A Look Around in Late September

Here is a blog entry from VFTRG contributor Joe F. who has come to my rescue once again as I am a little under the weather.  Joe provides us with a status report as we heading into the last quarter of the year.  As the leaves fall, let me remind you there are just 62 days till Chanukah and 89 days till Christmas.  Before long, we will have racetracks cancelling for snow (or in some track's case, a flake of snow).

 After that sad facsimile of a race at Hoosier Park Saturday night, in which Captaintreacherous toyed with six hopelessly overmatched opponents, the USTA site, Harnessracing.com and Standardbred Canada all ran the same press release from one Emily Gaskin, Hoosier Park’s Racing Commentator and Race Publicist. The headline was, “The Captain’ Conquers Hoosier Park” and It began,”Captaintreacherous continued his winning ways in stunning fashion while taking the $50,000…….” I have no problem with her releasing that nonsense as a track generated press release, but why would the three primary harness racing sites in NA have to resort to carrying this fantasy laden account of what was essentially a walkover

Harnesslink ran its own account of the race, written by Team Treacherous admirer, Steve Wolf. He was careful to play up the fact that a portion of The Captain’s winnings were going to charity and how nice it was to reunite Tetrick with his roots and family and how it gave  the locals a peek at greatness. The race itself was no race at all, but details, details

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Nitelife, who has accepted every challenge this year, should be on top of Bee A Magician and The Captain in the Weekly Poll. One can understand why Bee’s connections would pass on the Bluegrass for a sure shot at the lucrative OSS Super Final, but what’s her excuse for skipping next week’s Filly Futurity? She has made half her starts against the OSS light weights. How different is this from Captaintreacherous skipping the Jug so he could race in a laugher against the Meatball Brigade at Hoosier Park. Chris Ryder is underselling Nitelife. When asked to compare her to Put On A Show he shrugs and says they have different styles of racing. The Captain and Bee, on the other hand, are being marketed as all-time greats. Great trotting fillies like Armbro Flight, Elaine Rodney and Classical Way beat the boys in the Kentucky Futurity. Bee apparently isn’t even racing in the Filly Futurity.

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Dan Patch winner, Heston Blue Chip, won the BC last year and earned more than a million dollars, and O’Brien winner Michaels Power won the Jug and earned almost a million and a half. This year Heston won very weak opens at M1, Tioga and Satatoga and a WO at Harrah’s. He’s banked about 130K. And Michaels Power, who goes in the open at YR Saturday, has three wins this year, two in preferred company at Mohawk and the other in a Yonkers open. He’s earned 78K. Not what their connections had in mind when their charges came back at four.

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Of the eight colts in the Night Of Champions final for 3 YO pacing colts at Yonkers four are by Bettor’s Delight and three by Art Major. The NYSS is certainly going to miss Bettor’s Delight.

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There are 26 colts and fillies racing in three divisions of the Bluegrass on Thursday and 50 going in six divisions on Friday. Only one is based in the mid-west.

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Regional sire stakes finals in New York, Ontario and Pennsylvania have conflicted with the Jug, Jugette and Bluegrass. The sire stakes money is so good that many colts and fillies are put on the SS track and left there for the season. After all how many pure Grand Circuit colts and fillies are there? Father Patrick, who won the Haughton, Wellwood and Champlain and will race in the Bluegrass on Friday, is one. Most of the other 2-year-old colt trotters are sire stakes types who occasionally moonlight on the Grand Circuit.

Seven of the ten horses in this week’s Top Ten Poll are freshmen and sophomores. Five of them; Father Patrick, Precocious Beauty, Royalty For Life, Captaintreacherous and Vegas Vacation weren’t eligible to the sire stakes final in their respective states because they either didn’t race at all in the restricted stakes or only did so once or twice. Nitelife did race in the Miss NJ and the NJSS legs and final at the beginning of the year but she’s been primarily a GC filly, with wins in the Fan Hanover, Shalee, Lynch, Valley Forge and Simcoe. The only genuine hybrid is Bee A Magician, who will forego Lexington to race in her Super Duper Gold Final. She has as many SS starts as GC this year.

Classic Martine and Frau Blucher are a couple of other hybrid sophomore filly trotters. Spider Blue Chip also fits the bill on the colt side.

There is no dyed in the wool Grand Circuit freshman filly. Lifetime Pursuit and Shake It Cerry raced in the Merrie Annabelle, but they were wedded to the PA sire stakes. That program’s  finals were early enough not to conflict with the Red Mile GC meet. And the heavy hitters from its 2YO trotting filly division are well represented in Lexington. Designed To Be, winner of the 260K PASS Final, goes in the Bluegrass on Thursday, as do Cooler Schooner and Lifetime Pursuit. All three have concentrated on restricted stakes while adding one or two GC races to the mix.

Summertime Lea is the odds on choice in the 225K NYSS final on Saturday, but that wouldn’t be the case if Shebestingin was in the race. The latter, who won the EBC, concentrated on open stakes so she ranks 15^th in her NYSS division, and hence is not eligible for the final. Lea earned more than 240,000 for the Burke Barn by sticking pretty much with the local program. Every time she strayed from it she fared poorly.

None of the other fillies in the 3YOP Bluegrass are pure open types;  the filly on the rail, Ms Caila J Fra, is a hybrid. She won the NJSS final and raced in the Miss NJ and the SBOA Final. But she raced in the Lynch and finished second in the Shady Daisy. The field is markedly weakened by the fact that Nitelife is sitting out Lexington entirely while Somwherovrarainbow and Jerseylicious are not staked to the Bluegrass. Both were nominated to next week’s Tattersalls, however.

There are NY breds like Sunfire Blue Chip and Odds On Equuleus in the Bluegrass for 3YO pacing colts, but none that raced in the NYSS enough to accumulate much in the way of points. Vegas is sitting this one out. Most of these colts have plenty of experience on the GC. The Art Major colt, Fool Me Once, won splits of the Bluegrass and ISS last year and, although he won’t be in it,   he’s staked to Saturday’s Bluegrass. Since he was so lightly staked this year he stuck with the NYSS and topped his division. He’s the ML favorite for Saturday’s final at Yonkers. Fool Me Once is eligible for next week’s Tattersalls Pace; maybe we’ll see him there.

Another top performer absent from the Bluegrass is Boomboom Ballykeel, the Metro winner who tops the divisional earnings list. The Mach Three colt doesn’t have enough OSS points to qualify for Saturday’s Super Final and he isn’t staked to anything in Lexington. Choosing the open path while being lightly staked can leave a colt or filly on the outside looking in as the season winds down.

The BC eliminations commence at Pocono in two weeks.

It's Michigan All Over; Battle Royale

Michigan has come to Illinois.  Due to the legislature not having adopted a renewal of the ADW legislation, gamblers could not legally bet via ADWs for five months.  Problem is in addition to inconveniencing gamblers, it cost the Illinois Racing Board $750,000 for their budget.  Worse yet, the approval of the ADW renewal is good for one year only (well, seven months) due to a fight within the industry over new legislation.

Well, while Michigan's lack of racing in the past was caused primarily by the Governor, this time the legislature leads the way.  Either way, racing in the Prairie State in 2014 may be limited to as little as thirteen days at Balmoral.  Thoroughbred racing does a lot better, a total of seventy-four days for the three thoroughbred tracks combined.

Of course, the legislature can pass a supplemental funding bill to make up what was lost by their own incompetence, but we are talking about legislatures and responsibility.  Granted, this is a worse case situation but a situation standardbred or thoroughbred racing should have to face.  We do enough damage to ourselves, we don't need the government to make things worse.



Think we race rough in the United States?  Take a look at this video from France and you will see rough racing.




It would appear driver Cédric Dheran took objection at something fellow driver Manu Rotsaert did in the race, possibly causing his horse to go off stride.  Whether there was some bad blood between the two drivers is unknown but one can susped Mr. Dheran will not be in the sulky for a while.

I suggest in the future Dheran does what North American drivers do.  They wait till thy get back to the paddock and duke it out.  You still get suspended but at least you don't risk hurting your fellow drivers and horses.

Can Racing Work Together?

If you have been reading this blog recently, you know one of the biggest complaints I have is what 'Post Time' means.  In the beginning, barring equipment or shoe repair, post time had two meanings; either the race was beginning or (in harness) the marshal would start to gather the field meaning the race would begin in two minutes like clockwork.

Nowadays, post time may still have the traditional meaning, but more often than not, it may mean time for the horses to come to the track for their warm ups, it may mean the race will begin consistently X number of minutes later, or absolutely nothing as the mutuel manager watches the wagering and will signal the starter when wagering has virtually dried up on the race and they may start the race.

Now don't get me wrong.  Racetracks and horsemen, especially non--slot tracks, need handle to survive, but in the long wrong this variable definition of post time is going to hurt the business.  Besides boring the newcomers to death because they expect a race to start at a certain time, it makes it harder for gamblers to know when a race is going off and when they will make their bets. 

It's one thing if you have a gambler who plays  Charlestown all the time and nothing else; they know what post time means there.  Knowing that Charlestown's definition of post time means the race will go off in X minutes, they know when they need to get their wagers in.

But many gamblers don't play just one track.  With post times set willy nilly and meaning different things, gamblers don't know when they need to get their bets in at each track risk getting locked out more often.  Of course, tracks who wait until every blessed dollar is wagered are a different story; in my opinion gamblers should ignore those tracks completely.

What makes this whole delaying post time so ridiculous is gamblers are like Pavlov's dogs.  If you always start your races at the same time with regards to post time gamblers will eventually learn this and make sure to get their wagers in on time whether a casual gambler or a whale; they don't want to get shut out.  So if this is the case, why can't racetracks go back to the traditional definition of post time?

Basically, because with so many tracks racing at any given time and there being no coordination of post times between the different breeds of racing, tracks keep adjusting their post times so not to conflict with others.  If a race goes off at Racetrack A at 2:00pm, Racetrack B doesn't want to start their race until 2:05.  If you are dealing with two tracks, it would be easy to coordinate post times but when you have six racetracks going off at 1:00 with who don't coordinate post times, the situation begs itself for the dreaded sliding post time.

My challenge is for the tracks of all breeds to come together and set up model post time intervals for regular days and big event days grouped by total handle withing breed and have tracks adopt them.  Realizing the number of tracks racing at the same time, you will not be able to avoid conflicts in post times completely, but tracks should be able to have predefined post times which maximize wagering while minimizing gambler frustration.  Then post time can return to the traditional meaning.  What would change is 'Broken Dam Downs Race 3' would now be known as 'Broken Downs Race 3 (3:10)' and it would be published as such in programs and racing publications.  As such, gamblers will know exactly what time each track will go offs and they will be able to bet accordingly.

I know there is no perfect solution, but if tracks care about their customers they will reign in floating post times.  The question is, are the tracks willing to work together?

Time Trial and Killer Horse?

For those of you who missed it, here is the time trial by DWs NY Yank ridden by Chantal Sutherland-Krusse.  The duo set the world record for RUS on the 5/8th mile oval.  It took three attempts, but they got it done as they beat the previous record by 1/5th of a second.









Courtesy of the BBC, we learn an Appellate Court has ruled horses are 'vicious' animals.  One has to think the judge never met a horse up close.  If the judge did, they would learn horses are animals which only attack when threatened; given the choice, they will flee what they perceive is danger.


Just because a horse struck out at a child (we don't know the particulars as to how and why), the judge wants all horses declared vicious?  I hope those involved don't have a pet named Fluffy or Spot because based on this logic, dogs and cats would be declared vicious animals.  I am not suggesting there aren't horses who could be vicious, but any such determination should be made on an individual basis, not species-wide.

The appeal to the Connecticut Supreme Court is very important to owners of horses.  If horses are declared vicious animals, people in Nutmeg State and possibly elsewhere will have a hard time to insure horses at a reasonable cost..  Needless to say if this happens nationwide, horse racing could be devastated.

The Morrisville Sale

One of the regional sales took place at Morrisville, New York this past weekened.  Our resident sales watcher, VFTRG contributor Joe F. gives us his take on the sale.

The annual sale at Morrisville College was held on Sunday. 125 yearlings sold for an average of $10,246. The number of yearlings that passed through the sale decreased 19% from 2011 to 2012 and that number was down another 18% on Sunday. However the sale average has increased about 8% since 2011. This is a quirky sale in that some of the big players in New York are not represented in serious numbers, particularly the Blue Chip stallions. For Instance, there was only one Bettor’s Delight sold and there were two Art Majors.

On the other hand, there are always a plethora of Sand Vic yearlings to choose from, something that serves as a drag on the overall average. There were 15 sold for an average of $4,500 this year, down from 15 sold for an average of $6,900 in 2012. Mercifully there were only four Kenneth Js that actually sold this year; they averaged about $3,600. Last year seven went for $3,700. Give it up.

The first crops of Lucky Chucky and Rocknroll Heaven are the focus of attention in New York this year. Six Chuckys sold for an average of $22,000. The $59,000 sale topper, the only colt, Lucky Pablo, whose dam is half to Crowning Classic as well as the dam of Classic Photo, skews the average.  Aside from him, a pair of fillies brought eighteen and twenty. Four RNR Heaven colts and one filly averaged $15,400, with the only filly leading the pack at $26,000. Twenty-nine Chuckys and an equal number of Heavens will sell at Lexington.

Morrisville’s own RC Royalty, sire of Royalty For Life, is a mainstay of this sale. Seventeen sold for better than a $13,000 average this year, with fourteen of those bringing $10,000 or more. His high was a $25,000 filly. That was more than twice the number sold in 2012 when his four colts averaged almost $29,000 and his four fillies more than $11,000. There are three RC Royalties selling at Harrisburg and none at Lexington. RFL’s success notwithstanding, he’s still viewed as a regional stallion. Aside from RFL, he hasn’t had a great year; Modest Prince and Royal Malinda being a couple of the other good ones.

Last year eleven from the first crop of If I Can Dream sold for an average of about $5,600 at Morrisville. The seven-year-old son of Western Hanover has since been relocated to New Jersey and although this crop is New York eligible only two sold, a filly for $14,000 and a colt for thirteen. Seventeen will be available at Lexington and four at Harrisburg. He’s the sire of Sheppard winner, Forty Five Red, and Big Boy Dreams.

The Walnut Hall stallions that call Morrisville home—Conway Hall, Cash Hall and now Dewey—play a major role in the sale. Seven Conway Halls averaged almost $20,000 this year, up 24% from 2012. The top was a $30,000 colt while five of the seven brought at least $15,000. Conway Hall stands for $7,500. There are a number of good Conway Halls raking in the cash in the NYSS program; Flyhawk El Durado, Mister Anson, Daley Lovin, Proclaiming April and Palm Beach Chic, to name a few.

Cash Hall, who had twenty sell for an average of more than $11,000 in 2012, sold thirteen for an $8,800 average this year. There were twice as many fillies as colts both years. A pair of fillies sold for $20,000 each on Sunday. Fourteen Cash Hall’s averaged under $9,000 in 2011; he’s spinning his wheels sale wise, not down where Sand Vic is, but spinning his wheels nonetheless. There will be one Cash Hall filly available at Lexington and a colt and a filly at Harrisburg. Cash Hall stands for $3,500. Flyhawk Falina, Market Rally and Barn Babe are three of the better Cash Halls. 

The eight-year-old Credit Winner stallion, Crazed, who now stands at Hanover for $6,000, had seven sell for an average of about $16,500. A filly brought $29,000 and a colt $25,000. His average was up slightly from last year when twelve sold. Crazed is having a very good year in the NYSS with General Bill Brown, Tirade Hanover, Crazy About Pat and Theraputic being a few of the better ones.

The Blue Chip stallion, American ideal, has fourteen for sale at Lexington and twenty-seven at Harrisburg. Morrisville seems to get the less attractive portion of the lot every year. Last year eleven brought an average of less than $6,000 while on Sunday seven sold for a $7,100 average. A $15,000 filly topped the group. The lightly staked sensation, He’s Watching, is one of his standouts. American Ideal is the sire of American Jewel, Heston Blue Chip, Idyllic and Romantic Moment.

Like the Canadian Yearling Sale, Morrisville isn’t a great foreshadowing tool for Lexington and Harrisburg, but the overall average is up and the first crop sires were well received. The sky is still intact.