Rachel to Monmouth on July 24...

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Those are seperate issues.

The reason that the Triple Crown works is because people desire to win those races. It seems as though that series and the BC to a lesser degree are the only important races left. Virtually every trainer of horses in the TC series would love to see the races spaced a little differently and almost none of them have horses suited to go as far as the races are written. Yet they continue to show up for them. When was the last time a TC race had a 5 horse field? It works because people have no choice but to run under the conditions given. That doesnt mean that every classic race is a classic but you can feel pretty secure knowing that winning one means something.

But this idea that horses dont have to run against top competition to be horse of the year, that the historically signifigant races are passed over for made for one horse events, that handicaps are made a mockery of because of the desire to prop up a popular horses record, that an owner can dictate the date and distance of a race that others are paying to run in as well, is well disturbing. It is one thing if baseball players are taking steroids. it is another if the league is handing them out.

The sport is crumbling and RA running in the Delaware Hdcp or Ruffian isnt going to change that. But the pandering to RA continues down the path that makes important races less important, makes competition between top horses rarer and lines the pockets of those who need it the least. Sounds like a winner.

HoY this is about marketing..its about people coming to the track something which currently only happens at Delmar and SPA. People dont go to the track, horses arent stars and people have gambling options including other options at the track which keep them away from racing..

Yep that Historic Mother Goose last year was a real humdinger.