Churchill to request Wednesday cancellations

[booner]

Originally Posted by philcski

6th (7:00)
Girls, Incorporated of Shelbyville, Shelby County S.

5 Furlongs (Turf) | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $60,000

Post # Horse Jockey Weight Claim Price Equip. Med.
1 Antepova Diego I 117 L
2 Taletobetold Houghton T D 119 L
3 Missing Sefa Goncalves L R 119 L
4 Insure Prescott R 117 L
5 Jazzy (ARG) Goncalves L R 119 L
6 Goldinthepocket Rodriguez F T 117 L
7 Miss A. Bomb Mojica O 119 L
8 Heart Tee Mojica O 119 L
9 Glitzen Glory Thorwarth J O 117 L
10 Mrs Petoski Felix J E 119 L
AE Rinterval (IRE) Castanon J L 117 L

Great example of where they're going- here is a race from Wednesday at Indiana Downs. How many of these horses would normally be running at CD in say a classified allowance for $45-50k? I'd dare say all of them. Jazzy, Miss A Bomb, Taletobetold, Mrs Petoski definitely.

Middle level racing, such as the starter allowance type races, are really struggling to fill at CD (normally a staple of weekday racing there).

However, the impression that lower end purses are actually higher elsewhere is factually incorrect. But I'm thinking the sentiment is they'd rather be 3/1 for $12k than 20-1 for $18k.

I have seen many of these at CD on a regular basis. But I can see them shipping to ID on a Wednesday to run in a listed stakes race. This one looks to be an exception to me.

Your second paragraph is right on. I was noticing this myself during the first 2 weeks of the CD meet. Now that Derby and Oaks have come and gone, it's time for these races to come to prominence on the Wednesday and Thursday menus.

Now that I looked back about the purses, I can see I was wrong...and right. I knew purses at PID were bigger for the lower end of the claiming scale ($5k claiming = $13k purse), but ID's purses aren't what I thought they were.

All this being said, I haven't proved a point, but I have learned something. Thanks for the info Phil.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by booner

I have seen many of these at CD on a regular basis. But I can see them shipping to ID on a Wednesday to run in a listed stakes race. This one looks to be an exception to me.

Your second paragraph is right on. I was noticing this myself during the first 2 weeks of the CD meet. Now that Derby and Oaks have come and gone, it's time for these races to come to prominence on the Wednesday and Thursday menus.

Now that I looked back about the purses, I can see I was wrong...and right. I knew purses at PID were bigger for the lower end of the claiming scale ($5k claiming = $13k purse), but ID's purses aren't what I thought they were.

All this being said, I haven't proved a point, but I have learned something. Thanks for the info Phil.

I thought the same thing, until I looked it up. Indiana Downs is putting on a good product, but the comparable conditions are still lower purses (for now...) PID hasn't been getting as many CD horses as I would have thought- the KEE shippers who clearly like poly are going there but a bulk of their races are Mountaineer or Penn or Ohio shippers. You're right though- their purse structure is much flatter, so $5k's are running for $13k, and $15k's are running for $16k.

I do think CD will have an uptick once 2YO racing starts in earnest. There isn't many places that do better for 2YO's.

As for Ellis. I think it's much ado about nothing about how many horses are on the grounds right now, 2 full months before their meet starts. I don't know how many trainers are based there year round, but to run anywhere is a long ship. It's 100 miles to CD and another 100 miles to ID.

[philcski]

...Also planning on cutting stakes purses for the rest of the spring meet.

http://www.courier-journal.com/artic...ut+racing+days

Reducing stakes purses

• Stephen Foster Handicap, from $750,000 to $600,000
• Early Times Mint Julep Handicap, from $150,000 to $100,000
• Jefferson Cup, from $200,000 to $150,000
• Northern Dancer, from $150,000 to $100,000
• Fleur de Lis Handicap, from $300,000 to $200,000
• Firecracker Handicap, from $175,000 to $150,000.

[booner]

Heard a rumor that Kentucky Downs requested either "2 days or nothing" for their September meet. Anyone know if this is true?

They have already cut 2 days out (6 to 4 days). Cutting 2 more days seems really extreme; cutting it out altogether would be really, really bad.

[eajinabi]

they should really be cutting one day at hollywood park. 5 horse fileds is the norm there.

[eajinabi]

when is CD going to start night racing?

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by eajinabi

when is CD going to start night racing?

June 19th and the 26th and Thursday July 2nd