20th vs 21st century drivers!

[wizardofoz]

It seems the current crop of drivers have an issue with trying for better placements on long shots vs. those from the 20th century! Looking over charts and having them drive my horses, there is a definite lack of effort by the drivers when they are not on the favorites or low odds horses, to the point they just take rides around the track not caring about the owners supporting the tracks and paying the bills! In races, especially stakes races, why not try for a 3rd, 4th or 5th place finish instead of sitting in the back like a statue in the sulky? Walter Case jr. tried with favorites AND long shots and so did Ron Pierce. This crop could not care less!

[toothman]

I mostly agree-
Back in the "good old days" , more trainer-drivers raced thir small string of horses in overnight events- the racing was less predictable  more exciting...the trainers got older and relinquished the reins to the younger, more talented catch drivers.
The driving colony at any racetrack had a discrete nucleus of drivers that understood the benefits of racing in a more predictable manner--certainly appreciated by the gamblers...
Its just not the same...

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

I mostly agree-
Back in the "good old days" , more trainer-drivers raced thir small string of horses in overnight events- the racing was less predictable  more exciting...the trainers got older and relinquished the reins to the younger, more talented catch drivers.
The driving colony at any racetrack had a discrete nucleus of drivers that understood the benefits of racing in a more predictable manner--certainly appreciated by the gamblers...
Its just not the same...

You can trace the decline of Harness Racing to when catch drivers began controlling the sport. Harness Racing became too much like T-Breds when catch drivers took over. People identified with trainers that drove their own horses, as they could root for a specific driver/trainer and could count on that horse being driven by the same driver. Today's racing has drivers picking on and off horses on a weekly basis. Too much confusion and too much uncertainty.