Santa Anita's first book out
 

54k MSW's, highest in the nation this winter, 15% higher then any other winter track.

Should be awful interesting meet

How is the added purse going to make the MSW races any tougher than they would have been all along? Asmussen probably would have sent the same 30 out there without the purse increase.

I remember when Presque Isle was running 80K N1X alw races - and a Lauren Cox horse off of a huge open 4K claiming win at Mountaineer shipped in and won one of them.

I'm trying to figure out which it is going to be.....awful or interesting.

One does not preclude the other.

I agree that Asmussen probably goes with the change back to dirt, and while I don't think the company will change, i think you will get fuller fields out there because of the increases.

The interesting thing to me will be if the California guys (Mulhall, Kitchingman, O'Neil) will pull out of Pennslyvannia because of the increases out there. I doubt it considering the stock they have at Penn National and Philly is the bottom stuff

What is the over/under on days before a purse reduction?

I was thinking the same thing.

What was the impetus to increase the purses? Could the money have gone elsewhere?

The purses were getting to be too low to justify racing in CA considering the expenses there.

These purse increases are all based on the takeout increase and the handle staying the same.....what the CHRB won't understand is that the increased takeout a month into the meet will start to erode the handle and by the end of the meet they will be in the same place they are now....only with a lower handle and many players betting on other tracks instead of California.