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Post by mysaladdays on Dec 21, 2023 22:53:30 GMT -5
A friend just emailed me this:
"Schenectady Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order Thursday that put a halt on the New York Gaming Commission's efforts to disqualify Forte (Violence) from his win in the 2022 GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga and suspend trainer Todd Pletcher."
Keeping in mind that I was (and still am) a huge Forte fan....either he won fair and square on a level playing field or he didn't......
Shortening the Belmont now this. It's probably goodbye from me to NYRA
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docd
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Post by docd on Dec 22, 2023 4:59:58 GMT -5
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docd
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Post by docd on Dec 22, 2023 5:30:10 GMT -5
MSD
Belmont Park is undergoing renovations.To keep the project timely,NYRA has to move the Belmont Spring meet to Aqueduct Race Course.Aqueduct however is not presently equipped to host a Belmont Stakes Festival.NYRA decided to move the Belmont Stakes to Saratoga.A four day Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga is what (in their infinite wisdom)they feel as the best option.Saratoga Race course has a one and one eight mile dirt course.The track configuration makes running at the one and one half mile practically impossible.That is why "they" are shortening the Belmont Stakes to the ten furlong distance.The plan is to resume the twelve distance when they return the Belmont Stakes to Belmont Park.This will mean running the Belmont at ten furlongs for the two years need for the construction.
I think what you will see is a larger field with this being run at a mile and a quarter.I don't see this as being a problem.I think a bigger question is what happens to the Met Mile.
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Post by mysaladdays on Dec 22, 2023 17:14:15 GMT -5
Thanks doc, I was aware of all you say and agree about the Met Mile.
However, if the underlying gist is to get "more in the feild" because it's 1-1/8, instead of 1-1/2, my gut tells me that once they start shortening races.....and I think it may be that way for 2 years, not one year. Or forever.
It's not like we've never watched races get shortened in my lifetime permanently, and that never makes me happy. It's a crafty way of saying we lack stamina breedings and not enough owners enter horeses at 1-1/2.
To me 1-1/2 is what makes the Belmont the "jewel" of the TC.
Not to mention the track at SAR does not play the same as the track at BEL. And BEL is a track that they don't pank down and speed up and roll into an asphalt like highway. I kinda love that track because they leave it alone for the most part, comparatively.
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docd
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Post by docd on Dec 23, 2023 9:35:48 GMT -5
Thanks doc, I was aware of all you say and agree about the Met Mile To me 1-1/2 is what makes the Belmont the "jewel" of the TC. Not to worry MSD.When the BS return to BP it WILL be 12f.Then the naysayers can complain about"horses aren't bred for it anymore"or "the field sizes are shrinking".All of which is true.Then "they" will holler for shortening the BS to 10f to make a more competitive race.  Forgetting that 10f on BP starts on the CH turn assuring anemic fields.  |
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1hooper
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Post by 1hooper on Dec 23, 2023 9:50:59 GMT -5
I'm so old I remember when they ran 10F at Belmont out of the chute, one turn.
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Post by mysaladdays on Dec 23, 2023 17:57:47 GMT -5
Thanks doc, I was aware of all you say and agree about the Met Mile To me 1-1/2 is what makes the Belmont the "jewel" of the TC. When the BS return to BP it WILL be 12f.Then the naysayers can complain about"horses aren't bred for it anymore"or "the field sizes are shrinking". I think it will be more than a year. More like at least 2. Knowing how construction projects go. They could have made it 1 mile 9/16 on the Saratoga configuration. Only 1/16 LONGER than the traditional Belmont? If BM had always been 1-1/8, I can think of quite a lot of horses who might have won..... |
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Forgetting that 10f on BP starts on the CH turn assuring anemic fields. 
