Tradition

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Allowing more horses to return and run in peak condition would make the series less about survival of the fittest and more about showing who is the actual best.

Or maybe I'm wrong.

The purpose of classic races is to identify those individuals that have the traits necessary to become prized breeding animals (whether or not the actual horses become potent producers is another issue althogether). Several other prestigious races have been altered as a result in the change in the Thoroughbred (well that and the Breeder's Cup). The Triple Crown is pretty much the last bastion (ignoring turf racing--and the new Marathon division) of durability and stamina.

Taking that away by shortening the distance and increasing the spacing, allows brilliant, yet unsound horses to "become" Triple Crown" winners and thus sought-after breeding prospects. That would only hasten the decline in the breed of the very traits that the Triple Crown should be promoting. And what happens when suddenly the horses can't even stay 9f? Is the Triple Crown gonna be made up of extended sprints?

Maybe in the end the Triple Crown races will go the way of archaic stakes like the San Juan Capistrano (I think the Belmont Stakes is only a few steps away from that really), but personally, I'd much rather have a Grade 3 Kentucky Derby at 10f than I would a Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at 7f.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

The purpose of classic races is to identify those individuals that have the traits necessary to become prized breeding animals (whether or not the actual horses become potent producers is another issue althogether). Several other prestigious races have been altered as a result in the change in the Thoroughbred (well that and the Breeder's Cup). The Triple Crown is pretty much the last bastion (ignoring turf racing--and the new Marathon division) of durability and stamina.

Taking that away by shortening the distance and increasing the spacing, allows brilliant, yet unsound horses to "become" Triple Crown" winners and thus sought-after breeding prospects. That would only hasten the decline in the breed of the very traits that the Triple Crown should be promoting. And what happens when suddenly the horses can't even stay 9f? Is the Triple Crown gonna be made up of extended sprints?

Maybe in the end the Triple Crown races will go the way of archaic stakes like the San Juan Capistrano (I think the Belmont Stakes is only a few steps away from that really), but personally, I'd much rather have a Grade 3 Kentucky Derby at 10f than I would a Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at 7f.

Doesn't this happen now anyway, even without any of them winning the TC? Some of them don't even have to win a TC race and it still happens. You say that the TC should be promoting certain traits in the breed and I agree. But even though it should, it's not.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Doesn't this happen now anyway, even without any of them winning the TC? Some of them don't even have to win a TC race and it still happens. You say that the TC should be promoting certain traits in the breed and I agree. But even though it should, it's not.

Which recent classic winners have been successful sires? There's maybe 3 or 4 (Unbridled, Thunder Gulch, AP Indy, if you count Sunday Silence). None of those horses were notoriously unsound from what I recall, and none were particularly brilliant either.

The TC only identifies potential stallions, doesn't mean that those horses will be potent or popular. The few that have been consistently good all have imparted some classic attributes to their best offspring. Among recent winners, Empire Maker loomed large late last year with some stamina types.

As far as breeders favoring non-classic stallions, well obviously they have a different agenda. Let them make their own TC out of the Withers, King's Bishop, and Malibu. Or better yet, the Sanford, Saratoga Special, and Hopeful.

[Seattleallstar]

I thought this was about the Mr Prospector horse that was regally bred

[AeWingnut]

I had a longer response but the system crashed.

Lets just say that in order to excel we need to lower our standards
so that everything is easily accomplished with little or no meaning or value

[31lengths]

For what reason exactly do people want the format changed?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by 31lengths

For what reason exactly do people want the format changed?

so someone can win.

i'm going to petition that you can run the boston marathon as a relay, that way i can finish a lot higher with the help of my friends.