Minimum purse of a race

Question
In your opinion what should the minimum purse of a horse race be for the good of all people and animals involved in the horse race?

Answer
I have wondered myself who can afford to run for $2,500 dollars at some American race tracks. I realize there are some owners who are in it for the wins, but the trainers can't even afford to own and run a horse for that kind of purse. The question is hard to answer since the cost to train a horse varies from region to region. If a horse can win a few thousand, a few times a month, that would certainly be enough to pay for itself. Most horses that run that cheap are not good enough to win that often. I would say that as long as the trainer is getting paid to train the horse properly, then it really doesn't matter what the purse is as long as the owner is paying the bills. I personally would not run for less than $6,000 unless I knew the horse had a shot to win and he was about to retire or be claimed. I just simply couldn't afford to keep a horse that wasn't profitable. Charles Town Race Track has a rule that if you don't hit the board in a certain amount of starts, while running at the bottom, then you are not eligible to run again. They also will not let you run 6 year old maidens. Other tracks may have this policy and the ones who don't should adopt the same rules. Most tracks can refuse an entry if the horse is a poor performer, but that is at the digression of the racing secretary and usually is not enforced. Please send me your thoughts on this subject. Thank you for the question and I hope to hear back from you.

Christopher Crocker

Crocker Racing Stable Inc.

http://CrockerRacingStable.com