Belmont Graded Races Short Fields
 

So we again have to deal with virtually unbettable Graded stakes this Saturday as both Graded stakes have 5 starters (not counting the jumpers). Steps have to be taken in order to avoid this. How about cancelling the races if we can't get at least seven starters. Crazy maybe but my thinking is that trainers and owners would not want to miss a shot at a purse and would be incented to enter. A quid pro quo so to speak in order to avoid leaving money on the table... I'm sure I'll get flamed and am open to hearing better ideas.

It is tough situation, but I feel the same dissapointment, and usually do not wager anything on these tiny fields.

It isn't an "elegant" solution, but I would even prefer if they hustled some allowance level horses into the race.

Besides short fields, isn't the quality of the horses in graded races the biggest complaint?

When divisions like the "Classic" divisions offer ridiculous options like the Mass Cap, the Brooklyn and the Meadowlands Cup all inside a week or so this is what happenes. The better of them should be in the JCGC and the rest in one other race.
Read Crist's column in the Sat DRF it sums it all up very well.

The problem with this suggestion is that the races only get four or five entries as it is because trainers and owners already are passing up shots at the purses. Take the Brooklyn tomorrow. What good would it do to tell some owners that are not entered that u are cancelling the race? They wouldn't be missing a shot at anything cause they already passed the race.

In addition to the Mass Cap, Brooklyn and Meadowlands Cup, u have the Hawthorne and Kentucky Cup Classic. This game does it's absolute best to shoot itself in the foot.