Scratches

[dino]

I can't think of another sport where you can officially enter and then withdraw because you would have to play against a good team or good player.
Racing needs to do something about this. The word gets out that Baffert has a nice firster running today and half the field is allowed to scratch. That's BS and maybe Hammer can explain it when he's on the show next week.
They aren't even allowed to do that in dog racing so allowing it in horse racing doesn't say much for the sport.

Originally Posted by dino

I can't think of another sport where you can officially enter and then withdraw because you would have to play against a good team or good player.
Racing needs to do something about this. The word gets out that Baffert has a nice firster running today and half the field is allowed to scratch. That's BS and maybe Hammer can explain it when he's on the show next week.
They aren't even allowed to do that in dog racing so allowing it in horse racing doesn't say much for the sport.

No one in the field is "allowed" to scratch. By the same token no one can be forced to run a horse they don't wish to.

At Santa Anita if a horse scratches out of the body of the race such as today. That horse is on the "list" and cannot enter in another race for 10 days.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

No one in the field is "allowed" to scratch. By the same token no one can be forced to run a horse they don't wish to.

At Santa Anita if a horse scratches out of the body of the race such as today. That horse is on the "list" and cannot enter in another race for 10 days.

Seems a bit short. Since horses hardly run more than once a month these days anyway, maybe it should be changed to 30.

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Seems a bit short. Since horses hardly run more than once a month these days anyway, maybe it should be changed to 30.

Very tough juggle. Could be a late scratch deterrent at a track the doesn't struggle to fill cards.

Would be suicide in California.

[pointman]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Seems a bit short. Since horses hardly run more than once a month these days anyway, maybe it should be changed to 30.

I agree, but Vic has a good point about filling the box. 20 days might be enough for a trainer to say he/she might as well run today as a lot would run in 3 weeks anyway so you don't lose much by running today.

[Cannon Shell]

This all of course assumes that the horse in questioned is being scratched because of a non-physical reason. There are plenty of times when a horse isnt quite right due to a minor fever, sore foot, slight bout of colic, etc that dont require much time off but wouldn't allow a horse to be even close to his/her best on that day. A 30 days scratch rule would lead to more of these types being run with the jockey under instructions to just "get them around there" as so often happens in off the turf races at places like Tampa where a scratch may mean you may not get back in for 3 months. I'm not sure a rule that would have a greater % of horses in a given field not really trying is a good thing.

[cmorioles]

Isn't that something a vet could decide?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Isn't that something a vet could decide?

If you scratch for a physical reason you generally need a vet to verify

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by dino

I can't think of another sport where you can officially enter and then withdraw because you would have to play against a good team or good player.
Racing needs to do something about this. The word gets out that Baffert has a nice firster running today and half the field is allowed to scratch. That's BS and maybe Hammer can explain it when he's on the show next week.
They aren't even allowed to do that in dog racing so allowing it in horse racing doesn't say much for the sport.

Guess they all missed the word in the 6th. lolol