Quote:
Originally Posted by pointman
Chuck, do you think that changing the way conditions are done would help at all such as how harness does their conditions, i.e. non-winners of X amount in the last 6 starts?
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No as a matter of fact I think they should do the opposite. Conditioned claimers and opt claimers came from the harness tracks. There are too many choices for trainers now and you can shop for perfect spots if you are willing to ship. The claiming ladder has been destroyed by condition claimers. When I worked in the harness game I saw too many horses that were one race away from dropping in condition sit on the wood and the next week be out on the engine. Not to mention that thoroughbreds at the higher levels run infrequently enough that the conditions are hardly valid in some cases.
If I could put together a racing program at NYRA (with all other outside forces eliminated-impossible but to keep the post from epic proportions) I would do something like the following:
MSW
Mdn 50
mdn 25
(occasionally run a mdn 100k/75k at Saratoga or belmont fall)
mdn 15 (aqueduct inner only)
Alw $
Alw nw 3
Alw nw 2
Alw nw 1
75k
50k
35k
20k
12-15k
25nw2
Starter hdcp
3yo
75
50
25
NYB MSW
NYB Mdn 25
NYB NW2
NYB NW1
NYB 20
Obviously have stakes as well. I would have 1 conditioned claiming class to give a guy a chance to win a race with a cheaper maiden claiming horse without facing multiple winners right off the bat. Once you won that you have to find your level in either a straight 3 yo claimer or open claimers. Move em up or mve em down. I would also have a starter handicap so a dominant starter horse cant ruin the stater allowance races. Plus it gives a lesser horse a chance if he can get in a race getting a bunch of weight. Since there are so many NYB's out there we need to have at least 2 alw classes and i would have one separate NYbred claiming category. If your horse has no alw conditions and is too good for the NYB 20 claimer then let me introduce you to open claimers.