On the other hand, the rising financial tide could lift many ships. You don't have to win a lot of races when low-end $5,000 claimers run for $30,000 and maiden special weights are worth $75,000.
"I think it's going to help me," said Tim Kelly, who has been training at Monmouth for 24 years. "It's going to bring me the better quality stock that we'll have to get, or we won't be able to survive. It's either going to be feast or famine. It's going to help me or kill me.
"It's going to make racing more difficult, but the big guys can't win them all."
Kelly takes a realistic approach. At these purse levels, just hitting the board can be lucrative.
"If you can get a piece of these big pots, it's not a bad thing," Kelly said.
Monmouth further cushioned the blow by paying every starter in every race at least $1,500. Even when they lose, nobody goes home empty-handed.
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