Thoroughbred
Horse Race Tracks...
Where They Run in the USA
When
searching for winners, examine the race track
type. Thoroughbred horse race tracks are in
4 different groups, with each needing a different
approach to handicap races.
These
groups are much like leagues.
They
are:
1. The Major League Tracks
such as Belmont, Santa Anita.
2.
The AAA League Tracks
such as Calder, Arlington.
3. The AA League Tracks
such as Philadelphia Park,
Suffolk Downs, Delaware.
4. The Bush League Tracks
such as Fairmont, Finger Lakes.
Some handicapping factors apply to all
horse racing, but most only in varying degrees, and some do not
apply at all in some racing venues.
The major handicapping factors are:
BREEDING - CLASS - SPEED
PACE - CONDITIONING
In the Major League, MONEY is the name of the game.
When big time owners invest millions of dollars in untested
yearlings, and create empires of breeding horseflesh, with and
without royalty, you can be sure there will be a ready showcase
for these splendid steeds to show their speed.
These Major League thoroughbred horse race tracks
showcases feature big dollar purses that create the competition of
human egos and horseflesh heart.
The Major League consists of two major racing
circuits. On the East coast we have beautiful Belmont Park, one of
the most bountiful summertime racing havens. It is located close
to New York City assuring large crowds every racing day.
Not quite as beautiful, but none the less very
functional, for summertime and winter racing is the Big-A, or to
be proper, Aqueduct Race Track.
Both of these tracks have very large facilities
for the temperamental breed, the thoroughbred. All year the racing
shifts back and forth between these two outstanding tracks.
Then during the heat of August, stakes are pulled up
and everyone heads for upstate New York and the tradition of
racing at the Saratoga Springs antique race track.
Out on the West coast the same thing exists. There is
beautiful Santa Anita racetrack, functional Hollywood Park: and
the antique Delmar that opens it’s racing card from early August
to early September.
This allows the horsemen to spend their
evenings on the beaches of the great Pacific.
These two racing circuits offer many millions of
dollars in race purses during the racing year. As mentioned, the
Major League is Big Money, and the Major League is where the big
name and highly talented horses perform.
They may also run at a few other ovals, but
they all gravitate to or back to these two year round Major League
thoroughbred horse race tracks.
During the bitter winter months on the East
coast, the creme dela creme will go South to bathe in the Florida
sunshine and on occasion even play around in the AAA League
racing, just for kicks, training and to skim off the top purses at
the almost big time ovals.
It seems that the AAA League ovals do not have the
very large population pockets to draw support from, or they might
graduate to the Big League.
The horse population in the AAA is made up of those
that didn't make the grade in the Majors and needed softer
competition in order to win purses.
And as mentioned they do have some tasty purses,
usually won by the big boys or girls stopping in for a race.
The other leagues are made up of rejects from the
horse hierarchy and a breed of the thoroughbred that is bred into
mediocrity. These horses race for purses as low as a few thousand
dollars. Paying the feed bill becomes a trainers goal.
In the Major League a horses CLASS seems to dominate.
The lower in the leagues they go, PHYSICAL CONDITION seems to be
the key. If you can find a horse in the Minor thoroughbred horse
race tracks with four well conditioned legs, it is probably a
likely winner, but not necessarily a good wagering proposition.
Visit
our page linking most
thoroughbred horse race tracks |
