The Jerome "Handicap" ... Another Black Eye For Racing

[pba1817]

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

No horse's record today is all that accomplished ... because they spend most of their time standing in a stall ... instead of giving the fans the excitement they crave.

The Jerome was Bold Ruler's 11th start as a 3YO and 21st overall. Wouldn't you have liked to have seen Discreet Cat run 21 times by now?

Regardless ... it's the track handicapper's job to use weight to make the race into a sporting (and betting) contest. No effort whatsoever was made to accomplish that.

Why call it a "handicap" when anyone who understands racing knows that it isn't? What an insult to our intelligence and knowledge.

Just call it the Jerome Public Workout ... and show a little honesty.

Disgraceful.

Well in defense of the racing secretary, its not their job to make the horses run more often. They have to handicap the races off of the horses prior performances.

My explanation would be simply to make the purses increase considerably for each grade of stakes races, maybe making it more enticing for owners and trainers to enter horses in races to at least try to catch a decent check. Currently there are too many equal pursed stakes races across the country with a lack of decent or qualified horses to run in them. What this allows is for trainers and owners to pick their spots, if a owner/trainer feels their horse isn't a stand out or at least a legit threat to win a certain stakes race, they simply do not enter and wait for an easier spot down the road.

This is why horses only run a few times a year in comparison to years past, and why the horses continue to be more fragile in each generation.

[Gander]

Wouldn't you have liked to have seen Discreet Cat run 21 times by now?

LOL, I would settle for Discreet Cat to have started 10 times so far instead of his 4. Its Ghostzapper all over again. One can only wonder how much better most horses would be able to run if they only started 3 or 4 times per year. I feel bad for anybody who wasnt following horse racing back in the
80's or early 90's. Its gone so far downhill since then.

[alysheba4]

you got that right gander........ i remember my first big cap in 1986, there were horses form cali, new york plus the heavy hitters from the mid west. gate dancer, greinton, alphabatim ect....... now its a complete joke.

Originally Posted by pba1817

Well in defense of the racing secretary, its not their job to make the horses run more often.

How wrong you are.

It is precisely the racing secretary's job to do his best to make sure that the horses who occupy the barn space also make regular appearances on the track.

Full fields in competitive races are the very essence of being a racing secretary.

[pba1817]

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

How wrong you are.

It is precisely the racing secretary's job to do his best to make sure that the horses who occupy the barn space also make regular appearances on the track.

Full fields in competitive races are the very essence of being a racing secretary.

You missed my point, the final decision upon racing any horse falls with the owner/trainer.

The Secretary can book many races in which large amount of horses fit the conditions, but it still doesn't mean owners/trainers will enter. They book races in hopes to have large fields, obviously meaning larger pools, but when you have limited horses that fit conditions, which is what racing is facing in NY and CA, your hands are tied.

We often see Secretaries book stakes races with a purses of $150k to 500k and they are regularly getting 4-7 horses entered, that is a huge problem. There are too many stakes races in this country with too few of qualified horses to run in them. Hence, leaving it easy for owners/trainers of the decent horses to pick and choose their spots avoiding the tougher races for easier ones, padding their earnings, and stealing purses just about all year long. We cannot blame them, they are not breaking any rules, but this is something that needs to be addressed in the US or the quality of stakes racing will continue to dwindle.

A perfect example is the Super Derby. Not usually regarded as a great stakes race, but still offers a late season Grade II $500k purse for 3yo's only. They basically got no one of note to enter besides 3 suspect comeback horses and 5 tin cans.

Originally Posted by pba1817

You missed my point, the final decision upon racing any horse falls with the owner/trainer.

The Secretary can book many races in which large amount of horses fit the conditions, but it still doesn't mean owners/trainers will enter. They book races in hopes to have large fields, obviously meaning larger pools, but when you have limited horses that fit conditions, which is what racing is facing in NY and CA, your hands are tied.

We often see Secretaries book stakes races with a purses of $150k to 500k and they are regularly getting 4-7 horses entered, that is a huge problem. There are too many stakes races in this country with too few of qualified horses to run in them. Hence, leaving it easy for owners/trainers of the decent horses to pick and choose their spots avoiding the tougher races for easier ones, padding their earnings, and stealing purses just about all year long. We cannot blame them, they are not breaking any rules, but this is something that needs to be addressed in the US or the quality of stakes racing will continue to dwindle.

A perfect example is the Super Derby. Not usually regarded as a great stakes race, but still offers a late season Grade II $500k purse for 3yo's only. They basically got no one of note to enter besides 3 suspect comeback horses and 5 tin cans.

I never miss a point ... when one is there.

However ... though you are correct in what you say ... my point was that the NYRA handicapper had not only an opportunity ... but an obligation ... to the bettors and to the sport ... to assign a weight to Discreet Cat which would have made the race more competitive and more interesting. And the Sheik had an obligation to accept whatever weight was assigned.

What was the point of having Discreet Cat run off by double-digit lengths? He was a brilliant talent running against palookas ... so at least use the one available option ... weight ... to provide some sort of story line for the race.

The headline ... "Discreet Cat Wins By 4 Toting 134 Pounds" ... is a bit more eye-catching and of historic value ... than "Discreet Cat Romps Over Nothing."

[pba1817]

If they assigned 134 pounds, its quite possible Discreet Cat would not have ran and they would have looked for another easy spot for him... Like the Super Derby, or something similar.

THIS IS MY POINT, let me make is crystal clear for you since you are struggling. There are too many large pursed races with a lack of quality horses. Making it difficult for secretaries to assign high weights without the risk of losing the horse to another track or secretary who will assign less weight.

Originally Posted by pba1817

If they assigned 134 pounds, its quite possible Discreet Cat would not have ran and they would have looked for another easy spot for him... Like the Super Derby, or something similar.

THIS IS MY POINT, let me make is crystal clear for you since you are struggling. There are too many large pursed races with a lack of quality horses. Making it difficult for secretaries to assign high weights without the risk of losing the horse to another track or secretary who will assign less weight.

Your point is well taken. BB has a little trouble following logic sometimes.

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Your point is well taken. BB has a little trouble following logic sometimes.

Logic? Sometimes? LMFAO!
He hasn't been the same since they strapped the cement bag into his backpack and made him run twenty-five times around the refrigerator boxes against the light weighted Sowells. No wonder he needed three weeks to recover, all that pain for four bottles of Colt 45. too bad he lost.
In answer to his question in his original post...NAH! didn't miss ya.
At least the mental health responders found a way to return him to the "safe place" under the Cross Bronx Expway bridge. "Lost, I'm lost I tell ya!"
Now, if we could just get the librarian to kick him off more often.
Logic and BB??? Never in the same sentence. Actually, NEVER!
Does he still drool on your windshield before he sprays it with the "windex" on the off ramp?
Logic=run him over next time he pulls that stunt. Maybe he'll get the point that it's safer to go back to collecting cans an bottles for the deposits.
Anyway, maybe Gander can suggest a good chiro for his back. I just hope the chiro takes coinage for pay.