Graded Races

[slotdirt]

The Arkansas Derby has been inherently more relevant than the Blue Grass to the Triple Crown trail for a number of years now. The fact that one is still a GI, but the other can't even sniff GI status is quite telling. The Cellas can't be happy.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

The Arkansas Derby has been inherently more relevant than the Blue Grass to the Triple Crown trail for a number of years now. The fact that one is still a GI, but the other can't even sniff GI status is quite telling. The Cellas can't be happy.

No more than the Rebel has been. The winners of the race is an impressive list. The second and third place horses is not an impressive list.

[NTamm1215]

As far as the other races that were awarded Grade I status go, they were all very deserving. The Just A Game, while having a compact field the last two years, has long been an excellent race on the Belmont undercard that is never short on talent. The First Lady has offered two very salty groups in a row, with Gorella edging Karen's Caper in '06 and Vacare winning a stretch battle with Precious Kitten this year. The Maker's Mark Mile was perhaps the most deserving of a Grade I as this year's field included subsequent Grade I stakes winners Kip Deville, Purim, and Sky Conqueror.

Good decisions on those in my opinion.

NT

[blackthroatedwind]

I don't know about the Just a Game and frankly think it could be considered pandering to NY. The others do make some sense to me. However, I tend to agree with Sent2Stud somewhat in that there needs to be a limit to Grade 1s. I also understand it from an owners point of view but ultimately considering how rarely good horses run these days at some point we need to stop giving them more incentive to do so.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I don't know about the Just a Game and frankly think it could be considered pandering to NY. The others do make some sense to me. However, I tend to agree with Sent2Stud somewhat in that there needs to be a limit to Grade 1s. I also understand it from an owners point of view but ultimately considering how rarely good horses run these days at some point we need to stop giving them more incentive to do so.

the less is more concept is not one that the racing industry will ever figure out.

[horseofcourse]

AS long as the criteria remains "graded stakes earnings" it really means nothing what grade they are as long as they're graded. All that matters with this announcement is the Southwest is now graded which pays dividends to the Oaklawn horses. For horses and trainers trying to get into the Ky Derby it is meaningless...the grade of the Ark Derby. I guess for breeding purposes if the Ark Derby becomes the only big race said horse wins it matters as he will not have his grade 1. That is the only "disadvantage" to the Ark Derby being a grade 1?? For me this actually makes the Ark Derby better keeping it a grade 2. But the fact the best horses in Arkansas the last 4 years were Curlin, Lawyer Ron, Afleet Alex and Smarty Jones tells me all I need to know. Regardless of what the races are graded, Oaklawn gets high quality horses pretty consistently on the Derby trail.

[Danzig]

so why is it, if some of the best the last few years ran there, that there is still resistence to the ark getting gr 1? why should scat daddy (for example) be proclaimed as this huge gr 1 winner, but curlin can trumpet one less gr 1 win?
what criteria is used to determine that the 1 million dollar fla derby is a 1, but the ark (and only other prep to offer that size purse) is a 2? they said after smarty jones that they wouldn't move after just one year. afleet alex, curlin, lawyer ron, and two years later...and no change. except to the southwest-whoopie.

[Cannon Shell]

Why does anyone care about this?

[cal828]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Why does anyone care about this?

Probably nobody does, but me and Danzig. We both live in Arkansas.

[cal828]

Originally Posted by Danzig

so why is it, if some of the best the last few years ran there, that there is still resistence to the ark getting gr 1? why should scat daddy (for example) be proclaimed as this huge gr 1 winner, but curlin can trumpet one less gr 1 win?
what criteria is used to determine that the 1 million dollar fla derby is a 1, but the ark (and only other prep to offer that size purse) is a 2? they said after smarty jones that they wouldn't move after just one year. afleet alex, curlin, lawyer ron, and two years later...and no change. except to the southwest-whoopie.

I just guessing here because I certainly know nothing about how graded stakes committees operate, but I wonder if it might be that usually only a single quality contender emerges from the Arkansas Derby whereas other venues often have 2 and 3 or more to emerge from their preps . I think the Arkansas Derby is not viewed as a contentious race, but one that is often dominated by a single good horse. All that of course, doesn't take into account how good that single horse might be, but I guess nobody knows that until the triple crown races are actually run. I know there were plenty of doubters on this board this year about Curlin's abilities. I was a little skeptical about him myself.