Some should post Paul Moran's espn article. I can't currently but it is very good.

It is a joke Belmont is not in a rotation with CD, SA, and GP. They are simply the best options.

like if were at the Spa ?

I didn't say in a blizzard.

hasn't been snow there yet during Breeders Cup in 10 years, actually been pleasant, but hossplayers aren't afraid of a little cold weather.

I feel like the elephant in the room is do these tracks really want the Breeders Cup? If they lose money on them why? I thought CD only wanted it because the City of Louisville provided them a government hand out for hosting it, that has run out in 2010, strangely they have hardly been aggressively negotiating the return, at least I get that from reading between the lines. NYRA is in a tough position to take on something that may be a loss leader just to say they have it.

This has been discussed a million times already, on top of weather, it was logistics and size of venue for the reasons why Saratoga has no shot in hosting it.

since monmouth, churchill, belmont and others continue to petition for it, one must assume they want it.

since it's not due to handle and attendance, as santa anita isn't the leader in either area, what is it? nbc covers the derby, so it's not like they can't get to louisville.
bcl isn't telling the whole story. someone is paying them the money to more than make up handle/attendance differential.
in the words of danny devito in johnny dangerously, someone is 'playing ball'. it's not the weather, the locale, etc....isn't it always about the money?? wonder what mr. gaines would say.

http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/stor...nta-anita-park


'Breeder's Cup leadership has gone to great lengths to sully what was once the focus of the racing season. First, the expansion of the event into a two-day hodge-podge of races, many of which lack consequence and standing, abandoned the central concept that these are races intended to determine championships in every case. Now, on Monday, comes the announcement that the event will be couched at Santa Anita in 2014, a third consecutive Southern California renewal of what was once intended by its founders to be a moveable feast. After the 2014 running, five of the last seven Breeders' Cups will have been run at Santa Anita.'



'Originally, the founders established seven races, a program now expanded to 14 -- several meaningless in terms of the establishment of champions -- spread over two days. The present-day Breeders' Cup resembles the original concept in no more than the most obtuse sense and this is not a development for the better. Nine races run on one afternoon would be sufficient. The others do nothing for the event except create betting handle on an otherwise slow Friday. Only a fractional sliver of the current event -- one hour -- commands broadcast-network exposure. In the grand scheme, the Breeders' Cup is contracting in terms of importance and prestige. Squatting in Southern California will only deepen the self-inflicted wounds.'

Monmouth will never get it again after the debacle last time.

Andy I would imagine they petition for it to save face with the horseman, look if NYRA really wanted this thing they would have had it by now, IMO.

I am and have always been against Monmouth getting it (and it's my home track). That being said, it's extremely unfair to blame them for the so-called debacle. They just had extremely bad luck with the weather and in my opinion with the cards that they were dealt, they did a pretty admirable job.

I see lots of posts about the weather in this thread, what happened at Monmouth is a component of the selection.

That had to be the worst BC ever, the track was totally ill prepared for that kind of weather.

Debacle? Weather is a debacle?

How do you prepare for a monsoon? That's basically what the conditions were on Friday. If it wasn't the Breeder's Cup that Friday card would have be canceled in a heartbeat cause the weather was so bad.

disagree completely about the debacle. i thought monmouth did a good job, and just had to deal with nature, which is something no one has control over. also had rainy weather at arlington, does that mean they won't ever get it again?

belmont has tried, repeatedly.

the issue isn't whether other tracks have tried (they have), the issue is that regardless of what the other tracks do, or the state (ky had a tax break if the racing was there at least once every 3 years), the issue is that santa anita has a seeming stranglehold for some reason. what's that reason? it's not lack of want from others, it's not handle, it's not attendance....
so, what is it?

The results seemed fine. What was so bad about the racing, other than some people got wet?

:tro:

Overcast and 55 degrees with a little give in the ground is just fine with the horses
It's their show

The BC at Monmouth was just about as formful as racing can be. Outside of a breakdown on the card, which happens everywhere, nothing on the track was bad or shocking or appeared to be altered much by the rain.

EXACTLY...one of the most formful BCs in recent history. There were zero winners you couldn't make a case for after looking back at the form. Churchill is always good for 2-3 WTFs.

Didn't have any issues with Monmouth either.

I could also see Del Mar as host if Joe Harper pulls the plug on poly. I think the track surface is why Arlington and Woodbine do not get the event.