Monti Purses

[bello]

Looks like they took another significant hit.

How low can they go?

[Locked in with pace]

It doesn't matter there. A huge % of the horses that race there have no where else to go. They have to accept the purses or get out of the business. I don't know how owners can pay their bills with such small purses.

[gh2009]

Very few horses earn their keep at Monticello, and even less when Freehold was still open, plus alot of other tracks with low purses, but for some reason most of the owners are still racing which makes no sense when you lose money almost every year.

[bond]

Wouldn't you need to have an outside job--or have owners to survive at Monti??

Plus these owners-would then need to have income outside of racing and use the losses as a tax break.

Thats what is about the only thing that keeps racing going because the handle isnt sufficient to turn a profit for 90% of people that work in the industry.

[kantseeback]

Monti is doing the limbo rock on purses.

[BigMFan]

Would expect Monti horses to ship down to Meadowlands when Sunday racing starts in February.

[Grandstand Handicapper]

I can't imagine very many horses are paying their own way at Monticello. I suspect many trainers are doing some sort of deals, looking for some sort of advantage. I hate to venture what the daily rate is for a good trainer there.

[bello]

Monti drivers are "great" handicappers. Other than occasional new and very temporary blood ( right now Beckwith and W Carter) the same guys have been racing against each other literally for decades. Drivers make a living betting, and will do best when the temporary carpetbaggers go back to their own tracks.. Owners are usually fairly local and love being in the game. They do not have visions of grandeur. They like going into the winners circle with big smiles on their faces. Trainers eke out a steady income, all be it not much.