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Originally Posted by PatCummings
The Super Derby was also a G1 during many of those years, connections were willing to run longer distances, and the overall racing picture was significantly different. That being said, the Super Derby, like the current PA Derby, seems to have had trouble getting marquee horses in recent years, and now they as proving grounds for late developing 3YO, or those attempting to rekindle form from earlier in the season. That's the way it is.
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Money talks. When the Super Derby was introduced, its $500k purse made it the richest 3yo race in the country. It was bumped up to a million in 1987 to keep it among the top 3yos races in purses.
Times have changed. Now you have rich 3yo races like the Indiana Derby and West Virginia Derby, and even the Pennsylvania Derby has a huge purse. The Jim Dandy has always been a nice race, but it didn't become a $100k stakes until 1984 and didn't pay more than $120k to the winner until 1997