Five New Grade I Races in 2007; Two Others Drop to Grade II

Originally Posted by oracle80

In the last 5 runnings, 3 horses who hit the board in the Blue Grass haev gone on to win grade ones. Peace Rules, Offlee Wild, and Harlans Holiday.

In the last 5 runnnings of the ARk Derby, off the top of my head I can list Flower Alley, Purge, Smarty Jones, and Aflet Alex.
I'll check and see if there were anymore.

Aren't you forgetting Lion Heart? I thought he was 2nd in the Bluegrass and then went on to win the Haskell.

Originally Posted by eurobounce

Aren't you forgetting Lion Heart? I thought he was 2nd in the Bluegrass and then went on to win the Haskell.

Yes I am.
Thats still only 4 as compared to Ark's 5 that we can name off the top of our heads.
Borrego- Pac Classic and JCGC
Smarty- Derby and Preakness
Purge- Nyra mile
Alex- Preakness and Derby
Flower Alley- Travers and Jim Dandy

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Yes I am.
Thats still only 4 as compared to Ark's 5 that we can name off the top of our heads.
Borrego- Pac Classic and JCGC
Smarty- Derby and Preakness
Purge- Nyra mile
Alex- Preakness and Derby
Flower Alley- Travers and Jim Dandy

Why aren't you counting Saint Liam?

As big a travesty as the Arkansas Derby not going to G1 is that the Southwest is still ungraded. It should absolutely be a G3 between the combination of horses that have won it the past three years and the $250,000 purse.

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Why aren't you counting Saint Liam?

As big a travesty as the Arkansas Derby not going to G1 is that the Southwest is still ungraded. It should absolutely be a G3 between the combination of horses that have won it the past three years and the $250,000 purse.

The Southwest is ungraded!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????????

You have to be kidding me. It should be a grade one at the very least.
Check out the great "grade two" race that the Bayakoa brought us the other day. Now thats a great event to be listed as a grade two huh?

[jpops757]

In spite of the claim of races deserving graded status. Too many are simply handed out because of tradition and politics. My home track is LS and I feel the main reason they have a couple of gr3 races is because the grading group want to send them a bone because they are a very nice source of income from a simo stand point and not the racing quality. Granted a few very nice horses ship in for the gr3s but the overall quality is not there.

Originally Posted by jpops757

In spite of the claim of races deserving graded status. Too many are simply handed out because of tradition and politics. My home track is LS and I feel the main reason they have a couple of gr3 races is because the grading group want to send them a bone because they are a very nice source of income from a simo stand point and not the racing quality. Granted a few very nice horses ship in for the gr3s but the overall quality is not there.

Well then you get the debate on what is quality. I mean, tracks cannot make trainers race their horses. Say you are all set for a nice Grade I race and then two days before the race the two "stars" defect. It isn't the tracks fault so why should that race get a negative mark against it. There are too many variables that come in to play.

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Why aren't you counting Saint Liam?

As big a travesty as the Arkansas Derby not going to G1 is that the Southwest is still ungraded. It should absolutely be a G3 between the combination of horses that have won it the past three years and the $250,000 purse.

I think the Rebel should be a III, Southwest a II and the Arkansas Derby a I.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by eurobounce

I think the Rebel should be a III, Southwest a II and the Arkansas Derby a I.

I'd reverse the Southwest and Rebel but other than that I agree.

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

I'd reverse the Southwest and Rebel but other than that I agree.

I think I would agree with you. I made an error on that. Southwest a Grade III, Rebel a Grade II and Arkansas Derby a Grade I.

And I believe that races that are restricted to state breds should not be Graded either.