[pmayjr]

I think the only way it comes back to prominence is if (pipe-dream about to follow... brace yourselves) these greedy owners let their horses run through the end of the 4-year old years. THAT'S ALL I ASK.

It's like asking a college basketball star to stay through the end of his sophomore season (the same pipe-dream: see Kevin Durant and Greg Oden)... not likely to happen. But just think-

If horses stayed through their 4-year old seasons, the following horses (barring injury, and mysterious owner imposed injury... see Smarty hoof brusing lol) could be in the BC Classic this year:
Street Sense, Hard Spun, Curlin, Rags to Riches, Invasor, Bernardini, Papi Chulo, Perfect Drift, Lava Man, Discreet Cat, etc etc etc. Some of these are stretches, but...

Now I have a solution for owners that would try to claim injury so they don't risk their horses running: Don't let them breed until they turn 5. Have a Vet do a paternity test on every foal and how old the foal is compared to the father. If he is foaled too early, deem him ineligable to ever race (ONCE AGAIN, I KNOW THIS IS A PIPE-DREAM).

To even think of that idea, you're taking a hard line vs. the Sheiks and the Coolmores and whoever else. They might say, "if you don't give us the choice of when we can run/retire/breed our horses, we won't show up at Keeneland with our $$$". But at this point, I think the sheiks and the Coolmores are ruining racing by buying up all the talent and summarilty retiring them anyway. So let them boycott.

I KNOW THIS IS ALL SOME CRACK-HEAD PIPE DREAM STUFF, BUT RACING THROUGH TH BC AT AGE 4... IS THAT ALL THAT MUCH TO ASK?