I was re-watching the movie Secretariat and have a question about how they did the numbers a post positions in 1973. In the Derby, he was entry # 1A but broke from an outside post position. I was under the impression that the post position you draw dictates your number. Also why 1A and not just 1?
He was part of what is called a “coupled entry” which is used when dealing with common ownership. It’s no longer seen in stakes races but in lesser events if an owner runs two horses in a race, they are “coupled” as one betting interest. The intent is to protect the betting public. When an entry is involved they are automatically the 1 and 1a. Subsequent such entries are 2 and 2b and 3 and 3c. When post positions are drawn, saddle/betting numbers won’t sync with post positions.
Yes, it was felt the betting public needed protection from an owner sending out a stablemate rabbit or instructing the jock to not pass the stablemate with no intention of racing fairly so they were combined as one entry for betting purposes, two, or sometimes 3 , for one if you will. Bargain for bettors. Back then, there were few cameras and stewards watched the race with binoculars.
Nowadays we have cameras from every angles at the better tracks and can review almost every step of the race so it’s much more obvious.
If you want to do some interesting research, read up on our Pari Mutual betting system. It was put in place to level the playing field, eliminate corruption and give bettors as honest a picture as possible and dramatically changed the industry, as a side effect the horses have more protection as well as the bettors.
Actually, for coupling, is it just ownership in common or does it also include trainer in common as well? In the 1973 Derby, I believe Secretariat was coupled with Angle Light. Both horses were trained by Lucien Laurin but had different owners (IIRC).
i still watch that year’s Triple Crown races in awe, especially the Belmont.
I seem to recall it sometimes being done by trainer as well.
Here’s the 2000 Kentucky Derby which had a big coupled entry. You have 1-1a-1c-1x all horses belonging to Bob & Beverly Lewis or Dogwood Stable, of which they were also members. https://youtu.be/pJ9NqnkHbyE?t=1889 The 2 and 2b also an entry. And this was the last year when they had the mutuel field in the derby, those horses having an F with their number.
Your question as far as to the coupling has been answered. as to
“I was under the impression that the post position you draw dictates your number”
No, all the horses are numbered after the “final entry”. For the Derby and most Stake races. Horses have to be nominated by X date with a nomination fee. For the Derby, Triple Crown races this is months before. Of all the 3 year olds only about 600± are thought well enough of to be nominated. The fee is around $600. A couple of months later there is another date set pay a second “nomination”. At this point owners/trainers have a real good idea if their horse is going to be good enough and have enough “entry points” to get in the race. At this time the list is cut down quite a bit.
X days before the race trainers enter to run and pay a entry fee of $25,000. Only 20 horses can run in the Derby but there can be and usually are more then 20 entered. The top 20 based on the points they have collected winning eligible stakes will be able to get in the gate. The connections will look over the entries and decide if they think their horse is still good enough to run. Or if their horse is on the A/E (also eligible) because it has less points then the 20 in front of it, what are the chances that one of the 20 will not run and they will get in.
A couple of days before the race and they still want to run, be eligible to run they pay a Starting Fee of $25,000. So it cost the connections $50,000 to get in the gate. At this point all of the horses are given a number by the racing secretary. This is for the program and betting. The day after final entry, the post position draw is made. There are 20 “pills” basically dice with a number on each. At this time the connections “shake” for post position. The racing secretary “shakes” one pill/number out of the cup. The owners of that number/horse get to choose which post position they want.
After the draw and all post positions have been made. The horses are NOT renumbered to reflect their position in the starting gate.
Churchill Downs makes a killing on the Derby. The purse is only $2,000,000 with “added” money $2,192,000. They get $1,000,000 of that alone from the 20 entry fees. They are paid millions by a company to “sponsor” have their name attached to the race day. So the prize money for most if not all of the other races run that day comes from sponsorship money also.
When Secretariat won the purse was only $125,000. Even when adjusted for inflation, that was only $750,000.
Speaking of 1A found this buried in my desk drawer. I assume the artist used 1A on the jockey because Secretariat won the 99th running and the Triple Crown the year before.
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“… Actually, for coupling, is it just ownership in common or does it also include trainer in common as well?”
Yes. At least it used to be that way.
If a trainer is running 2 horses in same race different owners, horses are given seperate numbers. If an owner is running 2 horses in same race with different trainers, horses are raced as an entry and are given the 1-1a – except in stake (sweepstake) races where they are given seperate numbers.
However, rules can vary from state to state. The above is NYRA rules.
Post position does correspond with saddle cloth numbers. However, actual post positions will change if there are scratches in the race – horses will either move down from the outside to fill the empty gate hole, or they can move up from the inside. A lot depends on length of race = where the gate is located. If the gate is in the chute nearer the front, often the 1 hole will be left empty on purpose for safety. But if the field is full, the 1 hole will be used. Lots of variables.
“However, rules can vary from state to state”
Not only “can” they do. I have raced in different states and there is a multitude of different rules and regs. It’s forking ridiculous.
“Post position does correspond with saddle cloth numbers”
True for the majority of races. But not for the Ky Derby which is what the OP was asking about. Which is what I replied to and explained.
I wasn’t challenging anyone’s answer to OP – just adding a bit more general info.