7/2-4 (BEL): Suburban/Dwyer; Futurity/Matron/Bed o' Roses; Prioress

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

It's not "merely a prep" for the Test, but when how often do you hear connections say that they are pointing to the Prioress? If you look at horses like Fanny Freud and Dream Rush, their connections had stated that they were pointing to the Test, and the Prioress was the bridge to get them there.

Maybe it's just a matter of how you view "Grade I" racing. To me, Grade I ratings should be reserved solely for "championship" quality races. (There are far too many that have the designation these days, but that's another discussion.) While the Test has generally had deep fields worthy of the designation, the Prioress has often not had fields of similar depth or quality. It's not to say that the Prioress is a "bad" race, I just don't believe it's worthy of a Grade I designation.

Breeders like selling G1 winners, what does quality have to do with a good sales pitch?

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by freddymo

Breeders like selling G1 winners, what does quality have to do with a good sales pitch?

Isn't that the problem with having a TOBA commitee determining race grades?