Letters to the Editor May 29

Preakness card lacked incentive for pool-diving

Analyzing Preakness day handle, as reported in the May 25 article "Preakness day numbers show mixed results," is simple. When you have multi-race wagers before the Preakness that offer only moderate-size fields producing short-priced winners, you put off the betting public. People's opportunity for a big score is greatly diminished, and the money stays in their pockets, or is bet on the Preakness itself.

What I find mind-boggling is that the track, which depends so heavily on Preakness day, would schedule races with short-priced favorites before the Preakness. If management could not improvise when it saw the entries, then it once again added to the bettors' opinion that the racing industry lacks business sense and management talent.

Larry Rudolph - Aventura, Fla.

Ten-cent customers can get in the way

In reply to the May 15 letter to the Racing Form "No reason to shun dime bettors," it is not that Churchill Downs doesn't want the small player to win big. It is all about the time consumed to place those wagers.

How many bettors at the track have been behind those small players who do not even have the amount calculated properly to place said wager? I have on numerous occasions been in line at a SAM betting machine behind people trying to bet a 10-cent super for $3.60 when they have only a $2 voucher in the machine. Then they clear the bet and repeatedly try the same thing over and over. Then the race starts and I get shut out on my bet because they were at the machine for four to five minutes and never did get a wager in. As for getting those lottery-type players involved, they should learn how to calculate and then make their wagers.

Jim Anderson - Covina, Calif.

Motion, Clement pay off nicely

I would like to talk about two of the best trainers in the United States - one the nation is now finding out about, the other most serious handicappers already know about. I have been following both for a long time, and I have to say it's been pretty rewarding.

The first is this year's Kentucky Derby-winning trainer, Graham Motion. He continually puts live horses on the track, and, I might add, has never had a medication violation or been set down. The other is Christophe Clement. On turf there is no better trainer than these two.

Over the last few years, when I'm fortunate enough to notice these two are in the same race, I can't wait to involve myself in trifectas and superfecta wagers using them both.

(I almost hate to put this out there, as it's been my special winning pleasure for quite some time now. I know the return on investment has been pretty good.)

Team Valor International did itself a great service by putting its stable in Motion's hands, and it has paid off handsomely, with a Kentucky Derby victory and a strong second-place finish in the Preakness. Hats off to him.

John Linthicum - Pompano Beach, Fla.