11 race BC not stupid enough..

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

The real question is what are the qualifications of new NTRA head Greg Avioli and why is he being given free rein here. The whole thing smacks of some plot hatched by breeders to falsely inflate the value of stallions and broodmares. Who they are fooling, however, I do not know. Perhaps any new buyers getting into the game. But, the simple fact is there are already too many Grade 1 races and all of these have been watered down and savaged by the BC races already. Why creating more, and unnecessary, races somehow elevates the game is beyond me. Where exactly are all the supposed quality horses to fill these races going to come from?

One thing I have gleaned from watching past stakes races on Youtube is how much more legitimate the paces were in those days. Nowadays it seems a 48 half in any distance race, save the Derby and BC races, is borderline contentious. This is undoubtably due to the relative lack of competition in many of these races. As we pile on more and more BC races, and surely dilute the quality of each event, soon those races will be non-competitive as well.

It is high time that racing had someone in a leadership role that didn't have a hidden agenda being fed by those without the true interests of fans in mind. It is also time that somewhere in racing someone with a voice asks some of these questions.....before it is too late. Who is speaking for us?

Well said. As usual, nobody is looking out for bettors.

This pace thing is something you rarely hear talked about. I think horses are going slower for a few reasons. One, as you say, is the lack of competition. The other is that the breeding is so sprint oriented these days, it is the only way the horses can get around the track respectably.

It used to be that a fast pace pretty much guaranteed a fast final time in top class competition. This isn't really so anymore. In fact, it is just the opposite.

1st order of business get rid of all two year old races.

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by pgardn

1st order of business get rid of all two year old races.

I agree! How about throwing in a quarter horse race or two. And one buggy one too!

[Holland Hacker]

Some times I like to look at things from a different perspective.

What would happen if they ran a "Breeders Cup" race and no body bet on it? Do you think the Breeders Cup Limited would continue the lunacy of adding races?

It seems like everyone here is against the idea of adding races to the BC lineup, what is making you place a wager on them? If nobody wagered on them I bet they would be dropped pretty quickly.

Another possibility is for other tracks to compete with the Breeders Cup. What if another track hosted their own "Festival of Racing" and competed with the BC races. It seems like all of the tracks are afraid of the BC and are rearranging their schedule to avoid conflicts with the BC. Is the Breeeders Cup the only racing permitted at the end of October? Or what if New York went back to their traditional fall racing there certaintly was some great racing in NY in the Fall before the BC.

Remember Seattle Slew & Affirmed's battle in the the Marlboro Cup and the Jockey Club Gold Cup in '18 or Affirmed and Spectacular Bid in the JCGC in '79. Now they were horse races.

Just my two cents.

[Travis Stone]

I think there is legitimate concern regarding the added races, and the proposal of additional races. I think racing should consider a point in time when "enough is enough" and you then focus on your existing product - improving it and making it better.

I also feel this is representative of a larger issue: the general stakes structure in our nation. As stated, there are too many grade one races and the product has been severely dilluted.

I'm a huge proponent of reversed grading. Grade the race after it's carded - not after it's been run - but after the field has been assembled. I think that'd make for a very interesting dynamic at the entry box.