Quote:
Originally Posted by RUFFIAN
(JOLY = “In fact the Jenny Wiley is probably the feature race on the card.”
 A $300K Race And ONLY 6 Bother to Enter
i Just Don’t Get It!  |
Sadly that seems to occur with many major stakes races during the course of the year. The lower level Md Cl will often have a larger field than a graded stakes. I don't think that the expense of nomination, entry and starting fees for some stakes races is much of a factor, although such fees do add up. Perhaps trainers of high level horses don't enter them as frequently as they do lower level claimers so there are too many stakes races for too few horses who want to run in them. I suspect the fact that horses have more value as stallions or broodmares after their racing careers are over has much to do with this. Instead of trying to win lots of purses they are trying to find races where they won't be beaten and thereby build up a winning resume for the auction ring.