Stay Tuned: Racing Will Resume

Nobody is sure exactly when, but at some point, racing will resume in earnest. There will be changes, some things will be different, but the Sport of Kings will go on.

There is something to be said for that fact alone. So many have said in the past few years racing was on the brink. There is no shortage of threatening issues. Maybe in a strange way, this sort of hiatus from what one could argue was over saturation will help the sport.

Maybe track management will see less is more. Fewer tracks running head to head can lead to increased handle. Without spreading itself thin all over the place maybe tracks can focus on promoting each other’s quality and opportunities and find a way to share the revenue. Well, we can dream anyway.

When things go back full swing, what can we expect, and what can bettors capitalize on is an interesting question.

I think despite the handle boosts we see at Fonner Park and Will Rogers, we will have a pool of hungry and anxious horseplayers. They will be itching to dive back in. Full steam ahead, I imagine. This will create all types of opportunities for the astute player.

I anticipate nice pool sizes. We can expect decent sized fields of rested and fresh horses. Some trainers and barns excel in this scenario, while others often need a race or two. That’s just one of many things to look for. Riders, especially some of the lesser earners will be hungry. That’s another thing to look for. Claiming outfits will need to win, and likely be running some horses below value to score. There is something else to watch.

Handle and field size always impacts the amount and types of opportunities. Now we have some other intangibles factoring in.

We are going to have a limited time to run a lot of Stakes and major cards. That’s something to salivate over for my style of play. Instead of the say ten or so huge days, I shoot for being spaced out over the year; now it will be maybe half that time. Some won’t be able to keep up with the homework that pace will require. I can eat that for breakfast.

In the interim, we can stay sharp with the few tracks that are running. We can always look at virtual racing on AmWager to keep us on our games.

If you want to take a look at some of the other possible long term, Covid-19 effects, check out my article on Past the Wire.

When things resume, and even now, you can always check out Tracking Trips for key angles and horses to watch…

Clearly, there is much to keep us fighting.