Casino will be overbet, but nobody can say they would be shocked if he won the race. He is very talented and there is a shortage of talent in the older horse and 3yr old division. If Curlin doesn't run, forget about it. Casino could easily win.

BC Filly & Mare Turf
 

Juddmonte pair Visit and Proviso on their way from Europe, they, the former especially could be very dangerous!

Bring on all those 'SUPERIOR' EURO's to try that hard course with the sharp turns.

they won all the turf races there last time..

You mean like the way they swept the first three places in the 2003 F & M Turf at SA?

If this were Europe or Australia, there would be no question; a female horse who has run out of competition among fillies and/or mares naturally takes on the males. Like Zarkava did in the Arc. And Pride, who was second a couple of years ago. And like Sunline did, and Makybe Diva, who became the first 3-time winner of the Melbourne Cup, did. We used to do it in the USA, too, and not that long ago. Easy Goer's dam Relaxing ran third to John Henry in the JC Gold Cup.

And not to mention I believe Jolypha finished 2nd in the Classic to AP Indy.

I don't have a strong opinion either way, yet. I'll see after the entries and see how the field looks. Sure, you can make a case for it. I wouldn't hold it against an owner if he did it for ego or for sportsmanship. I agree it's not about drawing more extra fans -- and if Curlin vs. Big Brown did, it would be short-lived at best. Of course as many know, that is not the solution.

I don't think any of it -- not one day -- will have an effect on the sport. It's the difference between a diet and a lifestyle change. "They" will get it one day. When they need so much else in order to survive.

I think Crist hit the nail -- dead center perfect -- right on the head.

Eric

Is Lady Marian coming? If so, she's got a huge shot

She was third behind him and Pleasant Tap. Now imagine that. She was a 3yo filly from France making her dirt debut and American debut at the same time and it came in the BC Classic. I don't remember what start number that was in her career but I know it wasn't more than her 8th. She beat some pretty good horses to finish third that day. That move took guts and was rewarded.

Some years ago in the NBA, the commissioner had to step in and reign in some of the practices of the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Ted Stepien. Even though it was his team, the league stepped in for what was the good of the game. Look at this past offseason in the NFL and the commissioner stepped in on a team matter regarding Brett Favre and the Packers. Again, it was for the good of the game. League commissioners are given certain latitudes to make moves and decisions when they are deemed to be in the overall good of the game, even if it means taking some of the power away from an owner or player. Now, I realize that horse racing is totally different and it's hard to tell someone what to do with a living and breathing animal. Also, we don't have a league commissioner. I wouldn't pretend to know where exactly that line is but I do feel like there is a fine line out there between exercising your own personal rights and doing what's in the best interests of the game. Say Bernardini's owners had wanted to really make sure there was no competition for him and had convinced his brother not to enter Invasor? Is that their right? Absolutely. Would it be in the best interests or for the good of the game? No. I think that once you have horses at that level, you do have some level of obligation to the sport and to the fans that support you.

King G,

Have you ever owned a horse?

I never have.

Wasn't following the event in 2003, so I have no idea what the fields were like, where the winners came from, or how the turf course was playing. If it continues as it is presently, late runs and wide trips won't work. But I appreciate the general comments.

wanna buy one?

Some really close friends own a few. Some of them are actually pretty good ones too. That's close enough for me. I would cause a trainer to have headaches. I know what I'm not cut out for.

Once the bills come rolling in, it makes it difficult to feel "some level of obligation to the sport and to the fans that support you". The bad horses cost just as much as the good ones.

The sport and the fans that support you don't care when your horse can't break his maiden and has an endless string of vet bills.

It's a noble thought and you'd like to think owners would feel that way, but it just doesn't happen.

Well, that's why I say that I don't know where that fine line would be. It would also surely have to be a different line for a guy that's been small time for years and comes up with a once in a lifetime horse as opposed to an operation like Darley or Coolmore. Let's face it. For many of the people that own these horses at this level, they aren't pinching pennies and the financial aspects of it aren't paramount in the decisions they make.

The problem is, the bigger the outfit, the less they care about the good of the "game".

That's true and that's the problem. That's where I think Christ is wrong. Well, not wrong but not helping. Instead of saying how we are wrong to have certain expectations and desires, I think he could help more by trying to push people into doing what's best for the game overall instead of telling us to back off.