Derby/Oaks install Also-Eligible system!
 

http://www.churchilldowns.com/news/a...beginning-2012

Churchill Downs will permit four also-eligible entrants to the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), America’s greatest race, and the $1 million guaranteed Kentucky Oaks (GI), the nation’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, beginning with the respective 138th runnings of those races in 2012.

For the first time in the history of those races, the new system allows as many as four horses to remain eligible to compete in each race beyond the official time of entry and one or more of the “also eligible” horses could be allowed to run in their respective race if members of the original fields for their races scratch from the race within a specified period of time. A maximum of 20 horses is allowed to compete in the Kentucky Derby, the 1 ¼-mile race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds conducted each year on the first Saturday in May, while the Kentucky Oaks, the Derby’s 1 1/8-mile counterpart for fillies run on the eve of the Derby, is limited to 14 starters.

Entries for the Kentucky Derby are due the Wednesday before the race, while Oaks entries are taken on the Tuesday before its annual Friday renewal. Also-eligible horses would be permitted to compete in the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks if there are scratches from either race prior to their shared official “scratch time” of 9 a.m. (Eastern) on Friday, Kentucky Oaks Day. That time is the opening of wagering on the Kentucky Oaks Day racing program and the beginning of preliminary betting on the Kentucky Derby.

Was there some kind of coup at CDI that went unreported?

Maybe it was the Ghost of Derbys Future (Wagering). Sorry, I just saw A Christmas Carol. Couldn't resist.

Claire Novak posted about this on FB, and I felt like singing out "hallelujah!" for sure.

Long overdue.

Nice of them to join the 19th century.

Good news. About time!

How would Post Positions change? If #7 scatches does everyone move in and put the AE at the end?

I'd love to see a track use the system that the Canadian harness tracks do and that is if an AE gets in, it takes the position of the lowest scratched runner.

Reward a runner who didn't have enough earnings to qualify in the first place seems downright stupid.

if the one scratches, and the ae got that, it's not a reward. matter of fact, if the one scratches, i'd imagine the owner and trainer of the two would howl if they got moved in. seems to me that just giving the ae the scratched horses post would have the least impact on other runners. some choose their place for a reason, and wouldn't appreciate losing it due to a scratch.

What if the 4-8-10 scratches??? Also I may be wrong but I thought they were getting away from Choosing a post

Here are the post positions and the number of wins since 1900:

1 – 12
2 – 9
3 – 8
4 – 10
5 – 12
6 – 6
7 – 8
8 – 10
9 – 4
10 – 10
11 – 3
12 – 3
13 – 4
14 – 2
15 – 3
16 – 3
17 – 0
18 – 1
19 – 0
20 - 2


Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...#ixzz1goU4GbmT

A positive change...glad to see it!

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/rac...ible-list.aspx

The Preakness will now have an also-eligible list as well. Theirs involves two horses rather than four.