Derby List Last 200 Messages

[Terry Bjork via Derby]

Civres asks:

> > Can anyone explain 1) why coupling is done to begin with?  2) is it gradually disappearing?

It was originally done for just the reason you thought, to prevent actual (and/or appearance of) shenanigans affecting the outco0me of a race involving jocks and horses trained by (originally) or owned by common interests. It used to be even just two+ horses trained by the same guy, never mind common ownership.

The reason it is gradually disappearing is mainly cratering # of betting interests - fewer entries in stakes and races in general to begin with, and so many of the horses in higher class races owned and trained by just a few people.

Plus owners didn't like getting their number taken down if the entry mate committed a foul, and didn't like coupling rules that might have kept their horse out of a race if there were a lot of entries, and didn't like it if their horse won and would have been longer odds.

Plus the purses for stakes races are soooooo large that no one would ever cheat these days anyhow, just like fat slots purses have reduced the temptation to cheat in day to day racing. Just ask them.

In general horse racing is much cleaner than it used to be, too, also just ask them. Or ... it will be, once this new Racing Integrity law gets passed and the commission is up and running, and magically accomplishes everything all the past initiatives and alphabet soups have failed to do, and then a miracle occurs.
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