That's what they are counting on--why improve the product if the dopes will still bet?

Good job of allowing yourself to be taken for granted. Is there nothing else you can do with your life Saturday?

wood
 

i am trying to understand the logic
shouldnt we support the sport
too many track close because people dont attend
i plan on going saturday
three great horses are running
awesome act could be a special horse as could esky
gambling horses a few drinks nice weather what not to like

No, you shouldn't support crap cards.

No, there are not too many tracks closing--more need to close. The typically American (and idiotic) idea that more=better is so laughably and obviously wrong when applied to horse racing, it is hard to imagine anyone believes it.

Trust me, I have more interest in the Wood than you: I've got a future book ticket from November on Esky (and Jackson Bend, for that matter--my other one was Buddy's Saint). So, I'll watch the race on TV, and not subsidized a gruesome card like this. If Aqueduct fails someday, then it does. Why should it be immune to the free market? The "great" horses will race regardless.

IMO this is the type of pick 4 you try to hit for $10-20 bucks and hope it pays over $100....I would feel confident with a 1-3-1-2 as a main... Then a bunch of back up's.

I guessing you are going to get alot of bets like that. So if a couple outsiders win then the payout maybe somewhat decent.

I wouldn't bet it.

I don't get all the carping about tomorrow's card. Yes, the Excelsior and Bay Shore did not come up that strong this year, but not all the races are going to measure up every year, especially with trainers wanting big gaps between their charges' races and too many stakes out there for the same horses (in the 3YO sprint division, there was the Swale two weeks ago, the Miracle Wood at Laurel, and with Derby Fever in full bloom, horses like A Little Warm are trying two turns this time of year). The handicap division is a mess, and most of the "top" horses have not made their way back to NY yet. Look at the field Oaklawn drew tomorrow for the Oaklawn Park Handicap with a $500K purse.

As for the Wood, it has a short field, but it has two of the three top horses on the current DRF Derby Watch, plus the runner-ups from the Fountain of Youth and Tampa bay Derby. With a premium on connections trying to secure graded earnings, how many owners are going to run here? Dutrow sent his NY-bred, Yawanna Twist, to the Illinois Derby to avoid this field, and this is NYRA's fault? Would you prefer the Lane's End race won by a horse like Dean's Kitten over this?

And the Carter came up a very strong race, with Munnings, Musket Man and Warrior's Reward. Aside from Wall Street Wonder, are we really missing any active sprinters of significance (especially with the one-mile Gulfstream Park Handicap two weeks ago and the 7F Commonwealth at Keeneland next week for the synthetic set)?

The rest of the card has reasonably full fields, and is reflective of the horse population in NY this time of year. It wasn't that long ago that the Aqueduct spring meet was an excellent meet, but times have changed, now that Keeneland has become a major meet for the big outifits and Gulfstream Park has extended its meet through the third week of April (it used to close the third week of March). Would VLT-inflated purses change that, I guess so, but that's the politicians' fault.

wood
 

still think ny racing day in day out is the best in the country
the big a is 1.5 hrs away
i for one will be there
again whats not to like betting ,babes and beer
fear ND LOATHING AT THE WOOD

You act like tomorrows card is the exception rather than the rule at NY tracks sans Saratoga. NYRA simply curls up in the fetal postion, blames the lack of slots and does nothing about it. When the customers complain we usually get shouted down by the NYRA shills and get put on the spot to offer ideas to fix the problem immediately. The customers aren't paid 6 figure salaries to fix the problems of NYRA. NYRA Execs are. Meanwhile Monmouth faces the same issues and they at least try a novel approach to fix the problem and will be stealing Belmonts lunch money while NYRA remains curled up in the fetal position crying about the lack of slots. Sorry to piss on your parade but tomorrows card is a joke.

I don't disagree that Monmouth has tried a novel approach. Who knows if it will work.

To suggest that NYRA doesn't try just plain ignores the multiple problems caused by interference from inept politicians ruining the game in NY. You don't think NYRA would like to cut some days from the racing calendar. Good luck with that given the high number of mandated days to satisfy the OTBs. You don't think NYRA would like to cut takeout. Again, the pols have forced NYRA to institute a higher takeout than they want. And in the most ridiculous of all things, NYRA can't live stream its own video signal because the OTBs object and the NYSRWB cowtows to the politically-connected OTBs. Is NYRA perfect? No, but to suggest that they don't try is not fair to them.

And don't worry about me, my friends and I will enjoy the sport tomorrow.

I for one am not buyin' the hate. While the fields are short, and the Bayshore is a joke, the balance of the stakes races are full of likely candidates.
I'd rather see a field of 6 where you can make a case for any of them than fill it out with a bunch of sh1tbox also rans.

I think the Wood in particular, will surprise the bunch who are singling Eskenderya. The reason he is here is suspect enough, the works coming out of the FOY are less than stellar, and he just flat out looks on paper like a horse that TAP was buying a couple of weeks for and probably needs one to tune up.

Plus the alternative (FAT CHARTS + WO) makes me throw up a little.

Spoken like a true diehard. Anyone who has a ****in' clue is betting WO and making some money. BTW, Doofus, my ROI last year for the entire WO meet was something like +18%. So, keep paying for your data (and your opinion) and betting the shitty cards at NYRA tracks. That's what they're banking on: that idiots like you will stay around no matter what.

The reason for him not going to the Fla Derby had little to do with conditioning. What do you not like about his works? He basically has been working the same way since he started last year.

NT

Nick, just my uninformed opinion, but I think the FOY took an awful lot out of him and Pletch felt that he needed more time between starts - if that's the case then I doubt they will press him here

Relax Francis, just bustin' your chops ;)

I actually came across an old racing program today, and was reminded when the Wood was run in 2 divisions back in 1983:

1st Div winner - Bounding Basque - W. Sedlacek - G. McCarron
2nd Div winner - Slew O'Gold - S. Watters - E. Maple

My all-time favorite Wood was in 1988 when Private Terms defeated Seeking the Gold and the "Johnny Campo-trained" Cherokee Colony.

The field included - Tejano, Dynaformer, Ballindaggin, Brian's Time, Sewickley, Perfect Spy and Pleasant Evening.

I believe that the stakes record was smashed that day in a time of 1:47 and change.

Just a flash-back.........

late eighties fnging ruled.....

If I recall correctly there was a Phipps filly who ran that day and turned out to be a legend.

I wouldn't trust your memory.

You're so right,I had to check the program.
In my few trips to NY in the 80's I did see her live once in what I thought was an allowance race. Maybe it was Gulch's Wood.
I do remember wind and cold on one of those trips and getting there early to stalk out a good seat with my father. We found an ideal location aside a column and while discussing it the only person within eyeshot sits down in our spot:mad:

I assume you are talking about Personal Ensign and I don't think she ever ran at Aqueduct.

there's some truth to your words .

More than likely it was her two year old year at Belmont. I could only guess that Gulch won some 2yo stake race on the same day.
The memories get more and more like a jigsaw puzzle:zz:

that was pretty impressive

Never ever ever ever asked him to run, how much is left in the tank for the Derby? Gotta be a lot.

Why the wraps?

Does it matter?

For certain trainers it sure does. Ask Big Brown when they got added how much more was left in the tank a few races later. Ask Barbaro(wore them in GP 2 starts bacl)....etc etc....in young horses who shouldn't need them.

We all wish we bet Big E at 5-1 in last future pool. Wont be close to that now.

Like Smarty Jones? He wore them in every start that I remember.

How did people feel after the Wood winner last year? 4 weeks is an eternity.

What do you think heis going to be 3/1 or 5/2.. 5 to 1 is a horrible bet

Another quite short career....Depends on the trainer is all I'm saying. Pletch is not someone who uses them often at all.

I wasn't thrilled to see the wraps either but he might have a tendency to run down.

NT

That's what they all say.

Wood Winner always gets grossly overbet however this year it appears justified.

He deserves to be the Derby fave, I agree with that.

5-2 at best. Unless someone else really shines can't see him more then 2-1.

If Looking at Lucky wins in a few minutes he will take a ton of money!!!

maybe a sunday silence - easy goer part 2?