OFFICIAL: '09 Cup Back to Santa Anita

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

Not even on the offspring of SINGLECHERRY?

Are you knocking my boy? Because Singletary was a fighter who finally got his just reward in the Lone Star BC. Just because he didn't come with a fancy pedigree, some East Coasters had to knock him but he was a heck of a better horse than some of the Storm Cat flashes-in-the-pan out there.

[KY_Sasquash]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

Are you knocking my boy? Because Singletary was a fighter who finally got his just reward in the Lone Star BC. Just because he didn't come with a fancy pedigree, some East Coasters had to knock him but he was a heck of a better horse than some of the Storm Cat flashes-in-the-pan out there.

His win was severely aided by Jamie Spencer's horrendous ride on Antonius Pius. Any other jock on Antonius Pius' back and he wins the mile. Hardly a just reward. No matter to me, i got lucky and cashed on him, but he shouldve been 2nd.

[slotdirt]

I have no plans to bet or attend either the 08 or 09 Breeders Cups...strictly because they're at Santa Anita.

[TitanSooner]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

I have no plans to bet or attend either the 08 or 09 Breeders Cups...strictly because they're at Santa Anita.

that ought to make them think twice about their decision

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

Are you knocking my boy? Because Singletary was a fighter who finally got his just reward in the Lone Star BC. Just because he didn't come with a fancy pedigree, some East Coasters had to knock him but he was a heck of a better horse than some of the Storm Cat flashes-in-the-pan out there.

Well,if you admit to running a horse who is fat,then you're gunna pay the price with people for a very long time.He should never have said that.He deserved the hell he caught,and I doubt he says it again.As for his big win,this is why it would be better to have less weather involved.There were horses who ran horrible on that turf,and came right back to win stakes on other turf courses.Neither of the 2 male Turf Lonestar B.C. winners could do anything the next year at Belmont.

[blackthroatedwind]

Steve Crist lambastes them in his Sunday column.

It's a subscription article but I'll see if it's OK to reprint it here.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Hopefully there isn't a debate between my incumbent congressman and his challenger on public access TV scheduled at the same time the synthetic Breeders Cup card goes.

I think I'd have to TIVO the BC.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Steve Crist lambastes them in his Sunday column.

It's a subscription article but I'll see if it's OK to reprint it here.

It's already up on DRF.com as a free article. As per Crist's norm, a succinct and factually correct argument as to why this was an extremely disappointing decision.

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do...9&subs=0&arc=0

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by philcski

It's already up on DRF.com as a free article. As per Crist's norm, a succinct and factually correct argument as to why this was an extremely disappointing decision.

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do...9&subs=0&arc=0

People from the east coast are just too f'n ignorant to realize we had to put synthetic in because we couldn't fill cards out here.We had 4-7 horses in almost every race except cal bred m32cl....O.K.? We had to get the horses we had to the track more...Had to. Dirt was making it impossible to have good cards.I don't think just making the dirt more "eastern" (slower times etc. )would have been enough.We don't have as many horses here.You must not remember how horrible the cards were getting out here.So bad I was playing New York.I haven't played New York now for quite a while.

[2Hot4TV]

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

People from the east coast are just too f'n ignorant to realize we had to put synthetic in because we couldn't fill cards out here.We had 4-7 horses in almost every race except cal bred m32cl....O.K.? We had to get the horses we had to the track more...Had to. Dirt was making it impossible to have good cards.I don't think just making the dirt more "eastern" (slower times etc. )would have been enough.We don't have as many horses here.You must not remember how horrible the cards were getting out here.So bad I was playing New York.I haven't played New York now for quite a while.

Prior to Synthetic tracks in both NoCal and SoCal we couldn't get barns in the rest of the country to even consider shipping to take the money offered because of the dirt tracks. Look at Bay Meadow on dirt has reduced the field size back to 5 and 6 horse where Golden Gate had 7 to 10 in most races on Tapita. Synthetic race tracks are moving forward and are in everyones future.
How many horses that are training on dirt never make it to the track? I dont think the number would be the same for synthetic surfaces.

[pmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

People from the east coast are just too f'n ignorant to realize we had to put synthetic in because we couldn't fill cards out here.We had 4-7 horses in almost every race except cal bred m32cl....O.K.? We had to get the horses we had to the track more...Had to. Dirt was making it impossible to have good cards.I don't think just making the dirt more "eastern" (slower times etc. )would have been enough.We don't have as many horses here.You must not remember how horrible the cards were getting out here.So bad I was playing New York.I haven't played New York now for quite a while.

Well then, problem solved...

[2Hot4TV]

Originally Posted by pmacdaddy

Well then, problem solved...

Horses are working on Santa Anita's new synthetic surface this morning. Life is good again, till it rains?

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by pmacdaddy

Well then, problem solved...

Problem solved for a lot of us that had to put up with short fields.I just think anybody that says Cali rushed into this are ignorant.We had to try it.The option was to keep bleeding,or to try something new.Would have taken a 3 day week to get decent-sized fields.Even when HWD had the synthetic,and Anita didn't.Go back and look at the field sizes during the week in APRIL last year at Anita.Of course,I stopped playing.You must have competitive fields or the racing is not going to remain popular.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

People from the east coast are just too f'n ignorant to realize we had to put synthetic in because we couldn't fill cards out here.We had 4-7 horses in almost every race except cal bred m32cl....O.K.? We had to get the horses we had to the track more...Had to. Dirt was making it impossible to have good cards.I don't think just making the dirt more "eastern" (slower times etc. )would have been enough.We don't have as many horses here.You must not remember how horrible the cards were getting out here.So bad I was playing New York.I haven't played New York now for quite a while.

I don't disagree with your opinion that something had to be done to improve field size. It was unplayable when there was 4-5 horses in each race. I LOVE playing Hollywood with the new surface and I don't think I bet Hwd more than 3-4 times a year before that. My problem is with awarding the BC, the sport's 2nd most prestigious event, to the same facility two years in a row- denying fans in other parts of the country the opportunity to attend. I'll likely be there for both, but most people aren't as fortunate (or passionate) as me to be able to spend probably $1500 to fly to LA, buy tickets and a hotel. Seems like a twofold knee jerk reaction to the poor weather at Monmouth ( which truly was just bad luck- it hadn't rained much for months before that weekend, which was a deluge) and a moneygrab with CDSN's deserved higher demands.

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I don't understand why it can't be awarded to Belmont. The racing situation seems very stable there. Or why not Churchill or Arlington? They are begging for it. With so many options out there right now, why SA again?

If Magna was truly the only viable bidder then they could have put it at another one of their facilities. Gulfstream and Lone Star have been successful hosts in the past and I don't think anyone would complain if they went there again.

[outofthebox]

Since Magna oswns both SA and GP i dont think we will ever see the BC run at GP ever again. Stronach i think took GP out of the running when he rebuilt his grandstand to a non racing friendly facility.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by philcski

I don't disagree with your opinion that something had to be done to improve field size. It was unplayable when there was 4-5 horses in each race. I LOVE playing Hollywood with the new surface and I don't think I bet Hwd more than 3-4 times a year before that. My problem is with awarding the BC, the sport's 2nd most prestigious event, to the same facility two years in a row- denying fans in other parts of the country the opportunity to attend. I'll likely be there for both, but most people aren't as fortunate (or passionate) as me to be able to spend probably $1500 to fly to LA, buy tickets and a hotel. Seems like a twofold knee jerk reaction to the poor weather at Monmouth ( which truly was just bad luck- it hadn't rained much for months before that weekend, which was a deluge) and a moneygrab with CDSN's deserved higher demands.



If Magna was truly the only viable bidder then they could have put it at another one of their facilities. Gulfstream and Lone Star have been successful hosts in the past and I don't think anyone would complain if they went there again.

Gulfstream is not an option at all because of how they've redone the place. Personally, I liked Lone Star and wouldn't mind it there again but plenty of people complained when it was there. I think that having gone through the experience, they would be better prepared the next time. The weather is usually pretty good there at that time, it's a major metropolitan area that is easily accessible from anywhere by any mode of transportation, they've got the hotel space and plenty of entertainment options, and it's pretty central so there are no "home track" advantages for either the east or west coast horses. Keeping in mind all of that, I wonder if Sam Houston would be an option to consider. I don't know anything about the track there but if it's got a big enough track and facility to host the BC, I think they should get a look.

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

Are you knocking my boy? Because Singletary was a fighter who finally got his just reward in the Lone Star BC. Just because he didn't come with a fancy pedigree, some East Coasters had to knock him but he was a heck of a better horse than some of the Storm Cat flashes-in-the-pan out there.

I hit that exacta. Singletary with some crazy euro horse. nice pay day.

[AeWingnut]

I think the same people that decided to squeeze the lemon into two days - came up with the back to back Santa Anita scenerio... aided by the fact that Churchill wanted a bigger cut.

I don't need to go to the actual races and deal with the crowds to enjoy the races.

People that only like to go to events are not going to be there for you every weekend. So why pis soff the ones that are? Don't think I won't stop.
I have before and I will again.