A decline in the number of entries the last week or so – as well as a bevy of post-entry scratches – have led to a steady diet of short fields and have culminated with the New York Racing Association carding just seven races on Thursday at Aqueduct.
The four cards from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2 had 218 total horses entered. After 28 scratches over those cards, only 190 horses ran in 33 races.
Only 46 horses were carded for Thursday’s seven-race program. Andrew Offerman, NYRA’s senior vice president racing and operations, said a claiming race that had five was not used due to the fact that some additional runners would become eligible to run if that race was pushed back.
There was a glimmer of hope at the entry box when 79 horses were entered Sunday for Saturday’s nine-card, though both New York-bred stakes drew only five horses each.
Offerman said a couple of factors may have played a role in the recent decline of entries/starters, including the bitter cold weather in mid-to-late January that may have stymied horses’ ability to prepare the way their trainers would have liked.
“We had the training track open, but nobody was really working more or less three days in a row, that interrupted training patterns a little bit,” Offerman said. “The other factor that’s in play with the condition book is we’ve just been trying to emphasize Saturdays to the best of our ability based on a business prospective. In this particular case, Thursday probably lightened up more than it should have and Saturday got a little overemphasized the way the condition book was written. It clearly ended up in kind of two different extremes in 48 hours of another during entries this week.”
Offerman said the 18 days of racing conducted in January at Aqueduct – 19 were scheduled, one was canceled – were the most for that month since 2021. The average field size was 6.95 horses per race, according to Daily Racing Form statistics. In January 2024, there were 14 cards of racing run – 16 were scheduled, two were canceled – with an average field size of 7.19 horses per race.
In 2024, racing in February was conducted three days a week whereas this February racing will be four days a week. There will be a five-day week Feb. 13-17 followed by a three-day week Feb. 21-23.
“I think ultimately my concern really depends on what we see over the next week or so,” Offerman said. “I kind of categorize the prior four to five race days as a little bit of an aberration. I think we started the month decently from a business perspective. I try not to panic based on the results of three or four days but instead look at the trends over a little bit longer period of time.”
Offerman said the current horse population at Belmont Park is roughly 1,300 head, down about 100 or so from this time a year ago. However, Offerman said “unique starters” are at 850, which is the highest since 2021 and indicates a stronger than usual number of shippers.
Offerman said he would see how entries play out over the next few weeks before determining if he approaches the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association about any potential changes to the winter schedule.
Offerman said the quality of the winter product needs to be addressed in both the short and long term. Offerman said New York-bred 3-year-olds account for the most starters at Aqueduct’s winter meet and discussion on how to increase opportunities for them, especially at the stakes level, are underway. It has already been announced that purses for New York-bred 2-year-olds beginning in 2026 and all statebreds starting in 2027 – will be equal to open company.
It is expected there will be one more winter meet in 2026 at Aqueduct before the 2027 winter meet at the new Belmont Park is conducted over a synthetic surface. Offerman points to the success of the winter meet run at Turfway Park – over a synthetic surface where field size was 10.6 horses per race through Jan. 31 – as a model he hopes NYRA can emulate.
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“Obviously, look at what it’s done in Kentucky and Turfway – obviously there’s a money component as well – but the horses it has kept in training and what it’s done for Turfway’s winter product is something we hope to replicate from a competitive standpoint,” Offerman said.
◗ Thursday’s feature, race 5, a conditioned allowance going one mile, drew six and is headed by Yo Daddy, who overcame a wide trip to win a second-level allowance going a mile on Jan. 12. Two starts before that, he won a first-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles in the slop. A wet track is possible Thursday.
Yo Daddy goes out for trainer Linda Rice, who has a meet-leading 23 victories.
Tabeguache and Winit were first and second, a nose apart, in a similar spot as this last Nov. 24.
Kinetic Sky, who won the Stymie in the slop last March 2, is making his second start off a layoff for Rick Dutrow. Kinetic Sky finished third behind Ouster in this similar condition on Jan. 5.
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