Pletcher going to California

Stud,
Thats not the real reason. I told you this past summer I had spoken to more than one trainer(Todd wasnt one of them) who was fed up with the purses and lack of allowances and msw's at Gulf. There are more who will announce it in the future.
But none of em are gonna come out and bash Gulf. 1) because they all train for or want the opportunity to train for Stronach. 2) Because they don't want their stall space reduced.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Stud,
Thats not the real reason. I told you this past summer I had spoken to more than one trainer(Todd wasnt one of them) who was fed up with the purses and lack of allowances and msw's at Gulf. There are more who will announce it in the future.
But none of em are gonna come out and bash Gulf. 1) because they all train for or want the opportunity to train for Stronach. 2) Because they don't want their stall space reduced.

When Gulfstream starts, the Santa Anita meet will be going on. Pletcher did not say that he will run horses at Santa Anita. The track is terrible there. It will be interesting to see if he keep the horses out here once Santa Anita starts. The article only said that he will run them at Hollywood this Fall. It didn't say anything about running at Santa anita this winter.

[Honu]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

When Gulfstream starts, the Santa Anita meet will be going on. Pletcher did not say that he will run horses at Santa Anita. The track is terrible there. It will be interesting to see if he keep the horses out here once Santa Anita starts. The article only said that he will run them at Hollywood this Fall. It didn't say anything about running at Santa anita this winter.

You really think the track is terrible? How about Del Mar and Arlington , have you even been out to see what the track is like now after they revamped it this summer . For the 5 days I was there working horses on it I thought it was a great improvement, it feels softer , yet not "cuppy" and loose it even seems to be a diffirent color which means to me that they have added something to the texture of the surface.
Im all for Polytrack and the surfaces if it makes it kinder on the horses. My biggest comcern with the polytrack and such is that because its kinder that trainers are going to think they can train harder over it, and believe me they will if they think they can, and I just dont get it .

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Honu

You really think the track is terrible? How about Del Mar and Arlington , have you even been out to see what the track is like now after they revamped it this summer . For the 5 days I was there working horses on it I thought it was a great improvement, it feels softer , yet not "cuppy" and loose it even seems to be a diffirent color which means to me that they have added something to the texture of the surface.
Im all for Polytrack and the surfaces if it makes it kinder on the horses. My biggest comcern with the polytrack and such is that because its kinder that trainers are going to think they can train harder over it, and believe me they will if they think they can, and I just dont get it .

I don't know how SA compares to Del Mar or Arlington. I heard the track at Del Mar was really bad this year. I don't know about Arlington. I know there have been a lot of breakdowns there.

One of my trainers thought the track was so bad at Santa Anita just 4 weeks ago, that he sent all of our 2 year olds out to the farm and put them on the aqua-tread for 3 weeks until Hollywood Park re-opened. When Hollywood re-opened and only the training track was opn and not the main track, he moved all his horses to Hollywood. He thought the main track was so bad at Santa Anita that he preferred to train on the training track at Hollywood. He said that he could see a difference in a lot of the horses immediately. He said they travelled much better over the training track at Hollywood than the main track at Santa Anita.

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Stud,
Thats not the real reason. I told you this past summer I had spoken to more than one trainer(Todd wasnt one of them) who was fed up with the purses and lack of allowances and msw's at Gulf. There are more who will announce it in the future.
But none of em are gonna come out and bash Gulf. 1) because they all train for or want the opportunity to train for Stronach. 2) Because they don't want their stall space reduced.

I follow. But why California? Why not Oaklawn or Fair Grounds?

[Nostradamus]

By 2010, every track in america will be poly. They just have to tweak it but it is safer and lets horses run more frequently. Pletcher is smart to go out there. He may hit $30M next year.

[Round Pen]

I must be reading this differently than some of you guys the only reason he is expanding to California is on account of the polytrack. More than likely it is to keep Michael Tabor happy too. He wants all of his horses training on it when ever possible.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Round Pen

I must be reading this differently than some of you guys the only reason he is expanding to California is on account of the polytrack. More than likely it is to keep Michael Tabor happy too. He wants all of his horses training on it when ever possible.

I think you are right.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

I think you are right.

Then why do his KY horses train at Churchill Downs instead of Turfway? What do you think he going to say? "I have so many freaking maidens that I cant possibly run them all. Please dont send me anymore!" Business expand when they are growing and no business in racing is growing more than Todd Pletchers.

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Then why do his KY horses train at Churchill Downs instead of Turfway? What do you think he going to say? "I have so many freaking maidens that I cant possibly run them all. Please dont send me anymore!" Business expand when they are growing and no business in racing is growing more than Todd Pletchers.

Bingo. And I personally know two other guys considering a Cali division this winter because of disgust with Gulf's lack of purses and lack of maiden races and allowance races.
As one guy said "That place is HORRIBLE! Its the only place in the world where you get to a run a horse against Bandini for a 30 grand purse." That pretty much sums it up.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Then why do his KY horses train at Churchill Downs instead of Turfway? What do you think he going to say? "I have so many freaking maidens that I cant possibly run them all. Please dont send me anymore!" Business expand when they are growing and no business in racing is growing more than Todd Pletchers.

Of course that is part of it. He certainly needed a place to expand but he wasn't going to go somewhere where he thought his horses would all get hurt. I'm sure he would have brought horses out here sooner if he thought the tracks were safe out here. Now that we have safe track, he feels comfortable having a string of horses out here.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

By 2010, every track in america will be poly. They just have to tweak it but it is safer and lets horses run more frequently. Pletcher is smart to go out there. He may hit $30M next year.

I don't know if every track will switch. There are some places where I don't think they need it. I think the tracks in New York are very good. I don't think they need it in New York.

It will be interesting to see how the fans and bettors embrace polytrack in California. Some people like Oracle say that a lot of big bettors say that they won't bet on California racing once polytrack is installed. If Oracle is right and the handle goes way down, I don't think that you will be seeing polytrack at too many other tracks. I don't know if Oracle is right or not. My guess is that the fans will be fine with it. It make take them a little while to get used to it but I think they will embrace it within a relatively short period of time. I could be wrong.

Originally Posted by SentToStud

I follow. But why California? Why not Oaklawn or Fair Grounds?

Guys the stakes schedule at SA is heavily loaded with grass stakes, that actually have decent purses.
Pletcher is known for his fast and early two year olds but if you really look at his stable these days hes amassed a slew of grass horses and he simply doesnt have the venue at Gulf to run them all.
The purses there are very good as well. The polytrack thing just sounds like an excuse to me as Santa Anita will not be conducting racing on polytrack.
Gulfstreams racing has been woeful, especially the last two years.
They have a few Saturdays with a bunch of stakes races but the weekday and even Sunday cards are just disastrous. Dominated by cheap claimers and maiden claimers.
Makes no sense to race everything there that has to go on grass.
He will have a full division at Aqueduct and a full division at Gulf and the group at SA, which I will bet will be heavily loaded with grass horses.

[georgewashington]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Stud,
Thats not the real reason. I told you this past summer I had spoken to more than one trainer(Todd wasnt one of them) who was fed up with the purses and lack of allowances and msw's at Gulf. There are more who will announce it in the future.
But none of em are gonna come out and bash Gulf. 1) because they all train for or want the opportunity to train for Stronach. 2) Because they don't want their stall space reduced.

This is absolutely wrong.

1) I am sure very few think they are going to train for Frank. He isn't exactly holding auditions for trainers. Give me a break.

2) If the racing is so bad and they hate it so much, why are they so concerned with stall space reductions, which would not happen anyway.

Where do you think up these ridiculous things?

Where are all the announcements that you are talking about leaving for California. You know that is an outright lie. What are they waiting on. Pletcher plans to have some out there by Nov. 1.

Pletchers decision to go West was based on numerous things (track safety) and Michael McCarthy (KY Based) will be running the show. He will have just as many horses at Gulfstream as he always has and his top 2yr olds are headed to gulfstream.

Pletcher's parents live in Ocala and the Gulfstream winters are instrumental to his operation.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by georgewashington

.

Hmmmm, George Washington, the horse, was sold by Lael Stables.

Where have we seen this before? Gets a little tiresome.

[georgewashington]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Hmmmm, George Washington, the horse, was sold by Lael Stables.

Where have we seen this before? Gets a little tiresome.

Big brother knows quite a bit more than little brother. You think I am going to allow some NY jokers to bash MEC. I have money invested with them. An idiot can see this guy is posting lies about Frank and Gulfstream because he doesn't like MEC putting their foot in NYRA's business.

You want to take up this discussion with me in person, I will be at Belmont tomorrow morning. The brother and his friend will be with me if they get up.

And, yeah, I do know a little about George. Just a little.

I am well aware of who you are Andy. I wonder where you are on this issue.

"As a racing fan, I want to be sure that whoever is running racing in New York is interested in racing. I want somebody like NYRA, somebody who's proven to me in the past that they've at least done their best to run racing."


Tell your annoying friend to stop putting words in TP's mouth. TP said he was going due to the poly. I think his own words mean a little more than some guy who barely knows him.

You want to meet tomorrow, send a PM to my brother. I am taking them out to dinner now, but if you PM him I am sure he will give me the information when he checks the computer when we get back.

[Nostradamus]

Anytime tomorrow morning, but we are leaving to go up to Buffalo in the afternoon.

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by georgewashington

Big brother knows quite a bit more than little brother. You think I am going to allow some NY jokers to bash MEC. I have money invested with them. An idiot can see this guy is posting lies about Frank and Gulfstream because he doesn't like MEC putting their foot in NYRA's business.

You want to take up this discussion with me in person, I will be at Belmont tomorrow morning. The brother and his friend will be with me if they get up.

And, yeah, I do know a little about George. Just a little.

I am well aware of who you are Andy. I wonder where you are on this issue.

"As a racing fan, I want to be sure that whoever is running racing in New York is interested in racing. I want somebody like NYRA, somebody who's proven to me in the past that they've at least done their best to run racing."


Tell your annoying friend to stop putting words in TP's mouth. TP said he was going due to the poly. I think his own words mean a little more than some guy who barely knows him.

You want to meet tomorrow, send a PM to my brother. I am taking them out to dinner now, but if you PM him I am sure he will give me the information when he checks the computer when we get back.

Hey, Big Brother shows up!

A couple thoughts on your comments....

You say, "Big brother knows quite a bit more than little brother." I say that's cool. Of course, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man IS king!

You say NY Jokers are bashing MEC? Well, you're preious MEC has had ONE PROFITABLE QUARTER IN THE LAST 2 AND A HALF YEARS! They were positive $.02/share in Q1,'06.

You have money invested in MEC? And you know more than Little Brother? If you put in 10k 3 years ago, you now have $4k.

You think slots are going to save Gulfstream? Not this year and probably not next year. There is NO WAY there will be slot machines at GP this year.

And when there are slot machines, all the Blue-haired gals and old guys are going to go to the Dog Track a mile away. Frank didn't think of that.

Hopefully you can get your lil brother up in time for cartoons and Fruit Loops.

Did MEC send you a special dividend when they made $.02 Q1?

[Round Pen]

[quote=SentToStud]
You think slots are going to save Gulfstream? Not this year and probably not next year. There is NO WAY there will be slot machines at GP this year.

QUOTE]

I would be interested to here you reason why you say NO WAY will there be slots at GP this year.

I just had a conversation yesterday with someone heavily involved with the FTBOA that says as of right now slots are going to happen very soon.

[Nostradamus]

[quote=Round Pen]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

You think slots are going to save Gulfstream? Not this year and probably not next year. There is NO WAY there will be slot machines at GP this year.

QUOTE]

I would be interested to here you reason why you say NO WAY will there be slots at GP this year.

I just had a conversation yesterday with someone heavily involved with the FTBOA that says as of right now slots are going to happen very soon.

You are 100% correct Roundpen. They are all New Yorkers who post lies. They are just jealous because their state can't get their act together. There is nothing that can stop slots now. My brother said the financing went through and they would never have gotten it if there were not going to be slots. It is done.