Deterioration of racing field sizes

[RichieP]

Today at Delaware and Philly there are a total of 14 non maiden races. 14.

THREE (3) races have 8 horses or more going to post. 3

Mountaineer which for YEARS had at least 8 races carded with 10 horses running tonight has TWO (2). There are also 2 7 and 4 8 horse races listed. This BEFORE scratches.

So what is racings answer"? Build MORE tracks. Way to go boys.

Today more than ever patience and multi tracking are needed in my opinion

Richie

[jms62]

What really irks me is when they run a Grade 1 race with 4 or 5 horses. I'd rather they cancel the race unless a certain number of entrants partcipated. I think cancelling would send a clear message to the trainers. Run or lose the shot at a big purse. Trainers being businessmen would not want purse money to evaporate and I believe it would spur them to enter. Belmont is notrious for small Graded Stakes fields.

[JimG]

When I get time to handicap for a day, I generally spend my time trying to identify races where the favorite is vulnerable. That gets harder to do in short fields, especially at smaller tracks where many horses are instant throw outs. I would prefer racing to be like it is in some other countries....12-18 horse fields, mostly on the turf, with the post time synchronized so no two races go off at the same time. Operating this way is doable where there are fewer tracks.

I would like to see about 1/3 overall as many tracks as we have right now, with the same percentage of major, medium, and minor purse tracks.

Jim