Indian Blessing, Vineyard Haven, Fabulous Strike...

It isn't just the horses not going, it is also the number that will be compromised by running on synthetics instead of on real dirt.

The problem is the Breeders Cup are supposed to be the championships of the sport. To conduct the championship races on the dirt on a surface that isn't dirt is completely preposterous.

Hot Dixie Chick.. I'm sure we could find 10 more.

2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships (All Eastern)
Friday, November 6 Race No. Post Bet Types
Santa Anita Race 1 2:15 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3, Pick 4
Santa Anita Race 2 2:50 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3
Marathon 3 3:35 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3, Pick 6, JB
Juv. Fillies Turf 4 4:10 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3
Juv. Fillies 5 4:45 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3, Pick 4
FM Turf 6 5:25 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3, Pick 4
FM Sprint 7 6:00 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3
Distaff 8 6:45 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, SP DD, PEN
Las Palmas H. 9 7:25 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER

Saturday, November 7 Race No. Post Bet Types
Damascus 1 1:05 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3
Juv. Turf 2 1:45 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3, Pick 4
Turf Sprint 3 2:25 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3
Sprint 4 3:10 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3, Pick 6
Juvenile 5 3:50 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3
Turf Mile 6 4:30 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3, Pick 4
Mile 7 5:10 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3, Pick 4
Turf 8 5:58 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, DD, Pick 3
Classic 9 3:45 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER, PEN, DD
Oak Tree Derby 10 4:25 p.m. WPS, EX, TRI, SUPER

WPS = Win, Place, Show
EX = Exacta
TRI = Triple
SUPER = Superfecta
DD = Daily Double (No DD on Races 8-9 Fri.)
SP DD = Special Daily Double
SUPER HI 5 – Super High 5
PICK # = Pick Wagers
JB = Jockey Bet (Win Only)*

CHRB Rules apply for wagering with field sizes
*Bet may not be offered at all simulcast sites

Indian Blessing is done

VH ran last week, they have Gayego in the same race

Fab Strike, well yea he is nice.

I dont know if I buy compromised.

So what is going to happen to the synthetic horses next year when it is at Churchill? Then they have something to complain about.

They have multiple horses in every race, if they thought Vineyard Haven could run on the junk he'd be there in the Sprint or the "Dirt" Mile.

As to Indian Blessing:

“The last two works here have just been very average for her. She’s a great work horse, and my rider said she is just totally different on synthetics,” Baffert said. "She’s not the same filly and she travels totally different on it. She’s always fought it. Coming into Breeders’ Cup, she’s running against great competition, and I just don’t feel comfortable running her against synthetic specialists.”

Synthetic horses have a greater advantage running on Turf than Dirt horses have running on Synthetics... so there ya go, they can just run on turf!

No they won't; they'll just run on the turf instead.

Wouldnt Icon Project have been on the sitting on the dirt sideline list had she stayed healthy?

Hey, how about haven't annual awards for every surface (JK). Is this what the game has come to? The more confusion among the public the faster they will leave and go onto something else. The industry has to be more uniform otherwise it will continue to lose customers.

Male Sprinter Dirt Champ:
Male Sprinter Synthetic Champ:
Male Sprinter Grass Champ:

Horse of the Year on Dirt:
Horse of the Year on Synthetic:
Horse of the Year on Grass:

Two-Year-Old Male on Dirt:
Two-Year-Old Male: on Synthetic:
Two-Year-Old Male on Grass:


And so on.......

I'm sure her owner would have put her in the BC if she had stayed healthy. Didn't they skip the NY race to run at Keeneland on the poly?

thats true..

I'll tell ya what. I will be extremely impressed if Summer Bird or Quality road or any other dirt horse beats the Euro's/Gio/Zenyatta (if she runs).

There are probably some horses that are faster on pavement so we better clear a spot in the parking lot for them to race on. We'll need to add swimming as well.

that would be entertaining for sure! in fact I wish the synthetic craze would have been a pool craze instead!

not to shock anyone but IB has been average all year long, what am I missing with her this season?

Indian Blessing is nowhere near as good as she was last year but she would absolutely be among the favorites in this race if it were on dirt. In three starts on dirt this year she ran second to the boys in Dubai, ran second to Music Note at Saratoga and then beat Sara Louise at Belmont. That is hardly average.

So a horse like Informed Decision would go to the 'turf' instead of the dirt.

Cmon people....

She won a G1 at Churchill, why would she have any problem with that surface?

Maybe not Informed Decision, but Gio Ponti would most assuredly not be running on the dirt.