Saturday Saratoga Race Card

[NTamm1215]

It's not a good card, but you run into these kinds of situations mid-meet when it's too soon for horses to run back.

[OTM Al]

Let's complain equally about Del Mar then. 10 races

2 MSW
2 MCL
1 Statebred Optional Claimer
1 Optional Claimer
1 32,000 Claimer
1 16,000 Claimer
1 8,000 Claimer
1 G2 Stakes race

Doesn't look a whole lot different does it? I guess unless all the races are oversubscribed G1s no one can make any money.....

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Let's complain equally about Del Mar then. 10 races

2 MSW
2 MCL
1 Statebred Optional Claimer
1 Optional Claimer
1 32,000 Claimer
1 16,000 Claimer
1 8,000 Claimer
1 G2 Stakes race

Doesn't look a whole lot different does it? I guess unless all the races are oversubscribed G1s no one can make any money.....

[Calzone Lord]

Last Saturday, Mountaineer carded NINE different OPEN stakes races, all worth at least 100K a piece. They handled just over $2.7 million.

By comparison, Monmouth Park did over $4.9 million and Del Mar did over $7.9 million on the same day -- and both of them put on wildly inferior cards to the one at Mountaineer.

The quality of racing on the card doesn't make as big a deal as the prestige of the racetrack said card is held on.

[Alan07]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Last Saturday, Mountaineer carded NINE different OPEN stakes races, all worth at least 100K a piece. They handled just over $2.7 million.

By comparison, Monmouth Park did over $4.9 million and Del Mar did over $7.9 million on the same day -- and both of them put on wildly inferior cards to the one at Mountaineer.

The quality of racing on the card doesn't make as big a deal as the prestige of the racetrack said card is held on.

maybe they should run the card at night and out of the tradition summer showcase meets then?

[Cannon Shell]

I dont understand the defense of the card?

Regardless of the excuses given for a Saturday at Saratoga it is a terrible card.

[mark2061mn]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

I dont understand the defense of the card?

Regardless of the excuses given for a Saturday at Saratoga it is a terrible card.

Ding, Ding, Ding!

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

It's not a good card, but you run into these kinds of situations mid-meet when it's too soon for horses to run back.

Its too soon for the 5 trainers who have all the good horses to run back...

[TheSpyder]

What about today's card? Blechh! Had the day off and ripped into the form last night. Very disappointing. We need to promote more horse sex so we can get more and better players!

[OTM Al]

Guess it's time then to shutter the place and bring in the wrecking ball. Then we can all go play Hoosier and bitch about it. Rule #5: no matter how good something is at least one horseplayer will complain about it.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Guess it's time then to shutter the place and bring in the wrecking ball. Then we can all go play Hoosier and bitch about it. Rule #5: no matter how good something is at least one horseplayer will complain about it.

But the card isnt good, it is abnormally bad for a Saturday at Saratoga. More than 1/2 of the races are for a $20000 tag which happens to be the bottom price there. On a Monday or Wed? Whatever, they are filling 6 cards a week. But for a Saturday card why shouldn't people complain about it?

[jms62]

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Guess it's time then to shutter the place and bring in the wrecking ball. Then we can all go play Hoosier and bitch about it. Rule #5: no matter how good something is at least one horseplayer will complain about it.

Is there some rule that you can't complain about a card that isn't up to the usual standards?

[Dahoss]

Of course people can complain and for Saratoga standards, the quality is subpar.

This is horse racing in 2012. There aren't enough good horses to fill cards like we did 10 years ago.

[Alabama Stakes]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Of course people can complain and for Saratoga standards, the quality is subpar.

This is horse racing in 2012. There aren't enough good horses to fill cards like we did 10 years ago.

the voice of reason. sharp post.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Of course people can complain and for Saratoga standards, the quality is subpar.

This is horse racing in 2012. There aren't enough good horses to fill cards like we did 10 years ago.

I dont know this is entirely true. Just seems that so many are trained by so few. A majority of NY trainers dont have any what would be considered good horses and fill their stalls with NY breds and cheaper horses.

[fpsoxfan]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Of course people can complain and for Saratoga standards, the quality is subpar.

This is horse racing in 2012. There aren't enough good horses to fill cards like we did 10 years ago.

Exactly!

[Cannon Shell]

People love to use the previous years corresponding day as a measuring stick so we will do that here.

Last year's 4th Saturday of the meet had
Race 1 25000 long on turf
Race 2 MSW (NYB)
Race 3 Allowance
Race 4 Mdn 20000
Race 5 MSW turf
Race 6 MSW
Race 7 MSW
Race 8 Allowance/opt 50000
Race 9 Allowance
Race 10 Sword Dancer
Race 11 Mdn 20000

Saturday
Race 1 20000 nw2
Race 2 MSW turf
Race 3 20000 nw2
Race 4 MSW (NYB)
Race 5 Mdn 20000 (NYB)
Race 6 MSW
Race 7 20000 nw2 turf
Race 8 Mdn 20000
Race 9 20000 nw3
Race 10 Alw turf
Race 11 4stardave

[OTM Al]

Originally Posted by jms62

Is there some rule that you can't complain about a card that isn't up to the usual standards?

The usual standards? Let me ask you this. If all the same horses were running but they called all four 20000 claimers AOCs instead, would there be such an outcry? Or what if instead they replaced them all with five and six horse NW2X and 3X races or some made up overnight stake, the Karakorum Crapbag, shall we call it? Would it be better then? Look at the full calendar. This is the "off" weekend caused by repositioning the major races for TV, which was supposed to be a good thing.

Yeah, it's not as strong as all the other weekends. I just don't get the crying. If you don't lke the card there's a lot of other tracks going that day. Frankly on first glance I didn't see too many I liked either and I'm going to be up there. Maybe I'll play one or two and then go drink beers and watch the ball game instead, but I'm not going to whine about it. So give us a list then of all the tracks that have a better card going that day. Already seen Del Mar doesn't, so I'm thinking that list is pretty short. Give it a couple days, it will be better, whatever that means.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Already seen Del Mar doesn't, so I'm thinking that list is pretty short. Give it a couple days, it will be better, whatever that means.

That is strictly opinion, right? I'll take the Delmar card on Saturday. What is so terrible about mentioning a card stinks? Nobody complains when it is posted that cards are great. I found it very, very disappointing for a Saturday in the middle of the meet. That is just my opinion.

[mark2061mn]

Originally Posted by OTM Al

The usual standards? Let me ask you this. If all the same horses were running but they called all four 20000 claimers AOCs instead, would there be such an outcry? Or what if instead they replaced them all with five and six horse NW2X and 3X races or some made up overnight stake, the Karakorum Crapbag, shall we call it? Would it be better then? Look at the full calendar. This is the "off" weekend caused by repositioning the major races for TV, which was supposed to be a good thing.

Yeah, it's not as strong as all the other weekends. I just don't get the crying. If you don't lke the card there's a lot of other tracks going that day. Frankly on first glance I didn't see too many I liked either and I'm going to be up there. Maybe I'll play one or two and then go drink beers and watch the ball game instead, but I'm not going to whine about it. So give us a list then of all the tracks that have a better card going that day. Already seen Del Mar doesn't, so I'm thinking that list is pretty short. Give it a couple days, it will be better, whatever that means.

I wasn't whining or crying, I stated a fact. I live in Saratoga and have been going to the track for 35 years, this is not the type of card that should be run on a Saturday. I understand on a Mon, Wed or Thur. but not Saturday. They have been running 10 and 11 race cards with full fields every day, so they obviously have enough horses on the grounds. I agree about the great betting opportunity's and I'll bet the card anyway, not my point.

The point is that this is supposed to be the premier meet in the country. They only run 40 days, the SATURDAY card should not consist of 6 $20,000 claiming/md claiming races. Stop carding 10 and 11 races on Mon, Wed, Thu, might not have this problem.