Saratoga, Del Mar Open Amid Uncertain Times / TrackMaster Improves Product Line
Written by trackmasterplus on July 20, 2010 – 1:35 pm -SARATOGA
The venerable Saratoga Race Meet opens Friday, July 23 (free grandstand admission for Opening Day if you’re planning on going). There was some talk of canceling the meet due to NYRA budget woes. Crazy talk for certain. A summer with no Saratoga? No way! For horse players it would be the sign of the apocalypse. In the end it all got worked out and Saratoga will hold a race meet for the 142nd time in 2010 despite the storm clouds still on the horizon.
While fields might be a bit smaller than last year due to some connections opting to run for higher purse at Monmouth, there will be no lack of star power at the Spa. The big race of the meet, the Travers Stakes is expected to draw Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. The pro-tem leader of the handicap division, Quality Road, is on the grounds as is last year’s Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra. Future stars will emerge from the maiden and allowance ranks as always.
On the people front, the top owners and trainers (Pletcher, Contessa, Dutrow) tend to dominate the standings. Trainer Bill Mott is having a bit of a resurgence since taking over for the late Bobby Frankel as the main man for Juddmonte Farms but has always done well at the Spa. He’ll be a force in the stakes ranks. Linda Rice seems to always come to Saratoga loaded with talented youngsters, and you can bet that Cristophe Clement will steal a big purse in a turf race (at a nice price) with a recent import from France. In the jockeys room Ramon Dominguez has firmly established himself as the top dog on the circuit and will likely duel with John Velasquez for the jockey title.
Bettors should take note that Saratoga has one of the lowest takeout rates in the U.S. for Win-Place-Show bets and Daily Double/Exacta wagers at 15% and 17.5% respectively offering the player good value for their betting dollar.
DEL MAR
Let’s face it. The horse racing industry in California is in a complete state of disarray. At the beginning of the year it looked as if the two major tracks, Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields, were going to get new ownership after the Magna bankruptcy and cries of mismanagement by many of the locals. Yet by the summer it was “meet the new boss, same as the old boss” as Frank Stronach managed to retain control of the tracks.
Being geographically isolated from the majority of the horse racing world, the horse population in California is dwindling, and field size continues to be a problem. Unthinkable a few years ago, occasional race days at all California tracks have been canceled due to lack of entries. Del Mar will be no exception. For a track that used to race 6 days a week with relatively full fields (now down to 5 days a week), it’s come to management going on record as “hoping” that no race days will have to be canceled in 2010.
Track safety continues to be a work in progress, and Del Mar continues to be aggressive in this area. To help improve the safety of the racing surface the track has hired a synthetic track specialist, Richard Tedesco, the retired track superintendent of Hollywood Park, and most recently a consultant to the amazing Meydan Race Track project in Dubai.
But still the party goes on at Del Mar. While attendance at the other California tracks continues to decline, Del Mar has managed to reinvent itself as an “entertainment” venue, not just a horse racing track. Inventive promotions such as the “Miss Cougar Del Mar Contest” and post-race concerts attract more casual fans and the atmosphere is completely different than at any other California racing venue.
On the training front, no one ever seems to dominate at Del Mar any more, horse fitness is key so look for horses with good current form and regular works. John Sadler and Doug O’Neill have large stables so expect them to duke it out at the top of the trainer standings. Never count out Bob Baffert who shines at Del Mar and will always be in the picture, especially in the stakes ranks. He seems to always have a new star to unveil during the meet. Northern California based trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has been poaching stakes races here for years, just about anything he sends out in a stakes should be considered a threat.
The California jockey colony is very deep in talent, and is dominated by young turks like Joel Rosario, Tyler Baze, Rafael Bejarano, and Joe Talamo. Last year’s leading apprentice Christian Santiago Reyes has made the transition to journeyman with no problem. Bettors should have no qualms about backing any horse ridden by these guys. Veteran Mike Smith is always a factor in big money races, and will be aboard the great Zenyatta when she makes here only appearance at Del Mar, most likely The Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on August 7.
With the possible exception of the $1 million Pacific Classic there are not many horses that ship from outside the state to run at Del Mar, with the occasional Northern California or Emerald Downs interloper looking for bigger game. But for the most part the locals take turns beating each other.
The introduction of the very popular 50-cent Pick Four wager should beef up the pools as California racing seems well suited to playing multi-race bets with contender selection the key to success.
Del Mar also runs a popular online Handicapping Challenge which lasts for the entire meet. Free to enter, and prizes for finishing in the top 100, the kicker is the chance to win a berth in the The National Handicapping Challenge XII in Las Vegas January 28-29, 2011. Details are on the Del Mar web site.
TrackMaster Improves Product Line
Just in time for these premier meets, TrackMaster has made some significant improvements to its Thoroughbred product line. Many of these changes were a result of a meeting we had with the guys from HANA (Horse Players Association of North America), a smart group who has given a voice and influence in the industry for the “player”.
Now available in TrackMaster Plus Pro and our Platinum and regular PP files:
- Listing of prior race scratches, including reason
- A simple one page “In to go” list for jockeys, trainers and horses
- Highest Equibase Speed Figure earned added to the horse’s summary stats
- Direct link to Equibase for late scratches and changes
- Expanded conditional trainer stats
- Added statistics for the prior trainer when there is a trainer change
Good luck and enjoy the best the summer has to offer.
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TrackMaster, an Equibase company, is your complete source for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Harness Racing information. Products ranging from Thoroughbred Past Performances, Harness Racing Programs, and Thoroughbred Handicapping software to Horse Racing Picks from our experts, are provided for all levels of handicapping sophistication.
Posted in General Industry, Thoroughbred Products, Thoroughbred Races, Thoroughbred Racing
July 21st, 2010 at 5:54 pm
I don’t think you can underestimate the importance of bringing out Richard Tedesco to handle the racing surface at Del Mar. He’s been involved in California racing for a very long time and the trainers think a lot of this guy. Look for a much more consistent racetrack for this Del Mar meet.
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Thanks for mentioning the (relatively) low takeout rates for certain wagers at Saratoga. That’s just one of the reasons why this meet is one of my favorites to play.
July 24th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
I am a long-time user of Trackmaster past performances, and commend your products. I mainly use the 10 line PDF past performances for harness. In particular, I would like to know more about how the track variant is calculated. Thanks