Impact of Belmont Track Renovation on Horse Racing

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Transcript

00:00I want to go back to what I asked you about yesterday about the mile and a quarter.

00:09Now we're going to, you know, it changes everything.

00:12Like the, to me that the champions race is the Belmont to have to go a mile and a half.

00:18What is the reaction been from all the trainers and jockeys to going a mile and a quarter?

00:25Like I know that the Sierra Leone team is licking their chops because they feel like

00:30this horse is built for a mile and a quarter and it's, you know, we're all in the minute.

00:35They knew it was at Saratoga.

00:36Like, yeah, we're going there because we can win this thing.

00:39And then you're, you're winning a piece of one of the big three.

00:42What is the reaction to it?

00:44Yeah, I think the reaction has been very good and you can see that by the field that was

00:49drawn.

00:50We have the Derby winner.

00:51We have the fitness winner, Derby runner up, who's the favorite as you noted.

00:55And frankly, this is the only time horses would normally run a mile and a half.

01:00And I don't think trainers are really a fan of that.

01:02So they probably liked the mile and a quarter a little better because they know how to prepare

01:06their horses for this.

01:07The mile and a half is a bit of a wild card.

01:10What did you think when you heard that they were going to renovate the Belmont and the

01:16track and everything about it, spending almost a half a billion dollars on that renovation

01:22and that you heard they were doing it and how long it was going to take?

01:25What was your initial reaction and what was the reaction at like daily racing form of

01:30it?

01:31Well, I know personally, I was glad to see it because most racetracks are a bit outdated

01:37now they're too big for the crowds that are drawn.

01:39I mean, this isn't the fifties anymore.

01:42We're not getting 50,000 people at the racetrack on a Thursday or even a Saturday most times.

01:47So it'll be nice to have a good modern clubhouse and something that's more fitting because

01:53I've been to Belmont and it's just huge.

01:55I mean, you could get lost there and not find your way out for a whole race car and it was

02:00so big.

02:01So I think it's a good thing and it'll be a much better park when it comes back.

02:06As for this race, hey, nobody's ever going to complain about going to Saratoga.

02:10I'm sure my colleagues at DRF are happy to be there.

02:13I'm going to try to get there next year.

02:15I couldn't make it work this year, but I always love Saratoga and the racing's great.

02:20Even outside the Belmont Stakes all weekend, it's really good racing.

02:24So I'm looking forward to watching and hopefully next year being there.