CHRB Allocates SoCal Racing Dates for 2014 & 2015

Since I blogged about the imminent closing of Hollywood Park, it seemed only proper to pass along the news of how the thoroughbred calendar will be filled over the next two years in Southern California.  Quoting from this article at DRF.com by Brad Free:

The CHRB eventually settled on these 2014 dates: Santa Anita, Dec. 26, 2013 through July 6; Del Mar, July 16 through Sept. 3; Fairplex Park, Sept. 4-23; Santa Anita, Sept. 25 through Nov. 2; and Del Mar, Nov. 5 through Dec. 7.

The 2015 dates: Santa Anita, Dec. 26, 2014 through July 5; Del Mar, July 15 through Sept. 7; Fairplex, Sept. 10- 25; Santa Anita, Sept. 26 through Oct. 25; and Del Mar, Oct. 28 through Dec. 6. The shortened Fairplex meet hinges on 2015 Breeders’ Cup location. Fairplex could lose the lucrative closing weekend of the Los Angeles County Fair meet.

The CHRB dates allocation was unanimous by the board, with conditions that will be addressed next week. 

The full story contains some key information regarding such issues as: the stabling of horses in SoCal after Hollywood Park is no more; the conditions that need to be addressed before the dates above become finalized; and Los Alamitos' desire to play a larger role in the thoroughbred scene.  So if you have any interest in Southern California thoroughbred racing, I would advise checking out the article in full.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo

9/7 - 9/8/12 FPX - The Crowd Gets It Wrong

For those who may be unaware, Fairplex Park (a.k.a. the "Let's Take a Vacation Between Del Mar and Santa Anita" Meet) opened this past Friday.  First up on the card were the Arabian horses, in a six furlong contest won by the 4-5 Post Time favorite, BURNIN RUBBER.  BURNIN RUBBER would be the only Post Time favorite to win at Fairplex on Friday, as nine thoroughbred races came and went without the public consensus correctly landing on the winning horse.  The public's futility was perhaps best illustrated in the Pick 6 payouts Friday; not only did nobody correctly pick six, nobody (and I mean NO-BOD-EE) was able to correctly pick five!  The best anyone could do Friday was get four of the six winners right; and that was rare enough that all who did received a free W-2G along with their winnings of $705.80 for every two dollars wagered.

The public didn't fare much better Saturday, as only one Post Time favorite, Heart Fever, in Race 5, was able to cross the finish line ahead of the rest of the field (for those scoring at home, the Pick 6 Saturday again went un-hit; though a few tickets did have five correct, giving their holders $3872.40 for every two dollars bet).  That means the public consensus went on a thirteen race losing streak, and has (so far, as I write this) correctly picked just one winner in twenty thoroughbred contests at Fairplex Park.

Now, when I wrote about the wagering herd losing its way last month, I was communicating a relatively rare phenomenon, as the public can usually be counted on to pick the winner of a thoroughbred race about a third of the time.  But all that goes out the window when the action moves to a meet like Fairplex, where races are run for only a brief period over a track that's contoured in a totally different manner from the other tracks on the circuit (see also Kentucky Downs for a similar experience).  Such meets, especially on their first few days, replace the art of handicapping with gambling in its almost purest form, turning horse racing into little more than animated roulette (thank you, Roger Kahn).  Don't just take my word for it; read someone else's words on the topic, and draw your own conclusions.

Now, all this doesn't mean that you can't win; it doesn't even mean that you won't win.  What it does mean is that, if you simply must play tracks such as Fairplex, accept the fact that standard handicapping is not going to get the job done; and proceed with caution (or, better yet, don't proceed at all) when it comes to diving too deep into any of the pools. 

Peace and Love,

Jimbo