OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It’s a small sample size, perhaps, but the numbers from a field size perspective to start off the 2026 Aqueduct winter meet are disconcerting.
Through the first two weeks, or seven cards, of the year, the average number of starters through 58 races is 6.41 horses per race. That is down from 6.89 just a year ago through the first two weeks, which in 2025 encompassed 66 races over eight race days. It’s also continuing a downward trend that began when average field size through the same time period in 2021 was 8.21 horses per race and has dropped each subsequent year.
The struggle to fill competitive, bettable cards is real. Sunday’s eight-race card drew 55 entries and after scratches ran with 50 horses.
On Thursday, there are only seven races carded with a total of 50 entries. Obviously, that’s before scratches. Friday’s card has 56 horses for eight races.
A seven-race card at NYRA is rare, but not unique. Just last Feb. 6 there was a seven-race program.
“Trying to still protect the weekends, which is important,” said NYRA racing secretary Rob MacLennan. “It’s just managing how wide we can spread the population out.”
MacLennan said the horse population is “slightly down” from a year ago.
Unsurprisingly, business is down through the first two weeks of the winter meet. Average daily handle through seven cards is $5,256,674 according to numbers reported in Equibase charts, a 9.2 percent decline from last year’s average of $5,789,842 through eight days.
The New York Racing Association had wanted to reduce winter racing this year to three days a week from January through March. The horsemen fought that reduction. A compromise was to schedule four-day race weeks through mid-February. Starting Feb. 20, as scheduled, racing will be reduced to three days a week through the end of March. Since Easter Sunday is April 5, the first week of the Aqueduct spring meet that begins April 2 will be a three-day week before the four-day race-week resumes on April 9. By then, the plan is have the two Aqueduct turf courses in use.
In theory, short fields are good for horsemen. The fewer horses to beat, the better chance one has to win or get a bigger piece of the purse.
Linda Rice, the leading trainer on this circuit, said she didn’t like seeing a seven-race card.
“I obviously want New York racing to thrive. I was a little surprised when I saw it, hope it’s just temporary,” Rice said. “There’s going to be a lot of ebbs and flows here. We’re not too far away from the new Belmont.”
This is the last winter of racing at Aqueduct. Next year, winter racing will take place at Belmont Park over a new Tapeta track. Whether that will attract out-of-state horsemen to bring horses to New York and/or prompt regular New York-based trainers to keep more horses here rather than ship to South Florida remains to be seen.
Rice, who has a meet-leading eight wins through Sunday, has two of the six horses entered in Thursday’s featured first-level allowance/optional $50,000 claiming feature at seven furlongs.
Atarah, whom Rice claimed for $50,000 at Churchill Downs in September, won a starter allowance going one mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 21. Sailaway and Helen’s Revenge, the second- and third-place finishers from that race, both came back to win their next starts.
“To me, she looks pretty versatile between six [furlongs] and a mile,” Rice said. “Seven-eighths might be her best distance.”
Rice also starts Despo’s Dream, who she has not had much luck with since claiming her for $40,000 in Saratoga. After finishing third in her first start for Rice, Despo’s Dream stumbled and lost the rider in a Nov. 12 allowance. Most recently, she finished fifth in an allowance here on Dec. 6.
“She’s not had the smoothest go of it,” Rice said. “I’m hoping the seven-eighths gives her more time to get there too, she doesn’t seem to want to be rushed. Irad [Ortiz Jr.] seemed to think she needed a little more ground.”
Trainer Rick Dutrow sends out the pair of Romantic Dancer and Proud Foot. Romantic Dancer finished a well-beaten second behind Lucille Ball, who freaked in a Jan. 2 race that was her second-career performance.
Proud Foot finished second in a $20,000 claimer, 1 1/4 lengths behind Looks First, who came back to win for that same $20,000 tag on Jan. 3.
First post for Thursday’s seven-race card is 1:10 p.m.
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