More good news!

Taken from thebigm.com:

MIDATLANTIC CO-OP, NYRA UNABLE TO REACH SIMULCAST AGREEMENT

Scottsdale, AZ [April 28, 2008] — MidAtlantic Cooperative LLC, the simulcast purchasing enterprise that represents 16 regional racetracks, has been unable to reach a new simulcast agreement with New York Racing Association Inc. [NYRA]. 

Therefore, effective April 30, 2008, MidAtlantic Cooperative members will cease simulcasting NYRA racing from Belmont Park.  The cessation will not affect the simulcast of the Belmont Stakes, for which a separate agreement has been reached. 

MidAtlantic Cooperative could not accept NYRA’s unprecedented monetary demands for its Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga signals.  A series of counter proposals, which would have provided significant increases to NYRA, were rejected by it.

“MidAtlantic Cooperative remains committed to reaching an acceptable contract and minimizing the interruption of simulcasts,” said Executive Director Martin Lieberman.  “However, this is a necessary step to protect the long-term interests of our members.  NYRA’s unreasonable price demands, if agreed to, will negatively impact our member racetracks’ ability to present live and simulcast racing in the region.”

The MidAtlantic Cooperative includes 16 member tracks and their off-track wagering entities, including: Meadowlands Racetrack, Monmouth Park, Freehold Raceway, Atlantic City Race Course, Philadelphia Park, Penn National Race Course, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Charles Town Races, Delaware Park, Dover Downs, Harrington Raceway, Ocean Downs, Rosecroft Raceway, Colonial Downs, Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park.
 
Contact: Martin Lieberman
(480) 614-1307; (631) 766-1948<!–martinlieberman@cox.net

Cool huh? For me, that also means I cannot wager on NYRA races through my NJ Online Wagering account. Nor can I go to Freehold, Atlantic City, Philly Park, Delaware Park or the Philly Turf Clubs which are all within an hour of me. The ray of hope is that Harrah’s Chester Downs isn’t on the list and that is only 30 minutes away. I usually play the Belmont meet with regularity and was looking forward to opening day.

This happened a number of years ago ( three years ago ) during a Belmont meet. Went on for about a month. The one thing I did notice is that Laurel and Pimlico are no longer members of the Co-Op. When this happened in ‘04, they were included.

One thing that is the same? The fans and players lose.

Catching up on some recent news …

Somethings to get caught up on.

First off, in what looked to be great news about a topic discussed here in the past, Jayne Vaders was suspended indefinitely by the PA Racing Commission. However, as it seems is the norm, the news turned sour just as quickly when her lawyer won another stay this week.  

Sick sport huh? Here is someone who has been caught cheating numerous times yet it has taken two years and now longer for the issue to be handled. Once it is handled, I’m sure it will end up being a slap on the wrist, ala the Rucker and Ledford incidents at the Meadowlands.

There is a thread over at Pace Advantage discussing this topic and a poster claims to have lost over $18000 by claiming a horse off of Vaders.  I have a friend I went to high school with that also took a bath after claiming one off of her. Claimed the horse at the Pha for $12500 and the horse wasn’t competitive until they dropper her to the $5k level.

And then the news the Calder was raising their take out percentage broke. We can’t gain any news fans, times are tough for most economically, but we are going to raise the price of wagering on our product for this meet. I don’t have much to say about it other than they are on the no bet list along with Hawthorne ( more on that below ). Pull the Pocket said what needed to be said about the Calder Take Out over at his place.

On a more positive note ( sarcasm), Michael Gill looks to be seriously getting back into the game. You know Mike Gill right? He was the owner of a horse who broke down at Gulfstream a few years ago and before the horse could be tested/evaluated by any officials his trainer and vet on record cut the horses leg off? Yeah that guy. Anyways, over at Thats Amore Stables place, the topic gets discussed in a more positive light, including comments from two of Gill’s former trainer, Mark Shuman and Phil Schoenthal.

Here’s another one for the reasons this game sucks list. If anyone hasn’t seen this DQ, I bet you can’t watch it and not lose your lunch. This has got to be the worst I’ve ever seen and anyone who reads knows my thoughts on the subject. Here is the video:

 
Gruesome huh?

Apparently there was another head shaker at Pimlico on 4/24 at Pimlico, the 6th race. I haven’t viewed that yet.

Good news though. The Oaks and Derby are this weekend. Should be interesting if nothing else.

 

What did we learn this week?

So what did we learn this week?  I expanded the period to week, from weekend, since Keeneland has good weekday racing and some important harness racing took place Monday to Thursday.

Well …

Yeah. Lets go racing over synthetics …

As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m not a fan of synthetic surfaces. As I’ve also previously mentioned, not even the exciting, classy racing at Keeneland can overcome my disdain for the synthetics.

Today’s Lexington Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland only strengthened my disdain. Pyro, the even money favorite, and many peoples early Derby choice, just ran an absolute dud to finish 10th. He couldn’t even fight off Medjool for 9th.

And before anyone sends me a comment asking why I am so suprised after I’ve been publically skeptical of Pyro on some sites/blogs, mentioning that he hasn’t run particular fast even while being ultra impressive visually, I’ll say this: I was skeptical of him at even money. I didn’t think he was a lock like most folks. He hadn’t run faster than the fillies on the same cards. I wasn’t skeptical enough to predict him to finish 10th. He is a good horse.  I thought he might run 2nd or 3rd, beaten a length once he faced a solid field. Not 10th.

Rant over … I don’t mind losing money, or watching logical horses lose so long as a reason exist other than the change of surface. Race after race over this stuff horses change form radically with no other explanation. How can anyone take it seriously from a wagering stand point?

More reasons this game sucks … Carrothers having a meltdown!

Ahhhh another example. Anyone who just watched the 5th at Keeneland has to be questioning their decision to wager on this game. The best horse again, for atleast the 4th time this meet, got DQ’d. This one may have been the worst call yet and if you flip on TVG you can watch Matt Carrothers continuing melting down about it, as he had a win bet on the #10 and had the #10 ( 7-1 ) in his pick 6.

Unlike Matt, I had nothing monetary invested in the race and this horse was not only best, she was clear when she drifted out. Kent D. is going to get an Academy Award for his performance on the 2nd place finisher. You would have thought Lezcano pulled a 9mm on Kent in mid-stretch, when in actuality, he was a length clear.

More reasons this game sucks …

Race 3 at Woodbine tonight. #7 New Dice Please jogs in 153.x. His last two, he had trotted opening 1/4 miles in 27.2 and 28.3 and 1/2 miles in 56.3 and 58.0. He finished those two races in 1.58.0 and 1.57.3.

 Well tonight, after a barn switch to Anthony Montini, he gets hammered to 6-5. Obviously live on the board after dropping anchor in his last two. He than proceeds to trot the opening 1/4 in 27.0 and the half in an eye popping 55.3 and draws off to win by 15 in 153.x. He gained over 5 seconds on his two previous efforts. #4 Sundowner Bob who had faced and defeated New Dice Please by 6 lengths in their last starts, was defeated by almost 20 lengths here. A 5 second and a 20 length turn around with the barn switch.

 And you want to attract new fans do you? Explain that to the young guy who is new to the game but went out to the track or turf club with his buddies.

 It seems the hot topic of recent nights at harnessdriving.com has been the driving, or lack there of at Woodbine. It is something I picked up on pretty quickly a few weeks ago when I started paying more attention to the good harness racing in the north. The drivers just seem to be completely content to ride around in single file until they reach the top of the stretch and than they hope the horses up front come back, which rarely happens. It makes for some boring racing and questions about the drivers intentions.

Than I turn my Harness Eye over to the Meadowlands and see names like Ledford and Rucker still doing whatever it is they do  and I begin to question my sanity.

Another reason why this game sucks …

Want another reason why this game sucks and we can’t get anyone new interested? Go watch race 3 at the Big A today and watch a head on if you can. The race winner, #4 Carolyn’s Cat comes out of the gate, veers right and completely eliminated #2 Throbbin’ Heart. Throbbin’ Heart almost falls down she was hit so hard, yet they looked at it twice and made the race official.

 How can you take horses down for slight incidents in the stretch yet leave this horse up after she completely eliminated another opponent. And I mean eliminate.

Tampa Bay making sure War Pass wins …

After three races on the card it is pretty apparent that Tampa Bay has souped up the track to make sure that War Pass wins and that he does it quickly. Two of the three races so far have gone wire to wire, while the other was won by a horse stalking 3/4 of a length of a length off the pace along the inside.

3 year old maiden specials just went 21.xx, 44.xx and finished in 111.xx. The horse that set those fractions held onto win while the favored horses in behind him spun their proverbial wheels while looking full of run. This horse that just went 21.xx and 44.xx couldn’t hang on after going 22.3, 46.1 and had given way before the top of the stretch in his last against the same company.

 Not that War Pass needed any help, but I’ll never understand why tracks do this. When do you see horses going 21 and 44 at Tampa Bay? Never. Good stakes horses can’t even go that fast on normal days.

How can this be allowed?

After playing the Big M tonight I started looking at some races at Balmoral. The 8th race was a conditioned trot. What made this race noteworthy, atleast to me was the fact that a trainer had two horses, racing as an uncoupled entry in the race. Now, that isn’t really out of the norm. However, when the trainer is also driving one of his entries I see a conflict of interest.

Any thoughts on the DQ’s today?

Personally, I have some questions about the DQ in Laurel’s 10th. I flipped the channel after watching #2 All Smiles storm to the front and begin to draw off, knocking me out of the pick 3 ( I had #1 - #6 - #8 ). Never did I think the result was in question. It wasn’t until I went to make another bet that I found $63.00 present.