Contest for Jan. 27

[JolyB]

Zippy, as the points winner it is your call to make. If I could express my preference, it would be for a contest card that only includes races 4 through 13. That includes the essence of a very strong card.

As you point out, the 11:00 AM first post is kind of early for those in the more westerly time zones, especially those who like to post their choices after the scratches and changes have been announced. At Gulfstream, races that are originally scheduled for the turf play very differently if they get moved to the tapeta surface.

You're going to find that our players have differences of opinion on whether to play a full card or play something less than that. I've argued that if there are very full fields and competitive races, we can have a very good contest by playing 9 or 10 races, as long as we include the major stakes. It is also less of a burden on our hardworking scorers to not have to work through a 13 race card, just because the host track wants to maximize their handle.