Nick Belmont is the mecca of the sport. Think about that and tell me there isnt a HUGE problem?

The Monmouth day-to-day cards have mostly been very good. Undoubtedly a gigantic improvement over their product in years past. That I'd never dispute but the notion that was brought up in this thread that "it's the place to be racing this summer" is silly considering their stakes races are basically the same they were last year and the decade before then.

NT

PJ needs ASS more then ASS needs PJ and I would think both know the score..
Nick NYRA could NOT let this happen they needed to go to Jess man to man and tell him we need your horse and we will do whatever you need us to do to keep her here PERIOD.. It's a joke..

Who cares if she isnt the greatest who cares if she is total overrated who cares if you and I could name 7 to 10 at least as good.. She is what the market wants to see and she is what the MECCA is suppose to deliver.. The credit line is in place to protect racing not some 7500 claiming race that will ALWAYS fill.. The point is to be racing the point is to be what is on ESPN.. We all know it's about Jess's ego and not reality and that is not suppose to matter.. The only thing that is suppose to matter is you win

Its going to be talked about here, you can bank on it.

No matter how you slice it, it's a curious decision to run in an ungraded stake for marginally more money when the racetrack which really pumped-up your presence and helped make your Woodward win a big part of why you won Horse of the Year, is offering a grade one race.

It's equally curious as to why anyone would think NYRA did not make an attempt to keep here there.

The owner knows she needs protection this year, look at her schedule so far, not a single grade 1 till September, maybe.

If it's about keeping her running every five weeks, then the Personal Ensign follows nicely. But from there is no easy five week system between now and the Breeders' Cup.

The "sporting" Jess Jackson will just have someone create a race with the ideal conditions on the exact day he wishes to run.

There it is. 'Nuff said.

This is the third straight year that "Mr. Sportsman" had one-half of a match-up that racing fans wanted to see but was never delivered. In 2008, it was Curlin-Big Brown, and now we've had two years of no Rachel-Zenyatta. He is the common denominator, and his act is beyond tedious.

Couldn't agree more.

He's an uber douche, no argument there, but in the case of Curlin-Big Brown that wasn't really ever feasible. Big Brown only ran once in a race that Curlin was even eligible for (the Monmouth Stakes on turf), and I think it's understandable that Curlin went in the JCGC instead given his already proven average ability on turf.

As for the Rachel-Zenyatta matchup, we all know it should have happened at Oaklawn. That it didn't was frustrating on a lot of levels.

This year's campaign was protective to this point... which I get (somewhat)... but the Lady's Secret choice is a joke. She obviously is back to where she should be.

Is that the new measure of success?

Isnt it crystal clear? MP decided to be proactive and NYRA figured the crystal Ruffian trophy and racing on a card with 3 5.5f turf sprints was enough especially at the 250k G1 min.. While the purse is only significant to people that condition and care for Rachel those people are who Jess is making this decision for. You think Jess gives a flying F about another potential 90k?

So you're saying that Rachel is going to Monmouth because of Jackson's desire to deliver about $11,000 (12% of the additional $90K winners' share) more to Asmussen, Blasi and staff?

I wonder what Smooth Operator has to say about all this.

Isn't that 70% more that 250k race would pay? Don't you think MP went to Jess and requested Rachel run at MP and don't you think that they told him we will do what we need to to make you and your horse special. We will change the date distance and purse and maybe we will buy the hats off NYRA? lol

That's the point.. she is a free agent owned by a man who can do as he wishes even if it doest make sense to the stakes nazi "Rollo"..

Your stance that NYRA should request Rachel off grounds is funny..Instead of throwing out the red carpet you suggest they pitch the biggest star(draw) on the east coast.. "It's Blame day here at SPA. come and see this strapping son of Arch" lol

Hey maybe Jess just wanted to give MP his prize to show he supported for forward thinking vs. maiden claiming NY bred turf racing at 5.5f's..

I know I know once the VLT's are in the world will be free from disease..

[quote=freddymo;664144]Isnt it crystal clear? MP decided to be proactive and NYRA figured the crystal Ruffian trophy and racing on a card with 3 5.5f turf sprints was enough especially at the 250k G1 min.. While the purse is only significant to people that condition and care for Rachel those people are who Jess is making this decision for. You think Jess gives a flying F about another potential 90k?[/QUOTE]

LOl. You are kidding right?

[quote=Cannon Shell;664175]when 9 cents is significant in your humble life 90k will be significant to Jess.. 90k get the f out of here Chuck the guy is playing up the 18th hole.. What does he have an estate issue? What's 90k to him a trip to Giolden Corral for you a Tuesday?

I find it hard to believe that what Monmouth is doing isnt a huge negative in the short and long term. Trading your integrity (which is what they absolutely have done by pandering) just makes it easier for the next flavor of the month to demand the same or more favorable terms. This game is soft enough at the top levels already and moving stakes and changing the distance to fit the schedule of a horse is another step in the wrong direction. I have no problem with them raising the purse of a race to attract horses, that is good business. But the pandering is a joke. It is like Le Bron telling the NBA he will sign with the Knicks if they agree to give them all home games and waive the salary cap for him so he can make more money.

Doing things like this makes it certain that owners will continue to duck and dive and look for handouts as opposed to actually running in races that are considered important. Hooray Racing!

You're right, Jess Jackson can run is horse anywhere he wants, but what don't you get about the fact that NYRA's rolled out the red carpet for Jackson for three years running? As you note, he doesn't need the money, so why should they be expected to bump the purse for her? As for telling Asmussen to leave her at Monmouth, if Rachel's not going to compete at the meet, what good comes from having her stabled at the Oklahoma?

Anyone who's listened to Jackson over the past three years would immediately know that he has a pretty shaky understanding of the sport or its history and its traditions, so I doubt this has anything to do with supporting Monmouth's "million a day" meet.

[quote=freddymo;664180]You see you just arent rich enough to understand really rich people.
1. Money is how they keep score, period.
2. I'm sure there is some plan mapped out in jacksons head that gets her over some moneywon record and she needs to start earning more than what he is winning in these secondary races.
3. The thought that someone like Jackson is concerned with his hired help getting a few thousand dollars is laughable especially when that hired help has made ALOT of money off of his horses already.

Welcome to 90's were have you been? tear.. You ever try to sell to walmart or Target? You ever try to establish yourself in a market?

Horse racing and integrity your kidding right.. How many fn cheats are exposed a year? The friggin trainer of the super draw(Rachel) has been busted 394 times for drugs. Horses getting taken down by stewards without explaination. Jockeys attack each other during races. Trainers send horses to slaughter and owners that own 150k a session stallions starve there stock and go to Jail. Please you are worried about making a time and date for people to be entertained and smile.. Good lookin out

Those are seperate issues.

The reason that the Triple Crown works is because people desire to win those races. It seems as though that series and the BC to a lesser degree are the only important races left. Virtually every trainer of horses in the TC series would love to see the races spaced a little differently and almost none of them have horses suited to go as far as the races are written. Yet they continue to show up for them. When was the last time a TC race had a 5 horse field? It works because people have no choice but to run under the conditions given. That doesnt mean that every classic race is a classic but you can feel pretty secure knowing that winning one means something.

But this idea that horses dont have to run against top competition to be horse of the year, that the historically signifigant races are passed over for made for one horse events, that handicaps are made a mockery of because of the desire to prop up a popular horses record, that an owner can dictate the date and distance of a race that others are paying to run in as well, is well disturbing. It is one thing if baseball players are taking steroids. it is another if the league is handing them out.

The sport is crumbling and RA running in the Delaware Hdcp or Ruffian isnt going to change that. But the pandering to RA continues down the path that makes important races less important, makes competition between top horses rarer and lines the pockets of those who need it the least. Sounds like a winner.

Maybe they play there cards right they could get 1 race from Rachel.. They need her she dont need them. At this point it is all about the ridiculous BC Classic which is really the issue that needs to be addressed.
Horses are prepped not campaigned.. But its here to stay so make the best of it and ultilze stardom when you have it.. How many stars have truly transcended racing...Blame?

I think you grossly overstate her "drawing" power. At best, she probably brought about 8,000 extra people to the track when she won the Mother Goose and the Woodward in 2009.

HoY this is about marketing..its about people coming to the track something which currently only happens at Delmar and SPA. People dont go to the track, horses arent stars and people have gambling options including other options at the track which keep them away from racing..

Yep that Historic Mother Goose last year was a real humdinger.

Ok no biggie for NYRA.. 8k more for the Mother Goose is 160% more then typical no biggie huh? Your right lets get Hedge Fund fired up again

The point I was trying to make (and not very well I guess) is that the anti Zenyatta crowd would be having a field day with her connections if she was running in an ungraded race.

I have as much respect for both of these great horses as anybody. I love watching them both run.

I did like this quote from the DRF story, "Mike Dempsey, the racing secretary at Monmouth Park, said, "There are no appearance fees for anyone involved..."

Well, thank God they didn't have to give the old coot money just for showing up. Nearly tripling the purse, moving the date, and lengthening it was just enough I guess.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/114353.html

NT

At that time he was saying Curlin was running in the Grade 1 races with a lot of history behind them and that Big Brown should have to meet him at a race of that magnitude.

Guess things have changed in his mind.

:tro:

Freddy is just cracking me up in this thread.

Even when he's hopelessly wrong about things ... he's still an all-time great poster.

He just hi-jacked my call with Steve too. He's like a runaway freight train. That is unless there's another Freddy from NJ with the same views? I'll bet no.

NT

What I dont understand is why everyone feels that just cause Rachel is running July 24th at MTH, why does that mean she wont be running at Saratoga??

She'll have plenty of opportunities to run at saratoga towards the latter stages of that meet.

Didnt she run in the Haskell AND the Woodward last year?

Maybe she wins this race and goes for back to back Woodwards?

Why is everyone convinced you wont see her at Toga??

I doubt they'll want to run her 10f and I doubt they'll want to run her against males off a race that is likely to have as weak a field as this year's Fleur De Lis or Apple Blossom.

Monmouth might try hard to get her back, too, with the Molly Pitcher run I believe the same day as the Personal Ensign.

I hear its a two race deal. Sometime in the next month they will ship Rachel to the shore and have her paraded to Molly Pitcher's well at the site of the Battle of Monmouth. Should be great stuff!

I've heard that the goal is the Lady's Secret, Woodward and Breeders Cup.

Woodward was 9f last year.. did they change it?

Not that I know of.

If she ran in the Woodward after this that would be more in line with Jess Jackson's prior style of campaigning, so hopefully you end up being correct.