I think I've read Richiebee argue at least twice for installing this charade in New York. Sure why not? Kill off New York Racing entirely and obviate any need for determining the next licensee.

The California Horse racing Board (CHRB) one day out of thin air mandated that All tracks in California would convert to Polynonsense. Bay Meadows has a meet ending in the fall and likewise will be required to convert or cease operation. I'm not sure what the status of Golden Gate Fields is. The decision was capricious, arbitrary and dictatorial. I think Dubya Bush relatives must populate the CHRB. What if they decided beer was good for horses? Or racing on any surface was bad for them? What if they decided expensive Vet Clinic visits was what they really needed? "All horses must see Dr. Steve Allday and then Dr. Barbaro Richardson after Allday breaks them down?" The day the CHRB decided that they would decide how business was conducted in California is the day that horse racing died in that State.

Who will wager upon the Breeders Cup? Who wagers there now? The quality of racing in California is diminishing fast with the experiment.

Graft? There may have been, but the results are criminal enough.

fkach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >- bigger fields
> - better fields
> - no rain offs
> - handle up
> - less breakdowns <
>
> CA really doesn't have any weather issues. To a
> large extent, all of these pluses are related to
> the decline of breakdowns and injuries.
>
> The tracks used to be like paved highways. IMO
> they should have tried deeper chushions, extra
> sand etc... before destroying dirt racing in the
> state. I'll cut them some slack and admit that
> mandating drug free racing instead of artificial
> surfaces as part of the change wouldn't have
> gotten off the ground.
>
> They should have put Poly/Cushion on one of the
> 2nd tier tracks and experimented with the surfaces
> at a couple of others. That way they would have
> had multiple models and results to look at. Even
> if this turns out to be the greatest move in the
> history of racing, it was idiotic to make such an
> extreme move in such an important market with so
> many Grade 1 dirt races without a full
> understanding of both the implictions and
> ALTERNATIVES. It's so idiotic it smells like
> someone is getting paid off.