re: Saratoga's Sweet Spot - By Eric Mitchell

tom egan — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:41:27 GMT

you should work for NYRA. Thoughts were excellent.

re: Saratoga's  Sweet Spot - By Eric Mitchell

Walt Gekko — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 23:13:50 GMT

Here's what I would do on the racing front for 2014:

1. Eight races Wed-Thurs-Fri, 13 on Saturdays, 12 on Sundays and eight plus any jump races on Mondays (no jump race closing day). Only exceptions are 10 on opening day, 15 races (including the New York Turf Writers Cup 'Chase, which would open the card) on Travers Day and 12 on closing day.

2. First post would be 3:00 PM Wed-Thurs-Fri (usually a 6:40 PM finish) and 12:30 PM Sat-Sun-Mon. Only exceptions are 11:00 AM first post on Travers Day and 11:30 AM or Noon on closing day.

3. No conditioned claimers (all claiming races are either open or for maidens). Minimum claiming price is a strict $20,000 on dirt and $35,000 on turf (and for maidens on dirt) like it used to be. Also, no maiden claimers on turf.

4. Claiming races can only have purses where the winner's share can not exceed the claiming price (going long and 80% of the purse going short) AND can only carry a purse of 40% above the claiming price going short and 60% above the claiming price going long. Maiden claimers can go for no higher than 75% of the purses for open claimers under these guidelines.

5. NYRA would reserve the right to have grass races go for lower purses than dirt races since grass races are easier to fill. This is actually the case in Marland and a few other places where turf races often draw full fields anyway and dirt races struggle to get big fields. For example, maiden races on dirt would remain at $80,000 going short and $85,000 going long, but on turf, those races would be cut to $70,000 and $75,000 because grass races more easily fill.

6. As an enticement for trainers to get their horses into races of 1 1/4 Miles or longer on dirt and 1 1/2 Miles or longer on turf on a regular basis, I would look to offer those with severely enhanced purses. Maidens for races of 1 1/4 Miles or more on dirt and 1 1/2 Miles or more on turf would go for $100,000, while an N1x allowance at the longer distance would go for $110,000, N2x $120,000 and so forth in an attempt to encourage trainers to make their horses go longer distances, with any stakes race at 1 1/4 Miles or longer on dirt and 1 1/2 Miles or longer on turf being worth at least $200,000.

7. There should definitely be special wagers, including the Jim Dandy-Haskell Double and if NYRA were permitted to bring in The Meadowlands during Harness season, a double of The Whitney and Hambletonian for instance. I would also have a Travers-Pacific Classic double as well as a Travers-Personal Ensign-Pacific Classic Pick Three. I would have two separate pick fours linking the Travers, Personal Ensign and Pacific Classic: One that would begin with Friday's Ballerina Stakes and run over three days and a second beginning with the King's Bishop on Travers Day and run over two days. I would also have a Pick Three involving the Ballerina, Travers and Personal Ensign over three days.