Would the Travers get more entries if Run On Sept 1

[MisterB]

Or a better field of the top horses?

[Ronnie]

You can ask these types of questions all day. I suspect the Travers would have gotten more horses if Street Sense wasn't running in it.

Would the Travers get more entries if they dropped the Preakness and made the Travers the final leg of the Triple Crown?

[MisterB]

I am looking more at the time between races as the issue, Grasshopper told me SS was vulnerable. Five weeks after the Jim Dandy and four weeks after the Haskell might have enticed Curlin and Any Given Saturday. Still leaving 4 weeks to get ready for the JCG cup.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by MisterB

Or a better field of the top horses?

I second that notion. I think it's time for NYRA to adapt to the current way trainers are training their horses up to the Breeders Cup. I without a doubt think that moving the Travers to closing weekend would be a very smart move.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by MisterB

I am looking more at the time between races as the issue, Grasshopper told me SS was vulnerable. Five weeks after the Jim Dandy and four weeks after the Haskell might have enticed Curlin and Any Given Saturday. Still leaving 4 weeks to get ready for the JCG cup.

Grasshopper ran a huge race, and would've challenged Street Sense no matter how much time off he had since the Jim Dandy. I think that the reason for short fields in the Travers has to do with (a.) the presence of monster horses nobody wants to face and (b.) the fact that the Haskell offers the same purse with more time to prepare for the fall. It was even more disparate this year because of the BC being run at MTH.

[MisterB]

As we know, the last week at the Spa is a long week for those people that have to live out of a suit cases, and I am sure they can't wait to get out of town. I think NYRA thinks the same way, and just plops some G1's and the Hopeful as the wrap up. I would love to see a pole set up for just trainers, and ask them how they feel about it.

[boswd]

whether Pletcher was dodgin SS is up for debate but he did say he just felt that the 20 between The Haskell and The Travers is just too short and would have been rushing him back into training and with the BC as the major goal that wouldn't have been an ideal situation.

That isn't the first time we've heard this, Tagg said that about running Funny Cide though he was going too, Baffert mentioned it when talking about Point Given. It has been mentioned quite a few times that they don't like the spacing between those two races.

[MisterB]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Well wouldn't the PA Derby have been an easy spot for a million dollars?

If Timber Reserve can pick up his first win of the year, yes, easy money train.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Well wouldn't the PA Derby have been an easy spot for a million dollars?

Well yes but with a race like the PA Derby they will look at it but would think twice about going somewhere else. With The Travers they look at it much more closely and do realize it's history and prestige but some will balk due to the timing.

[Ronnie]

I can't believe that you are suggesting that the date of the Travers be moved. How about moving the dates of all the other races? The Travers is the oldest Thoroughbred horse race in the United States.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

I can't believe that you are suggesting that the date of the Travers be moved. How about moving the dates of all the other races? The Travers is the oldest Thoroughbred horse race in the United States.

what would be the incentive for the people at Monmouth. It's already ran at a great time and for the past few years has had better fields than the Travers.

[MisterB]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

He won his prep for the race at Belmont

O yea, I forgot about him returning from that extended layoff on July 21 at Belmont Park. Allowance/optional claiming race. thx

[Ronnie]

Originally Posted by boswd

what would be the incentive for the people at Monmouth. It's already ran at a great time and for the past few years has had better fields than the Travers.

What race is that?

[boswd]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

What race is that?

The Haskell

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

What race is that?

My guess would be The Haskell.

[Ronnie]

Bluegrass Cat used the Haskell as a prep for the Travers last year.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

Bluegrass Cat used the Haskell as a prep for the Travers last year.

And Roman Ruler ran in both the year before. Yet each of the past three years the best horse has skipped the Haskell for the Dandy-Travers route.

[boswd]

I guess we'll have to see what happens next year. I personally think NYRA has to be proactive about the situation. If not change the date of The Travers then I would increase the purse of the Jim Dandy to $750,000 to give these trainers something to think about if they really want the Travers but want that extra week, $750,000 would look very attractive.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by boswd

I guess we'll have to see what happens next year. I personally think NYRA has to be proactive about the situation. If not change the date of The Travers then I would increase the purse of the Jim Dandy to $750,000 to give these trainers something to think about if they really want the Travers but want that extra week, $750,000 would look very attractive.

Or reduce the emphasis on the Dandy in exchange for Monmouth moving the Haskell up a week and running it on the same weekend as the Dandy.

[pointman]

NYRA is not going to change the date of the Travers, nor should they. Curlin and AGS were not ducking SS. The Haskell has not had a better field in the past few years than the Travers (Lionheart, Roman Ruler and BG Cat). The only reason IMO that Curlin and AGS ran in the Haskell this year is because the Breeder's Cup is at Monmouth. The Travers will draw the best 3 year olds that are still in training after the second week of June as it always does.