Horse Population

Below is a grading from A through F for consistent horse population at a given track.  Tracks rated A will have few shippers, however most likely have few big stakes races or generous purses and therefore generous pools to bet into.  Again, this isn't ranking the best tracks, but one's with the most consistent horse populations.  One factor is a robust statebred program.  Tracks like Saratoga and Oaklawn may have horses ship in from all jurisdictions for overnight races and stakes, but typically lesser horses that are eligible for statebred programs will stay where the money is.  Tracks rated F will have horses shipped in from everywhere, think the Breeder's Cup as the best corollary.



NEW YORK
Aqueduct - I'm probably in the minority of readers in that I miss the inner dirt meet during the winter.  Many of the big horses ship down to Florida for the winter, but I cut my teeth on these races.  Aqueduct is most stable of the three NYRA tracks in terms of horse population and has the fewest major stakes. Grade: B

Belmont - Hosting the Belmont Stakes and the Fall Championship meet attract many of the top horses in training, so while they may be shipping in from far flung jurisdictions, most of these horses have squared off before.  Grade: B-

Finger Lakes - ...AND THERE THEY GOOOO... accompanies the start of every race, thanks to track announcer Tony Calo.  Horses ship in from NYRA, Presque Isle, Fort Erie, Tampa and I'm sure a few other places.  But once they get here, they stay.  Grade: C

Saratoga - The crown jewel in the NYRA crown and my favorite track boasts a small city to support the massive horse population stabled here, shipped in from all over the country and an enormous stakes barn.  Add to that a tremendous amount of unpredictable two-year-olds and the Spa could get an F for horse population.  But a robust state-bred program, a three-year-old series and coveted handicap races give it back a few points.  Grade: D



NEW JERSEY and MASSACHUSETTS
Meadowlands TB
Monmouth - I'll count these two as one since the Meadowlands meet is called Monmouth @ the Meadowlands and essentially just 6 more turf races a day.  A boutique meet within a boutique meet!  These horses ship up from Florida and Maryland, down from NY and East from Pennsylvania, add a weak state-bred program.  On the plus side are a few grade one stakes in the Haskell Invitational for three-year-olds and the United Nations on the turf and the fact the meet is long enough for horses to knock heads atleast twice.  Grade: D

Suffolk - Here's another example of a track getting a great score from HANA but it's a boutique meet with a goofy turf course, inconsistent timing, etc.  And last year the camera work was atrocious.  A few big names ship up their B or C stringers though like Bill Mott and Christophe Clement. Grade: F



MARYLAND/DELAWARE
Delaware - A nice boutique-ish meet finds a deep main track and lush turf and Arabian races.  The horse population can be small as nearby Parx and Laurel run simultaneously, but that's good for our purposes.  Grade: B

Laurel
Pimlico - Essentially the same circuit, unfortunately for Laurel, Pimlico is like his cooler older brother at a party who shows up for a hot minute, gets all the attention and peels out.  I'm unaware of any state-bred program and horses ship in from all over, even though they hold the Preakness, I'm not sure this is enough to boost their score.  Grade: C-



PENNSYLVANIA
Parx - The former Philadelphia Park is an odd bird for us.  One of the best state-bred programs in the country, if not the best, encourage PA breds to stay at home; yet if they go out seeking fortune and fame they can still return with a nice late-summer racing festival.  Twelve months of racing ensure the same characters will butt heads plenty.  But horses do ship in from all the surrounding circuits at all levels.  Grade: B+

Penn National - Much like other low level tracks, the horse population stays so stable that you'll see the same horses for years.  Add on to that a very robust state-bred program and there's literally no reason for horses to leave, yet no reason for horses to ship in to open company.  Add into this a few nice graded stakes races in the summer and a 12 month racing schedule you've got one of the top tracks for our purposes here today.  Even though I hate Pennsylvania racing in general.  Grade: A

Presque Isle - A summer boutique meet when horse populations are already spread thin.  This track pulls from all over.  However, I have noticed the same horses ship in year after year, so that's worth a point.  Grade: D+



FLORIDA
Gulfstream
Gulfstream Park West - GPW is the old Calder Racetrack, but now the two are essentially the same circuit.  Florida doesn't really need a state-bred program as the #2 producer of foals nationally, but there are a few races carded.  The winter is dedicated to the boutique-y Championship Meet and dominated by the Pegasus World Cup and three-year-old Derby trail.  Due to the length of the meet, you may see the same runners a few times, so I'll give it a point for that.  Grade: D

Tampa Bay - the other track in Florida, but this one has a more stable horse population.  Horses of a certain class tend to square off all the time.  And that's the goal of this project.  Grade: C



KENTUCKY AND ADJACENT
Churchill Downs -Somehow the home of the Derby has turned into two boutique meets in the land of the boutiques, Kentucky.  No state-bred program or three-year-old path to the derby give earn them Grade: F

Ellis Park - Kentucky's summer boutique is the place to send your two-year-olds.  Grade: F

Keeneland - the first starts of the two-year-old season and horses shipping in from everywhere.  Grade: F

Kentucky Downs - Impossible to handicap horse population.  Grade: Z

Turfway - Why is this longest running meet in Kentucky?  These horses knock heads for four months.  There is a two race three-year-old derby trail and only one surface, even if it's frozen sometimes.  Grade: B-

Indiana Grand Racecourse - I'll throw this one in with Kentucky because it's lonely.  That and you'll see horses come out of Keeneland to run here.  A state-bred program is in the beginning stages of development.  Grade: C


OHIO
Belterra - I have literally never handicapped this track Grade: INC

Mahoning Valley - Nice big fields at a lower level are the main attraction.  Horses ship in from all over and for some reason Godolphin has starters here.  Add in a state bred program and you've got nice horses, but it doesn't really fit for our purposes.  Grade: C

Thistledown - Belterra all over again for me.  Grade: INC



ILLINOIS
Fairmount - the dirt track in Illinois sees a lot of horses fall into their jurisdiction from all over.  A flailing state-bred program can't help.  Grade: C

Hawthorne - The Woodbine of the Midwest (I just made that up but feel free to spread it around like warm butter) has a synthetic track and funky turf course that sees all kinds of international runners ship in for their Millions.  Grade C-



NORTH MIDWEST
Canterbury Park - Is kind of an anomaly on this list.  It's not really near any other tracks and the one track that you will see a lot of horses ship in from is in Arizona.  Add a nice state-bred program and you'll see these same horses knock heads plenty.  Grade: A

Prairie Meadows - Again, kind of an isolated track, but has a burgeoning state-bred program.  Horses ship from all over, thanks to owner Maggi Moss, although she's kind of curtailed her efforts in the past few years.  Grade: C+

Hazel - Michigan's only track as far as I know.  And that's all I know.  Grade: Inc.



LOUISIANA
Delta Downs
Evangeline Downs
Fair Grounds
Louisiana Downs - It feels like these four tracks run all the time and concurrently with horses shipping from track to track, but since this is a lower level circuit with a state-bred program, I'd wager the same foes battle each other consistently.  Since only two of the tracks have a turf course and they are constantly rained off, the horses that do face each other I'm sure ONLY face each other.  In addition, Fair Grounds has a decent three-year-old series.  Grade: B+



TEXAS
Lone Star - Remind me how this track got to host the Breeder's Cup again?  If only these Texas tracks didn't get shippers in from all over the south  Grade: B-

Retama - Low level track with state-breds?  Seems like that will always earn you at least Grade: B-

Sam Houston - My favorite track in Texas sees horses ship in from all over.  Grade: C



OKLAHOMA and ARKANSAS
Fair Meadows Tulsa
Will Rogers - These two form a little fair-type circuit with horses falling down to their level from all over the south and midwest.  Grade: C

Remington Park - Huge fields and shippers from all over the midwest and south make for a complicated horse population.  State-breds and grass give it a few points, however.  Grade: C+

Oaklawn Park - Horses ship in from all over for full fields all winter long.  But a great three-year-old campaign and mind-boggling state-bred program see some horses only square off here. 
Grade: B-



CANADA
Assiniboia
Hastings - Somewhat isolated tracks in Winnipeg and Vancouver, Canada.  Once I saw a horse from Hastings in the Breeder's Cup Marathon, but I can't imagine many horses shipping back across the border for their limited stakes programs.  I think Doug O'Neill likes shipping up to Hastings for a graded stake though for some reason.  Prove me wrong.  Grade: A

Fort Erie - home to the middle jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, seems to have a dedicated horse population with horses shipping out to various US tracks, but you don't see much coming the other way.  The better one's try out the synthetic up at Woodbine  Grade: A

Woodbine - The home of horse racing in Canada, it boasts a few races that attract international competitors to ship across the pond and across the St Lawrence.  While a few trainers take their string down to Florida for the winter, a solid Canada-bred program allows many of the horses to stay at the farm for the winter.  Grade: B



SOCAL AND ADJACENT
Del Mar
Los Alamitos TB
Santa Anita - These three tracks are circuit with plenty of relocating between the three, which keeps a healthy horse population and a few track specialists.  Plenty of shipping in from other countries and jursdictions, including numerous graded and listed stakes, ensures fresh blood as well.  But we don't want that.  XD  On the plus side, there is plenty of state-bred racing and a three-year-old path to the derby (maybe not this year).  Add to that most of the overnight horses beat each other up on the regular throughout the Santa Anita season.  Grade: Del Mar: D
                                               Los Alamitos TB: B-
                                               Santa Anita: C+

Golden Gate - Northern California's main track sees mostly SoCal cast offs, which can make this tricky to handicap upon their arriving.  But for the most part it sees a pretty stable population.  Grade: B

Turf Paradise - like it's counterpart, Canterbury Park, it's not really near much but you do see SoCal cast offs and New Mexico horses ship in, add to that the Canterbury horses wintering and you get an odd mix.  Speaking of odd, those maiden optional claimers... Grade: C



NORTHWEST
Emerald Downs
Portland Meadows - I have to be completely honest, outside of mindlessly watching a bunch of PM cards while working at an OTB and catching a few races of ED on TVG, I have never really handicapped these tracks.  But they're so isolated and with a diminished purse structure, I have to imagine no horses really ship into these tracks.  So this grade is essentially based on a hunch I have.  Grade: A



WEST VIRGINIA
Charles Town
Mountaineer - once we get to these two, it's safe to say we've reached the end.  Bolstered by a state-bred program and constant racing these tracks might have the most stable horse populations in the US.  I've rarely if ever seen a horse shipped out of here, save the recent ascension of Late Night Pow-wow.  Add the Charles Town Classic and West Virginia Breeders cards and you're really talking about a top notch circuit for our purposes.  Again, I'm not ranking the quality of the horse populations, but the stability and handicapp-ability.  Grade: A



NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Ruidoso
Sunland
Sun Ray
Zia - These five New Mexico tracks have a circuit and while I'll see a few horses ship OUT of there, I don't often see many horses ship IN, with the exception of the Sunland Derby.  Therefore, I will award a grade of A to them.

Arapahoe - Colorado's only track as far as I know.  And that's all I know.  Grade: Inc.