.There has never been anything close to the number of Early Vet scratches at NYRA as there is presently.Slightly gimpy horses that were deemed fit to run before the winter breakdown fiasco,now early vet scratched.Check the scratch numbers pre and post breakdown fiasco.

2.Younger horses, obviously more fragile and green, may be seen by NYRA as having greater potential to go bad than older seasoned horses in bigger fields.Dont know about that.


Cuomo to appoint his new 7 Board members before the opening of SPA.Will be interesting to see if Cuomo shows his face at SPA and where his Republican Wasp enemies will be.


Mike

[richiebee]

This seems to give them an excuse for carding more 2YO races, which will make
some handicappers happy.

If you are a sheet player and structuring your wagers based on numbers and
patterns I do not think you are happy to see more 2YO races.

The best limit NYRA could impose would be to limit the number of NYB restricted
races to 20% over the entire meet. Without looking at a Saratoga condition
book, I would imagine that 30% of the races at what should be the best race
meet in the US will be run restricted to NYBs, some of whom are Brilliant!,
but the majority of whom are sluggish and formless.

With the other major summer tracks operating on synpathetic surfaces
(Arlington, Del Mar, Woodbine), the emphasis at the Spa should be on quality
dirt racing.

[HP]

Small fields are always great for players.  When they scratch two there will be six going.  These races will have toteboards that look like a Wednesday at Aqueduct in December.  Fantastic plan.  

HP

[miff]

Believe they will enter at least 2 AE\'s to try to avoid small field.

[Themig]

Looks like a TAP/TAP/TAP/C.Brown Super box to me

[FrankD.]

For the horizontal wagers this is a killer. It\'s not bad enough to get 2 Maiden races in a pick 4; now we\'ll have 7 or 8 betting interests as opposed to 10 or 12. I can see the limit of 8 at 5 and 5.5 as well but 6 and 7 I don\'t get it.

Maybe when enough guys like me ease their way out of this idiotic game someone will get it. I\'ve already decreased my handle by 60 % over the past 3 years of garbage at this once premier meet. I might as well become a freakin tourist.

Frank D.

[albany]

Animal rights activists must be jumping for joy. I think I\'ll celebrate with a nice juicy hamburger while handicapping Sunday\'s card.