Kentucky racing
 

OK, I admit since Ellis ended, I've been getting killed betting KY racing, mostly Turfway and one day of Kentucky Downs, so I might be a bit biased You think of the great tradition of the Derby, the BC being run there and Keeneland. Then you see that crap Polytrack and garbage pit KY Downs. I'm getting more and more convinced the Turfway isn't that far removed from pure gambling; randomness seems the order of the day day in, day out. And KY Downs is no better. Fortunately, they don't run often. I can live w/out Turfway in the winter. But what really makes me sick is how the easiest dirt track to make money on, Keeneland, has been converted to Polytrack. The powers that be in KY don't want my wagering dollars, and I'm guessing I'm not the only one who feels that way. Let's see what's left: the two Churchill meets, Ellis, and Kee grass racing. Realistically, there's no need to bother with KY other than Churchill.

right with you.

Im done with KY except for the fall CD meet.

f*ck(is it ok to cuss on this board?) polytrack and f*ck the brainiacs who brought the crap to the United States.

what is the fun in having a uniform racing surface?
especially one that is just plain dangerous to breathe in.

I'll play Dueling Grounds just b/c I enjoy any and all turf racing, but I cant believe tradition rich Keeneland racecourse has a synthetic surface.
its the worst technology introduced to the sport in my lifetime.

:eek::eek::eek:

damn ateam,
are you seriously at HollyPark now?

a few months ago, I would have said lucky you.
now that they are tearing the racing surface out as I type this and replacing it with polyCRAP, I would suggest getting the hell out.
that stuff is going to kill us all.

why did you leave NY?

good to hear from you.

LOL, no man, that's not the location.. This board gives you track names depending on how many posts you have. I'm still in Brooklyn.

I hope everyone buckles up and is ready for the repent experience.

damn repent,
are you seriously a foal now?

oh cool,
that explains it.

at the board I used to post at, it had an place under the screen name for you location.

I hope I never make it to whatever "Turfway Park" status is.
I hate that damn place.

Oh, it is you!

http://www.stallionregister.com/sr_s...igin=BreedHome

:eek: :D

what up.

do I know you from another board?

anyway, have to go now.
talk to you guys later.

As you know, both Turfway and Ky Downs have completely different surfaces from other tracks. Betting those tracks can be very tricky. That turf course at Ky Downs is extremely deep. It's not flat either. It's really like a european turf course. The polytrack at Turfway is obviously a totally different surface from normal dirt. It plays totally different. Some horses like it and some don't.

I think you can say the ame thing for the inner-dirt meet at Aqueduct. That inner-dirt track at Aqueduct is a weatherized surface that is a much different surface from the other tacks in New York including the main track at Aqueduct. Until you've seen a horse run a good race over the track, you can't be all that confident that the horse will transfer his current form to that track.

I love Turfway... just for the fact of the crap that races there. I'm a longshot bettor, and longshots pop with crappier, more inconsistent horses (at least from my own personal success) than with nice horses. That's probably I win a lot more $$$ playing Mountaineer than a NY track lol. I've still done pretty good there (at least last year. and earlier this year) with the polytrack bein in there.

But I'm not sure I like this polytrack stuff either. Playing a wet track is where I get some of my best results. I don't always want a fast track, because betting "off" track conditions can be a great angle to make $$$ on. Turfway takes this angle out of play unfortunately (and Keeneland now too... damn).

But guys, remember this- The reason I think Polytrack was ultimately installed at Turfway, was due to 2 or 3 years ago. The track had gotten battered by repeated winter storms. And I think those storms beat up the main track so bad, that they didn't race for literally a week or two. They weren't racing for at least a week. Someone wanna give official clarification of how long it was please?

So what I'm getting at- to us bettors it definately does suck. But I think this ultimately was put in to both safety of horses and riders. I'm willing to believe that this is their true motivation for installing it... not to screw the bettors.

BTW, welcome to the board Repent. Where've you been? How's life?

Pmayjr-

Yeah I understand why TP put it in. And of any place, they needed it due to that winter meet. I don't play their winter meet much but usually play the Sept. meet, which is usually a bit higher in quality. But I loathe the fact Keeneland put Polytrack in. They didn't need it. No arctic weather conditions to worry about. The conveyor belt rail was fantastic to bet. Can you believe Bushfire paid $33 to win over that track? That was probably the overlay of the year.

I think handicapping Turfway is much easier that it was before they installed PolyTrack.

I totally disagree. The old surface was often biased, although the biases would change. It is a myth that the old track was ALWAYS inside speed. There was quite a few days when wide closers were the trip one wanted. But if you kept notes on the daily biases, there were many betback horses.

Now, randomness seems to trump talent and/or form. Many times, when one looks over a race after a losing bet, they can find several clues why the winner won. I've never seen a track where I couldn't make a case for the winner after the fact as often as at the current Turfway meet. If it works for you, fine. I just will take my wagering dollars elsewhere.

JJ, you're right. Keeneland doesn't need it. It's too bad.

Listen as bad as some of the cards have been at Turfway its hard to blame randomness on track surface.

Keeneland really needed it. Just ask some of the horses that had to run over the old highway.

Considering how many maiden and NW1X races they card, not to mention the small number of claiming races, I doubt many of the horses running there are very sore. Besides, its six weeks a year. We aren't talking about a 4 month during the winter meet like Turfway.

They usually weren't sore BEFORE the race. After a different story. Worst track on the East Coast, though Delaware and Gulfstream ain't great.