Breeders Cup should only be held at

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Toga's kinda cold at the end of October Hooves, and the place is not a heated facility. Be kinda rough.
Belmont and CD are the only way to go. I don't see why it needs to be a traveling carnival act. Both CD and Belmont are big places near airports and quarantine facilities with plenty of hotels nearby. Both have grass and dirt facilities that are fair to Euros, East and West Coast horses.
I really gotta say that CD and Bel should be the only two places that host it.

obviously the notion of it only being at two tracks won't ever happen -- but leaving arlington out would be a bad idea. it's arguably the most beautiful, nicest racing facility in the country and the track never plays anything but fair.

[Pointg5]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

obviously the notion of it only being at two tracks won't ever happen -- but leaving arlington out would be a bad idea. it's arguably the most beautiful, nicest racing facility in the country and the track never plays anything but fair.

Wasn't there a big speed bias the last time it was at AP?

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by Pointg5

Wasn't there a big speed bias the last time it was at AP?

I don't think that there was a speed bias at all.

Azeri won on the front end, but was a far superior animal.
Vindication won near the front end, but was a far superior animal.
Storm Flag Flying got passed in the stretch and came back.
Volponi came from off the pace when some great horses were on the front end.

It seemed pretty fair, but also if you still say there was a speed bias, I would just point out that any track can appear to have a "bias" on any day. All frontrunners could win on the dirt all day at Belmont some day but we wouldn't say it is an unfair track.

By and large, all summer long, Arlington plays extremely fair throughout the whole meet.

[Pointg5]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

I don't think that there was a speed bias at all.

Azeri won on the front end, but was a far superior animal.
Vindication won near the front end, but was a far superior animal.
Storm Flag Flying got passed in the stretch and came back.
Volponi came from off the pace when some great horses were on the front end.

It seemed pretty fair, but also if you still say there was a speed bias, I would just point out that any track can appear to have a "bias" on any day. All frontrunners could win on the dirt all day at Belmont some day but we wouldn't say it is an unfair track.

By and large, all summer long, Arlington plays extremely fair throughout the whole meet.

Okay, I couldn't remember...

When I think of great places to see races, I think of Belmont or Churchill, I just don't think of AP... I have heard it's nice, but I think those two should be the only ones where the BC's are held every year, the BC's are the best when had at one of those two venues...

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Pointg5

Okay, I couldn't remember...

When I think of great places to see races, I think of Belmont or Churchill, I just don't think of AP... I have heard it's nice, but I think those two should be the only ones where the BC's are held every year, the BC's are the best when had at one of those two venues...

Don't knock it until you see it. It might not have the smell of a huge racetrack, but there isn't a better built, nicer track in the country.....

[Pointg5]

Originally Posted by Scav

Don't knock it until you see it. It might not have the smell of a huge racetrack, but there isn't a better built, nicer track in the country.....

I am sure it's nice, but to people who don't live in Chicago, the average sports fan has never heard of AP, but they know Churchill and Belmont...I would actually prefer them all to be at Belmont...

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Pointg5

I am sure it's nice, but to people who don't live in Chicago, the average sports fan has never heard of AP, but they know Churchill and Belmont...I would actually prefer them all to be at Belmont...

I don't think they know Belmont anymore then they know Arlington. Churchill I agree with because everyone watchs the Kentucky Derby, even my mom who is anti-horse racing.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by Scav

Don't knock it until you see it. It might not have the smell of a huge racetrack, but there isn't a better built, nicer track in the country.....

I heard Arlington is beutiful too but the nicest track in the country. matter of opinon. It may be the Camden Yards of race tracks but I would take Fenway and Wrigley over Camden any day. In this baseball analogy it would Keeneland and Saratoga.

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by Pointg5

Okay, I couldn't remember...

When I think of great places to see races, I think of Belmont or Churchill, I just don't think of AP... I have heard it's nice, but I think those two should be the only ones where the BC's are held every year, the BC's are the best when had at one of those two venues...

and i may be clearly biased having spent the better part of my young life in chicago, but when i think of great places to see races I think of Arlington.

While I've never been to Belmont on a big race day, when I did go there on a regular weekend when I was in New York once, I was not that impressed with anything other than the size of the ovals. I suppose to each his own, but I found it dirty and dingy and unimpressive aesthetically.

Most of it probably has to do with the quality of racing in Chicago these days, people don't think of Chicago as a great racing town because there isn't great racing -- but there IS a great racetrack. personal preference i suppose.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

By and large, all summer long, Arlington plays extremely fair throughout the whole meet.

In my experience, when it gets crazy hot here and the track cooks, speed/rail holds tremendously well....When it rains, horses comes from the clouds on the dirt.

As far as the turf, this year I saw an unusual amount of front runners hold on at Arlington, which has widely been known as a closer turf course, especially when soft/yielding

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by Scav

In my experience, when it gets crazy hot here and the track cooks, speed/rail holds tremendously well....When it rains, horses comes from the clouds on the dirt.

As far as the turf, this year I saw an unusual amount of front runners hold on at Arlington, which has widely been known as a closer turf course, especially when soft/yielding

that's funny, because i thought the turf was very fair this year, i think that the pace in the races that frontrunners were winning were by and large conducive for speed holding. I found that the fractions of the race were dictating the outcome far more than the course itself.

maybe i just don't see it the same way, because when i went there this summer during rainy days, i found speed to be the way to win of the day.

i've just always had a very very difficult time finding any noticeable or playable track bias at arlington over any long-term period of time.

[boswd]

I think the best sceniero , though it will never happen, Is the NTRA build a track in a neutral warm location that would play permanant host to the Breeders Cup. Have the BC to be ran in December so there is plenty of time after the major meets are over and maybe we will have better and bigger fields throughout the year at the big races.

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

obviously the notion of it only being at two tracks won't ever happen -- but leaving arlington out would be a bad idea. it's arguably the most beautiful, nicest racing facility in the country and the track never plays anything but fair.

I like the fact that the Juvenile was run at nine furlongs at Arlington.