Small Change, Nice Bonus

One of the things I heartily support is the idea of uniformity and more information. A recent press release indicates that NYRA is making a positive step for 2009.

From the DRF:

New entry schedule beginning in 2009

The New Year will bring a new entry schedule to the New York Racing Association.

Beginning in January, NYRA will take double entries on Wednesdays for racing on Fridays and Saturdays. Entries for Sundays will be taken on Thursdays. Entries for Wednesdays will continue to be taken on Saturdays and entries for Thursdays will continue to be taken on Sundays.

There will be no entries taken on Fridays with the exception of when racing is being conducted on Mondays such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 19) and Presidents Day (Feb. 16).

P.J. Campo, NYRA's racing secretary, said earlier entries should enable corrected late information such as equipment or medication changes to make it into Daily Racing Form as well as get the past performances out to horseplayers sooner.

I don't know about you but it has always bugged and baffled me that some tracks can have the weekend entries up on Wednesday while others make you wait until Friday at noon. NYRA was pretty bad for not getting the entries out with morning lines until the day before the race. This change means that horseplayers will get the information quicker and the Form itself will be more accurate. Other tracks already do this and have done for years, it's nice to see NYRA on board.