Where are all the horses?
 

Hi all. Forgive me if this has been asked and answered. I have taken a long break from the game after many years of a way too involved position. Now just a fan again, after divesting of all racing and breeding involvement, I pick up the DRF today as I will be heading to the SPA for the first time in 2 years. Of course it will rain, just like the last time I was there. But more to my question, where are the horses? This card is more Del Mar like than SPA like with pre scratch fields of 6 (2), 7 (2), 8 (4), 9 (1) and 11 (1). A 3yo MSW at Saratoga with 6 entries? A 2YO MSW with 8 entries? Did they really need to split the field and not fill it with 12 and 4 ae? A NYB NW1x with 7 entries? Again, apologies if this has been discussed as I have really been completely tuned out until last week.

I think you are confusing Delmar and Santa Anita. Delmar has over 110 horses in 10 races Friday and 125 in 11 races on Saturday.

Wasn’t always that way. But yes, Del Mar has the full fields that Saratoga had in the past. Maybe it is just a snapshot, but I was stunned to see 78 horses including MTOs in a 10 race card at Saratoga tomorrow.

You were following racing in 2020 right? Field sizes were pretty much the same.

The biggest issue IMO is the purses at a lot of tracks are out of control and there are too many tracks for the horse population

I'll be curious to see how long that lasts. You have to remember Santa Anita hasn't run in over a month. Some horses ran at Los Al, but for the most part all of their turf horses have been waiting.

That's not a knock, I love Del Mar. Glad to see big fields for opening weekend.

I’m hoping it continues through whole meet. It’s one of my favorite tracks to bet.

Annual North American Registered Foal Crop

Current through 6/1/2022

Year United
States Percent
Change Canada Puerto
Rico Total
North
American Percent
Change
1990 40,333 -8.2 3,193 617 44,143 -7.5
1991 38,151 -5.4 3,025 628 41,804 -5.3
1992 35,051 -8.1 2,777 610 38,438 -8.1
1993 33,822 -3.5 2,713 605 37,140 -3.4
1994 32,118 -5.0 2,591 632 35,341 -4.8
1995 31,884 -0.7 2,446 653 34,983 -1.0
1996 32,243 1.1 2,397 726 35,366 1.1
1997 32,119 -0.4 2,284 740 35,143 -0.6
1998 32,947 2.6 2,340 734 36,021 2.5
1999 33,844 2.7 2,435 650 36,929 2.5
2000 34,728 2.6 2,465 562 37,755 2.2
2001 34,721 -0.0 2,590 590 37,901 0.4
2002 32,986 -5.0 2,468 524 35,978 -5.1
2003 33,976 3.0 2,576 515 37,067 3.0
2004 34,800 2.4 2,615 534 37,949 2.4
2005 35,050 0.7 2,788 527 38,365 1.1
2006 34,905 -0.4 2,643 556 38,104 -0.7
2007 34,358 -1.6 2,546 595 37,499 -1.6
2008 32,332 -5.9 2,382 560 35,274 -5.9
2009 29,612 -8.4 2,323 429 32,364 -8.2
2010 25,955 -12.3 2,118 347 28,420 -12.2
2011 22,653 -12.7 1,991 295 24,939 -12.2
2012 21,470 -5.2 1,782 290 23,542 -5.6
2013 21,431 -0.2 1,533 284 23,248 -1.2
2014 21,427 -0.0 1,287 287 23,001 -1.1
2015 21,524 0.5 1,304 217 23,045 0.2
2016 21,119 -1.9 1,326 235 22,680 -1.6
2017 20,666 -2.1 1,362 221 22,249 -1.9
2018 19,735 -4.5 1,320 204 21,259 -4.4
2019 19,037 -3.5 1,163 233 20,433 -3.9
2020 19,025* -0.1 1,225* 250* 20,500* 0.3
2021 17,840* -6.2 1,100* 260* 19,200* -6.3

With only having to cut-and-paste you'd think you'd clean that up a little bit.

Good to see Puerto Rico at least bucking the trend and producing 25% more horses than in the previous few years. Maybe Robert Perez can get back to the Derby in the near future.

You're forgetting that with Freddy it's cut-drink-and-paste.

FTFY Cut Drank Pasted