Auction catalogues triggering 'black type' overhaul..
 

Black-type races will undergo greater scrutiny in 2014
By Joe Nevills

An upcoming provision on whether a race gets black type in catalogs will put more than half of North America’s stakes races under review and might cost the first three finishers in some stakes black type. This new measure also could dramatically alter the landscape for regional breeding programs.

All of this is because the North American International Catalogue Standards Committee will implement a system in 2014 that will award black type to a non-listed stakes only if it meets new criteria based on a composite of four speed figures for the race’s top four finishers. This is a novel approach, something that has never been done in this country. The graded stakes system does not use speed figures to help determine the quality of the starters in a race, but rather past racing success, the historical importance of a race, and the number of graded stakes winners in the field, among many factors.

"North American International Catalogue Standards Committee"...

Who knew?

We didn't

but are we surprised to know there's a committee? if there's anything that people know how to do, it's form a committee.

I think this is a bit of a story and am surprised how little notice it's receiving out in the industry.

I don't think anyone will care until their horses blacktype gets rescinded. Honestly why are statebred or races with any restrictions outside of age or sex allowed to be blacktype events? I have gotten blacktype in Indiana restricted races with fillies that would get smoked in open 10 claimers. I trained a horse who was IN bred 3yo filly of the year and she tuned up for her Hoosier campaign getting dusted in a 20 claimer at Belmont at 20-1.

They (whoever they are) are on the right track but of course are going to start (and probably finish) with the smaller tracks/states where the participants have little influence. What really needs to happen is a full scale overhaul of the graded stakes system with a tightening up of standards, a LOT of downgrades and far better system of the listed stakes qualifications than what they are proposing.

Just the fact that NYRA may run the Raging Fever twice in 2 months is weird enough