Obviously it can promote interest internationally which can increase publicity, awareness and handle.. Like the Breeders' Cup Double Santa Anita caper designed to get more Euros to nominate foals, it has potential to morph into Euro outfits targeting the rich Triple Crown trail, (easily negotiated now via synthetic surfaces for your turfy type), and pay the $600 nom fee for their sophs.

It's a crazy idea which provides an interesting wrinkle..

All of that may be true, but I wonder how Europeans will take to America's parimutuel wagering. Aren't they more inclined to wager with bookies when given the option? I don't know the answer to that.

Pari-mutuel wagering isn't a huge deal over there.

Most of the money goes through the books.

i don't see it as necessarily being a bad thing. look at the 20th horse entered the last however many years-how many of them ended up making any kind of a splash? if this works in churchills favor and generates more interest-and maybe better horses from overseas- i see nothing wrong with it.

James Wiloughby gives a fantastic write up of this race in the racingpost for those to see.

http://www.racingpost.com/blog/horse...llenge/170901/

an interesting quote from it:

"The race carries prize-money of £80,000 ($112,000) plus a guaranteed berth in the field at Churchill Downs and a further $100,000 bonus to cover expenses if a runner makes the trip.
This is a lavish prize and deserves a better field than that assembled. Without pre-judging the lightly raced contenders, this innovation may prove dubious if it cannot attract horses with smart form and sufficient experience to give a good account in Kentucky."

"Rightly or wrongly, opponents of giving the winner of this conditions race a guaranteed berth in the Derby at the expense of a US runner with Graded stakes form may have a field day if certain runners are successful."

On Betfair now, the apparent 2nd Maktoum horse Haashed is 3.4-1 with Mafaaz 3.8-1 and Close Alliance 5-1.

Great link Kev.. Thx!

Not that I feel much sympathy for horses that get shut out when they know they need earnings to get in but just last year #20 wound up running third.

Wasn't Don't Get Mad around 20th a couple years back and he ran at least decently well.

I think only 20 wanted to enter that year which is how Spanish Chestnut and Going Wild got in.

Don't Get Mad was notable in that he ran in the Derby Trial the week before.

and had he not gotten in, someone else would have finished third. i just don't think the race will feel the lack if the horse on the bubble ends up out and a horse from england runs in his place-and that's not even a given. just because a horse earns his way in, doesn't mean his connections will relish the thought of shipping and running on dirt. but who knows?

I just don't see how winning an allowance race on synthetics in England is really earning your way in.

but because it's a win and you're in, he's in. if a horse wins the delta jackpot, he's earned his way in-but doesn't mean that horse is any more deserving than the winner of the england race. but, those are the rules.

you mean dirt?

the racetrack there is a synthetic surface. and what does jibboom have to do with it?

Jibboom ran once on dirt in her life and ran a one-paced sixth.
Bloodhorse writes her up as a Graded Stakes winner on dirt.
It's also fun to say or type her name.

oh, i see. they're saying a win on synthetic is a 'dirt' win. they need to re-write it as a main track win, it most certainly is NOT a dirt win.

Mafaaz earns his ticket - disappointed for connections of Spring of Fame who flew home from another village and just got beaten. The winner arguably had the best form on offer coming 5th behind the BC Juvi Turf winner and a Racing Post winner.
EDIT - just hearing that the winner may go over early and run in a trial such as the one at Keeneland but very early to say anything concrete now.

Gosden states he'll run Mafaaz in the Bluegrass, and a good run there would land him in the Derby. Gosden added in that event, he would choose to attend the Derby no matter who he had going in the 2000 Guineas the same day.

Good to know. I think he has a good shot in the Blue Grass. Looks like I was wrong about this year's BG. If one or two more decent turf horses enter, it could be a tough field.

Does anyone have a "chart" for the KD Challenge ? Do they even time races over there? Does it even matter? I'm looking at around 1:54 maybe closer to 1:53.6 from the gate no run-up.

Here is the replay, no chart is available

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/videos/3471