Liam's Map=Cross Traffic part 2?

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Port Conway Lane

This is contrary to your point that there are bad horses in the mile. Or are you claiming that because the winners of the mile were bad horses that the race was bad, or the field quality was bad? Or that the good horses in the mile were placed at the wrong distance? I fail to follow your reasoning, it is contradictory.

I didn't say there were only bad horses in the Dirt Mile. The point has always been that the Dirt Mile "dilutes" the other races. And in and of itself it also tends to be a diluted race, just as I explained earlier, as it showcases older, tailing off runners, midwest Derby winners, and one or two top class horses ducking the main competition.

These are supposed to be championship events, not simply decent races.

First of all two of those won the mile so they have no regrets. As for the others who knows? The fact is you named multiple horses in the same year that should have run in the sprint. My point is that not all of the ones you named could have won in the same year. So yes I could say that some of the ones you mentioned would not have won, take your choice.

The connections Goldencents and Caleb's Posse arguably cost themselves Eclipse awards by avoiding the Sprint.

Again, these are supposed to be championship events.

The mile gives trainers an option to run their horses at a distance that may fit their horse best. Are you telling me that American racehorses are either a
6 furlong sprinter or a 1 1/4 mile router with nothing in between?

For the most part, racing in the US (and on dirt) is delineated very simply between sprinters and routers. Does that mean the Classic needs to be 10f? Not necessarily. It could be 9f, especially considering the impact that the desire for speed and precocity by breeders has had on the industry.

How many Grade 1 races exist that are a flat mile and for open 3yo and upwards? For that matter, is there a Champion Miler Eclipse?

Again, these are supposed to be championship events.

Back to the horses you named at the top. For whatever reason the connections chose to run in the mile. It doesn't mean that the absence of the mile would ensure their participation in the Classic.(especially Verrazano)

Yeah, the Preakness winner, the Travers winner, the Hollywood Gold Cup winner, the Woodward winner fit and race ready all would have opted out of the Classic on racing's "biggest day".

Prove what point?? You named both quality runners and others that weren't.
Bad horses winning and Quality horses winning. Bad horses losing to good horses and vice versa. What exactly makes it a bad race and how do the results prove anything?

The results prove it because no Eclipse champions have won the Dirt Mile and only one prior Eclipse champion even bothered to compete in it.

Simply put, the BC races should be deep quality fields from top to bottom. Races that bring together aging, tailed off runners, perennial also-rans, Grade 2 types, and a ducking and diving top class horse do not belong on the main card.

Again, these are supposed to be championship events.