Let's Face It: You Can't Torque-NYRA Anything...

[RolloTomasi]

Knowlton Implores NYRA to Move Travers

The New York Racing Association has yet to announce if it will move the date of the GI Runhappy Travers S., but at least one owner of a top 3-year-old has weighed in.

In the past 11 runnings of the Travers, having a top 3-year-old in early April has not been a profile of success. Not a single horse from the last 11 winners had anything more than a Grade 2 win at this point on the calendar.

Jack Knowlton, whose Sackatoga Stable owns GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Tiz the Law (Constitution), said it would be “suicidal” to run the race on its scheduled date of Aug. 29. An Aug. 29 Travers would mean that it would be run one week before a rescheduled GI Kentucky Derby Sept. 5. Considering that top horses very rarely run back in one week, trainers and owners might have to choose between the Travers and the Derby if the Travers is not moved.

In an environment where they say any unnecessary ‘movement’ is suicidal (and possibly prohibited by gubernatorial mandate), who’s to say that racetracks—if operational—will even be allowing horses to ship-in to compete? In that respect, it may be difficult to try and run in the Kentucky Derby without already being a ‘local’.

NY has the luxury of having all sorts of 3yo races still on the books (Wood Memorial, Peter Pan, Dwyer, Woody Stephens, Easy Goer, Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy, etc.) that could support a robust 3yo population for many months to come if shipping indeed becomes an issue. Is Kentucky in the same position?

“If that’s when they run the Travers, we will skip it for the Kentucky Derby,” Knowlton said. “There’s no question about it. The Travers is a great race, but it’s not the Kentucky Derby. Nothing is the Kentucky Derby.”

Question is: Is a Kentucky Derby carded on September 5 even considered the ‘Kentucky Derby’?

“I can’t imagine that the best horses would bypass going to the Derby for the Travers,” he said.

How bout all the ‘best horses’ that will be in top form this summer that find themselves without any silly points that make them qualified for the Kentucky Derby? If this happened in 2016, Arrogate—the best 3yo—would have been forced to run in the Travers and not the Kentucky Derby even if his owners agreed with Knowlton.

“Every owner, every trainer, every jockey wants to run in the Kentucky Derby. They want to be in it, even in a strange year like this one. I can’t imagine that the Derby won’t be a huge spectacle this year, even if it is run in September.”

Not necessarily—especially if they are not allowed to attend…

In a normal year, the Travers would definitely be on Knowlton’s schedule, but the rescheduling of the Derby has changed the way trainers and owners are now plotting out their course to Churchill Downs for the first Saturday in September. Knowlton and trainer Barclay Tagg have been left to guess what sort of Derby preps will be out there and when will they be run. Knowlton said that if NYRA moves the date of the Travers, he would strongly consider running in the race as a prep for the Derby.

Huh? So he not only wants NYRA to reschedule the Travers, but also wants them to scaled it back to serve as a ‘prep’. What’s that mean? 9 furlongs and a 6-horse field?

A good spot for the Travers to land might be Aug. 8, which would give Travers starters four weeks to prepare for the Kentucky Derby. Aug. 1 might also be an option.
“If they move the Travers, we will be there and it will be one heck of a day,” Knowlton said. “I can’t imagine a scenario where they don’t move the Travers.”

If NYRA wants to stick to its guns and add a bit of insurance, they could attach a one-off points system and bonus payout for horses that compete in the NYRA 3yo stakes program. Maybe move the Allen Jerkens ahead on the calendar to grab a late starter (Maxfield), a freshened horse (Mr. Monomoy), or a late bloomer (Le Prince) for the Travers.

[freddymo]

I have no problem moving a race given the current crisis. You would've thought CD would have been called NYRA and developed a plan, but instead just recognized that the derby is the only race that ever matters and did whatever served them.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by freddymo

I have no problem moving a race given the current crisis. You would've thought CD would have been called NYRA and developed a plan, but instead just recognized that the derby is the only race that ever matters and did whatever served them.

Let me paraphrase. “Socialism is fine when it supports me or those that I am aligned with and can profit from”. How big a hammer you think CDI has with NBC in the fall during football season? Wow never thought I’d see FreddyMo morph into a BernieBro.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by jms62

Let me paraphrase. “Socialism is fine when it supports me or those that I am aligned with and can profit from”. How big a hammer you think CDI has with NBC in the fall during football season? Wow never thought I’d see FreddyMo morph into a BernieBro.

I think everyone is scrambling now to find a means of staying afloat. Competitive businesses can cooperate for the greater good, especially during bizarre times. Football season? I bet NBC is praying that happens at this point.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by freddymo

I think everyone is scrambling now to find a means of staying afloat. Competitive businesses can cooperate for the greater good, especially during bizarre times. Football season? I bet NBC is praying that happens at this point.

And I was hoping churches would be packed next Sunday... I am such a rube

[ScottJ]

The Paulick Report carried a recap of the executive branch conversation with several major sports organizations held on Saturday, April 4th. See this link.

https://www.paulickreport.com/news/t...ums-by-august/

Tracks would need to reopen six to eight weeks before the Derby in order to give context to the Derby, Preakness, Belmont, and Travers debate. Based on the article, that is not the timeframe being discussed. Reading between the lines, we have just seen the first confirmation that Saratoga will be lost for 2020.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by ScottJ

The Paulick Report carried a recap of the executive branch conversation with several major sports organizations held on Saturday, April 4th. See this link.

https://www.paulickreport.com/news/t...ums-by-august/

Tracks would need to reopen six to eight weeks before the Derby in order to give context to the Derby, Preakness, Belmont, and Travers debate. Based on the article, that is not the timeframe being discussed. Reading between the lines, we have just seen the first confirmation that Saratoga will be lost for 2020.

If we don't have racing next month at some major venues, we better hope there's a game this time next year.

While the call yesterday between the president and the commissioners of major sports leagues was silly given there was no necessity to cover that topic now, there was a clear mention of the desire for spectator less sporting events to start soon. Racing is already taking place at 3 major tracks and there's no reason to think it can't resume spectator-less in (hopefully) 6 weeks or so. Otherwise I'm not sure how many owners we can hang onto as the economy worsens.

[jnunan4759]

jms brings up a good point. College football is big business and networks have a ton invested. Add in watching/betting and the Derby may not stand up well against that in a September TV deal. Also, whomever has the TV rights to the network time slots may be an issue.