5/28 (BEL): Metropolitan, Phipps, Acorn (G1's), Sands Point (G2)

[Calzone Lord]

Grade 1 handicaps for older males and females...and they're only getting fields of five and six.

There once was a time when horses ran more frequently with less rest -- and handicaps were actual handicaps with big weight discrepancies.

However, despite the small fields, they at least still get the biggest names and good match-ups.

Just not as attractive as betting races if you could get five more runners and have the highweight at 127lbs instead of 121lbs for a race like the Met.

[cmorioles]

Just another case where marginal contenders won't run because they can run for plenty of slots swelled purses elsewhere. Slots have killed competition. It is now avoided at all costs with the exception of the Triple Crown and the Breeder's Cup.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Just another case where marginal contenders won't run because they can run for plenty of slots swelled purses elsewhere. Slots have killed competition. It is now avoided at all costs with the exception of the Triple Crown and the Breeder's Cup.

That too.

I guess that's also a contributing factor why they can no longer pack on 128lbs to the highweight and a lot of times in the past the marginal contender wins.

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Just not as attractive as betting races if you could get five more runners and have the highweight at 127lbs instead of 121lbs for a race like the Met.

This is particularly problematic, as the spread in the weights has become squeezed on both ends. Trainers don't want their good horses carrying weight, and with the bottom pushed up due to concerns about jockey weight issues, even the least accomplished horses are carrying about 114.

I've have thought for a couple of years that, if we want real handicap racing, then handicap the race with the theoretical highweight at 126 (or more). If that horse runs, no adjustment would be needed. If, however, that horse passed the race, then the weights would be adjusted upward so that the actual starting highweight would carry 126.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

This is particularly problematic, as the spread in the weights has become squeezed on both ends. Trainers don't want their good horses carrying weight, and with the bottom pushed up due to concerns about jockey weight issues, even the least accomplished horses are carrying about 114.

I've have thought for a couple of years that, if we want real handicap racing, then handicap the race with the theoretical highweight at 126 (or more). If that horse runs, no adjustment would be needed. If, however, that horse passed the race, then the weights would be adjusted upward so that the actual starting highweight would carry 126.

Yeah. Look at how they handled weights in the mid 1930's compared to today.

The 1937 Santa Anita Handicap had a field of 18 -- and Seabiscuit (130lbs) got beat by a 3-year-old in March who carried just 100lbs.

In Seabiscuit's race before he met War Admiral in the match race -- he carried 126lbs and some 3yo filly carrying 102lbs broke a track record and beat him handily.

Discovery was forced to give 20 and 30 lbs to top older horses when he was tearing it up at age 4.

Even in the 70's, 80's, and sometimes the 90's the scale looks very wide compared to today. Zenyatta was routinely giving just a few pounds away to unaccomplished females in a lot of her races. The scale has become more and more squeezed at both ends for sure.

[ateamstupid]

I like the addition of the Phipps/Acorn to Met Mile day, short fields notwithstanding.

[pba1817]

Too many tracks, too many places allowing marginal horses to cherry pick purses... No reason for a marginal horse to ever take a shot at big names when they can crush inferior competition.

Met day or Meh day?

[pmayjr]

When Tizway smashed the field last year, how many did he face? That was a pretty big field right? Although this field has a lot more class to it