HRU Question of the Week: Answered
Longer races with trailers, or one mile with all noses on the gate?
On Friday, we asked you:
In light of Saturday’s Meadowlands card when five races will feature trailers and three will be contested at a distance of 1 1/8th miles, do you prefer:
A. Longer races and more entries, even if there are trailers
or
B. Every horse on the gate and the standard one-mile distance?
Here’s some of the responses we received on social media:
Phillip Coole: B.
Benjamin Medich: A. Makes for more interesting racing and better payouts.
Dean Hoffman: A. One-mile monotony makes for predictable racing. More horses over longer distances makes for more excitement and better payoffs.
Jeff Courchesne: A. Force them to mix it up a little more.
Rob Henry: Yeah, but you let everyone in then you end with the debacle that is the Kentucky Derby. Twenty horses every year just because they can. About eight of them actually belong there. I would rather have eight great horses than 12 and four are just clutter.
Robert Winkler: Hate it. I wanna see them go for the one-mile world record.
Mickey Barnes: Everyone on the gate!
Mark David: I don’t think there should ever be a trailer in any race period. I’m fine with the longer distance. But, those Yonkers races with the three or four trailers that are longer, those are no good either. Too much clutter leaving.
Michelle Luce: On the gate, one mile.
Charlie Guiler: B.
Dennis Sharkey: On a mile track: B.
Gillian Stockman: We mix it up in NZ and it’s great. Constant mile racing can be monotonous.
Carol Nichols Shuman: B.
Derrick Leuci: B.
Liz Snedden-Chadwell: A.
David Robinson: One mile, but 11 occasionally is okay. Twelve is too much.
Ronald Statkus: I think they should go 1 1/4 if there are trailers!
Barry Miller: I like both the added distance and a trailer or too. I’ve often thought Yonkers should add trailers for every race with the twist of having each trailer in a different spot each race instead of always being behind the 1 or 2 horse. A handicap perhaps.
Elliot Philip Craike: Standing starts. LOL. Two-mile handicaps. U.S. trots are boring as f—. Watch how we do it in oz, many distances, mobiles and stands.
Dave Shebroe: One mile, all on gate… The owner of the Meadowlands missed a huge chance to promote the sport.
Randy Sanchelli: I would prefer trotters (aged) go a mile and quarter, mile and half, especially on the mile tracks. I’d like the pacers to go one mile.
Moira Fanning: There’s a huge difference in talking about this in overnight races or stakes races.
Garnet Barnsdale: I’m for whichever option creates increased wagering and bigger pools.
Randall Zhok: Trailers suck.
Garnet Barnsdale: Trailer has to be better than a 10-hole unless you are sending Precious Bunny or Riyadh to the gate and they can clear before the turn.
Randall Zhok: Not really. Rather have 10 hole. If there are trailers better to scratch. especially in trotters, like last night. Just ridiculous to have a trailer in a trotting filly race.
David Mattia: The entire concept of an 8 hole or a 10 hole sucks. There must be a reason why we get angry when we draw outside. I would prefer a 9 hole second tier over an 8 hole, but having that 9th horse would annoy me — and always has.
Randall Zhok: I’m talking about 11 and 12 with 10 wide or 10 or 11 with 9 wide is just plain stupid, especially where they keep their handholds now. Georgian Downs had 10 hole behind 9 to have more horses in the super in the last races and it was torture. 7, 8, 9 had zero chance.
Moira Fanning: I’m also for consistency and doing things that are supported by numbers and stats. I’m also for giving stakeholders at least a voice in any process.
Garnet Barnsdale: Ditto, but I’m also for giving customers a voice.
Moira Fanning: Ditto, but owners are also customers.
Bob Boni: Most paid in events should have all on the gate regardless of distance and if that were the case added distance could be indicated in conditions. For now save most added distance and trailers for overnights. There has to be balance between gambling and horseman/owners and management.
Ken Heineken: I agree… won two elims. for 1,000,000 races and drew 10 hole (each time) and trailed. Got no money in ether race. Should have drawn either the rail or two hole.
Randall Zhok: Absolutely correct. I’ve got the 11 and 10 hole in added money events with 11 horses. Sucks. Got wiped out at the start of 11 hole when both one and two horses ran without a recall and missed $130,000 final which I paid into for two years.
David Mattia: Harness racing is raced by STANDARDBREDS — the very name of the breed incorporates the historical fact that trotters and pacers race at a standard for one mile. To race at other distances you need to start breeding trotters and pacers differently.
Murray Brown: I think varying distance races over a period of time could have, or could possibly still enhance the game. However I don’t think the time to introduce them is the first time these outstanding horses are racing at these distances. As is the norm, I could be wrong.
Garnet Barnsdale: Did anyone complain when they paid into the race with the possibility of a 12-horse field racing 1 1/8 miles existing? Why complain now?
Anthony Haughan: Who is complaining?i never seen any complaints from the participants!!
Garnet Barnsdale: Seen it in many places on the net.
Anthony Haughan: From?
Murray Brown: Garnet, Almost nobody but Bob Boni was aware of the condition. I know I wasn’t. George Teague was quoted as saying that he wasn’t and might not even have entered if he knew. Of course it’s a responsibility to know what you are paying into. But, this came out of left field. It is far from the norm.
Garnet Barnsdale: True it is not the norm at all.
Anthony Haughan: Murray it was on the condition sheet.
Murray Brown: I know it was Anthony. Who reads those things?
Anthony Haughan: Lol that’s true I guess.
Bob Boni: Murray Brown, I read the changed conditions last year when it included certain exclusionary clauses and the short lived trainer restrictions.