Pletcher to have no horses in the Travers

[ELA]

Originally Posted by boswd

Like I said earlier in this thread, Nyra or whoever is running Saratoga better take a long hard look at this race this year and ask themselves " Is this what I want the future of this race to be?, One star and a gew G III's and allowance horses?" It's time for them to adapt to the times, it's all about the BC after the Triple Crown. They are going to have to make some changes. It's sad but true.

Of course it's sad, bit it doesn't have to be true. Yes, there are many drastic changes needed in our business and sport. However, this is not a NYRA issue -- it's an industry issue, and in this case, it's a Todd Pletcher issue. Sure, track management must look at how trainers, owners, etc. are viewing the BC, but that doesn't mean it's right and it doesn't mean the entire racing structure should fold to the BC, or because of a myopic view. There needs to be a more integrated and coordinated effort and view.

Bob Fox recently did a piece on ATR and he was saying how "these races" -- the Whitney, the Travers, and others, are not prep races -- they are great races on their own, on stand-alone basis. Look at the horses who raced in the Whitney and the Travers, let's look at the Invasor's and Bernardini's and the others as well. They are prestigeous races that will add value to a stallion's resume. Don't get me wrong, I am not inferring that either of these horses should get voted iron-horse of the year or anything of the like.

This is about Todd Pletcher wanting to get better results at the big dances. Don't get me wrong, I am not President of his fan club, however, he is going to manage his horses and his barn as he sees fit. It's about making what he views as the right decisions -- not about what people view as popular. Continue to think that Pletcher or anyone else will make decisions based upon popularity and you will continue to be not only naive but also very disappointed.

Eric