tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post4684109180546020660..comments2023-05-23T06:58:05.579-04:00Comments on Fugue for Tinhorns: On the subject of less being more ...Glenn Cravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09760553404742644042noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post-79929823158295592092009-11-01T04:53:08.002-05:002009-11-01T04:53:08.002-05:00In sports, less is often more. The NFL limits itse...In sports, less is often more. The NFL limits itself to 17 rounds plus the playoffs, you think they would still attract the same level of euphoria if they went August to June? <br /><br />I'm also not the first one to point to the fact that American racing's three public favorites are the three major short-meet tracks: Kee, Sar and DM (you can add Hialeah, Washington Park, Santa Anita's spring meet or even pre-Stronach Gulfstream Park to the list). <br />High quality products are relative, by keeping a steady (nominal) quality for most of the year, most circuits raise the perception that what they offer on any given day is nothing special.<br /><br />For the short-term overall perception of the sport it would surely be preferrable if the cuts wouldn't predominantly focus on mid-and lower-level races at mid- and lower level tracks. The very justifiable perception that the big names of American racing (and to a lesser extent Euro and Aussie racing, too) avoid each other is caused by the oversupply with meaningless "stakes" and restricted races and such events labeled "Grade 1" despite rarely attracting even two top horses.<br /><br />One effect of less races, albeit indirectly,is a positive influence on the breeding business.<br />If horsemen can't count on five-horse statebred maidens and five-horse Alw races, breeding unsound speedster horses becomes a lot less appealing from a financial standpoint - and that would help racing's public perception.<br /><br />For most racetracks which cut dates, the reason is that they need to get back into the black figures, and if they can do so without <i>losing</i> income, then that's an argument in itself (I'm aware that this argument doesn't work for racinos such as Del which do it for all the wrong reasons; but because they previously expanded for all the wrong reasons too, I prefer to see them shrink no matter the reason.)malcerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02913127739083446726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266573065584680131.post-57851469358103491462009-10-31T16:36:33.410-04:002009-10-31T16:36:33.410-04:00Glenn,
Respectfully disagree.Glenn, <br /><br />Respectfully disagree.coeurdeferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06371494048326912875noreply@blogger.com