tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post8919094208456855614..comments2024-03-05T05:38:22.024-05:00Comments on Left at the Gate: Monday Morning Notes - July 7Alan Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570505944559196118noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-65519254200359234722008-07-07T23:04:00.000-04:002008-07-07T23:04:00.000-04:00There's a lot of action in the Northeast right now...There's a lot of action in the Northeast right now - Belmont, Philly, Penn Nat, Presque Isle, Delaware, Suffolk, Monmouth. Not enough horses to go around it seems.<BR/><BR/>Meadowlands on a Thursday night? That's depressing.Alan Mannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12570505944559196118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-16056905719827794312008-07-07T22:04:00.000-04:002008-07-07T22:04:00.000-04:00Sunny Jim...I live 30 minutes from Monmouth Park b...Sunny Jim...I live 30 minutes from Monmouth Park but I'll attend more race days in Saratoga this year than my home track. I was there on Saturday for the United Nations and by post time for their only Grade 1 turf race of the season, the place looked like the Meadowlands on a Thursday night in November. I don't have any answers, but it's hard to believe they held the BC there last year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-38671473009623899062008-07-07T17:06:00.000-04:002008-07-07T17:06:00.000-04:00I'm surprised you haven't mentioned the 12-length ...I'm surprised you haven't mentioned the 12-length debut win by Discreet Cat's 3yo half-brother (Discreet Treasure) on Saturday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-36552670219952854732008-07-07T16:34:00.000-04:002008-07-07T16:34:00.000-04:00The riders of Zenyatta and Street Boss both specif...The riders of Zenyatta and Street Boss both specifically commented that their horses were goofing around once they got in front. So you might be right about the track, but perhaps they could both use a little competition.Alan Mannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12570505944559196118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-74372753286603333712008-07-07T16:24:00.000-04:002008-07-07T16:24:00.000-04:00How good is Street Boss? He's the best.Btw, regard...How good is Street Boss? He's the best.<BR/><BR/>Btw, regarding Zenyatta's closing fractions (and she did look well below her best), also note the very slow final furlong for Street Boss on the same card. Might've had something top do with the surface down the lane; seems a bit too coincidental.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-51252369316273324552008-07-07T15:05:00.000-04:002008-07-07T15:05:00.000-04:00I play the Monmouth pk-3 and pk-4 a lot.There fiel...I play the Monmouth pk-3 and pk-4 a lot.<BR/><BR/>There fields are smaller(I hope that changes)but the takeout is 15%<BR/>Compared to N.Y. 25%Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-26163146337281270252008-07-07T14:16:00.000-04:002008-07-07T14:16:00.000-04:00From Sunny Jim in New Jersey-Hi Alan. Maybe you or...From Sunny Jim in New Jersey-<BR/><BR/>Hi Alan. Maybe you or some of your very sharp readers could chime in on this:<BR/><BR/>On another forum over here in Jersey we were trying to figure out why Monmouth Park has such putridly small fields just about every racing day. No one can say for certain why this is. It is not uncommon to have just one or two races on the whole card with 8 or more entries. The rest of the fields are 7 or 6 horses, less after scratches. <BR/><BR/>On rainy, off-the-turf days it's even worse, 4 and even 3 horses in a race sometimes. Needless to say, for a lot of us it makes for an unattractive card for betting. Not surprisingly, their on-track handle is off double digits (but their simulcast handle is not that badly off). A couple of us have contacted track management and they always say pretty much the same thing as Dennis Dowd recently e-mailed to me: "Thanks. We are aware of the problem." <BR/><BR/>There's nothing wrong with the purse structure. The Atlantic City casinos renewed their deal with the state to kick in some pretty big supplement $$$ in return for keeping the NJ tracks from turning into racinos.<BR/><BR/>Are there too many competing tracks in nearby states? Is it because Monmouth and New Jersey have stricter drug testing, and all the druggie trainers just stay away? (They recently singled out all of Bruce Levine's horses for testing, because of his high 50% win percentage from about 70 starts at Monmouth so far this summer. No violations were found.) <BR/><BR/>Or is this just part of a general malaise hanging over horse racing these days? <BR/><BR/>Cheers, and thanks for the blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-83470989275862357932008-07-07T09:40:00.000-04:002008-07-07T09:40:00.000-04:00You can add Turfway to the 'good' synthetic instal...You can add Turfway to the 'good' synthetic installations. These tracks seem to perform in line with, though not exactly like, a dirt track. It is frustrating to see the horses who run well at at the tracks you mention roll into Keeneland or Del Mar and act like they've never seen a synthetic surface before. But, I'd just say there is something quirky about the latter tracks, which means I'll play them less (excepting turf).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com