I wonder if Todd Pletcher is wholeheartedly into Mike Repole's current claiming frenzy? Are number of stalls, size of operation not something Pletcher has to worry about? If there is a Calibrachoa or a Caixa Electronica in the group of recent claims, I guess he can live with them, but the program seems like a distraction from what he is trying to do, or what I perceive he is trying to do, which is to be the most successful trainer in the United States. I'm not sure that having this high-end claiming division goes along with that. I suppose Pletcher has a ways to go to have as high a percentage of claimers as Steve Asmussen has, however. Repole alone can't move him in that direction, but this development has been odd because it's been so extreme.
It seems like Repole is trying to dominate the owner standings the way that Sheikh Mohammed has at times tried to dominate the yearling sales. What he's doing comes off as egotistical and selfish, as trying to accentuate how powerful he is.
It might be good for the economics of racing in New York to have so many horses moving, but on the other hand, it could be keeping down entries because people are nwe truly afraid of losing horses. This could be checked or argued about in relation to field size for various races, although that is complicated by other factors, such as the increased purse money compared to years prior.
No comments:
Post a Comment