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Really nice letter Paul. I'm sure he is filing it in the appropriate folder. Out of curiosity, have you looked at the entries for say ... just the last 3 weeks .. have you noticed how many 5 and 6 horse fields there are throughout most of the classes. They can't fill up the box as it is ... where are they going to get the horses you want to make up these large fields?Just saying
Good Morning Racing Secretary Joe,Thanks for taking my call back on 4/19, last week, when my buddies and I had a question about the multiple Borgata consolations opposed to one. Chatting with you, remember when was TOO MUCH FUN, and also, appreciation and gratitude for your lifetime dedication to the standardbred, harness racing industry - that's a lot of hats, from proverbial ball caps to Top Hats you've worn. The BigY - Great drivers, purses and match-ups / rivalry's we have to look forward too! What I say herein now is for what I hope you will see as the benefit of MGM Resorts International / Empire City Casino / Yonkers Raceway & the Gamblers and Fans!Without any history preamble, what do you think of larger average fields at Yonkers Raceway? Suggested as large as 10 horses, lining 9 and 10 behind the 1 and 2 and typically if they don't gap their cover at gate opening, it's like leaving as I've analyzed typically from the 5 and 7 holes respectively on average. Also assigned post positions based on money earned, lowest last 8 starts earners receiving inside posts and highest last 8 start earners receiving as high as the 10 hole. Lastly, for those coming off a 2 month or greater layoffs assigned post positions starting at 5 and earnings irrelevant. Maybe go back to 1 1/16 for some races too and give the outside leavers a better shot - some balance.Larger fields, more money bet potential, larger payout potential and GREATER FORCED COMPETITIVENESS, and EXCITEMENT - because horses going out in 58, coming home in 54 going w2w is getting OLD! The lack of appreciation, competitiveness is starting to show and drivers and trainers alike have gotten more and more complacent in the current structure.I want to see YOU do exceptionally well, and US too! - it never has to be mutually exclusive, and if this works, man, you might set the stage for every 1/2 mile track in North America!Please take this into consideration, and advise if you so choose.Warmest regards,Paul
Excellent Post and some worthy considerations to improve racing/handle.Ii have been lucky enough to go oseas with my dad to Europe, NZ and AustraliaAustralia-have tracks there are similar in size to Yonkers I noted.The racing however-is far different to how it goes at Yonkers1. There are no holes given--at all-anywhere. If you leave and cant get a hole or there is no room--you are parked. This can be seen at any time on harness racing Australia-webpage. This site is so far better than the USTA-it laughable.2. Classes are all graded to have horses of similar ability---which is what most tracks are adopting here now--BUT NOT AT YONKERS.. Result--many horse get "easy runs" because drivers know they are outclassed so they wait for easier spot.3. The starting gate opens earlier when horses are at full speed with a longer run to the turn. At Yonkers this wont matter much because drivers have made up their minds mostly anyway--only in evenly graded fields are there "real racing" where anything can happen at the start or in the race.
I like what Grand River is doing, reconfiguring to 5/8 mile. While not an option for many or most 1/2 milers it is truly a solution. Everything else is the proverbial putting lipstick on a pig. The problem with this style of racing is that it works, every damn time. Wouldn't be so bad if occasionally the guy trying to go w2w would fade to 2nd or 3rd in the stretch, but they don't. Once on top they go all the way, every damn time.
first off owners dont want 10 horse fields unless they are compensated for being in the race. They now have 1 11/6 race a week with 10 horses and a slanted starting gate. none of this helps,outside horses still cant leave, no one pulls till down the backstretch and every second quarter is slow. Blame the drivers they are all friends.
Some good suggestions. 1 1/16th mile racing was tried a number of years ago with no impact on handle or interest and was scrapped. The bottom line is MGM has zero interest in racing and would get rid of it yesterday, if they could, and throw up a hotel on the race track location. Any reconfiguration to 5/8th's would cost bucks and for certain MGM surely not interested. When you have thousands of people per day entering the casino and maybe one hundred people total inside/outside for the races/simulcasting, why would MGM want to add ANYTHING to quite honestly a merry go round product. The two big race finals this past week were incredibly disappointing from an action standpoint as the gals lined it up through walking fractions and the guys had ONE horse leave hard as a Burke set up and everybody else just sat and let it happen, all in front of zero on track fans.Decoupling is surely on the horizon moving forward and i know that it has been talked about already for a number of years, but it will ultimately be the end all with may different drug characters still loading horses up and daring anybody to catch them. If you think for one second that guys like Rene Allard are still not knee deep in the sport you are sadly mistaken, with ownership transfers, beards,etc.If the time frame today was the mid 1980's and the money involved was the same then Yonkers would be king. Now just an afterthought and only alive by slot contract law.
Yonkers races a 1 1/16th every race. Just watch where the horses are turned loose! The timer might not start until they hit the wire but the horses are turned loose long before then!
