Watered down Graded Stakes

[Sightseek]

Was Rachel's 7 last year the closest of any other horse since '04 to make 10 graded stakes appearances?

[Travis Stone]

The graded stakes system is in dire need of a critical assesssment and review. At the core, grading a race before it is run is goofy. Some ask how you can market a race that's not graded to the public. I say the public doesn't give a hoot what grade it is... they care about the horses runnng in it, even that's a stretch. If the graded stakes system were gone tomorrow, and the Travers was non-graded like every other race, would less people show up for it? Of course not.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

The graded stakes system is in dire need of a critical assesssment and review. At the core, grading a race before it is run is goofy. Some ask how you can market a race that's not graded to the public. I say the public doesn't give a hoot what grade it is... they care about the horses runnng in it, even that's a stretch. If the graded stakes system were gone tomorrow, and the Travers was non-graded like every other race, would less people show up for it? Of course not.

You would have a lot of breeders in uproar.

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

You would have a lot of breeders in uproar.

For sure... but the truth hurts.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

For sure... but the truth hurts.

It's such a crazy system. You have breeders saying the purses are not big enough to keep a horse in training, yet stakes with big purses don't fill.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

The Breeders would riot if they put me in charge of Grading the stakes races right now. I would be slashing races of status left and right. Some Gr 1's would become Gr 3's. Some Gr 2's would become ungraded. Basically eliminating options for good horses in each division and almost forcing their hand into the same one or two likely spots for each start.

[tiggerv]

It's long past time to dump the Breeders Cup and take away some of the incentive to avoid tough races all year in order to prep for 1 racing day.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by tiggerv

It's long past time to dump the Breeders Cup and take away some of the incentive to avoid tough races all year in order to prep for 1 racing day.

No, you don't understand, it's the Super Bowl of racing, it's the biggest day, it's the biggest races, it's the most important, it's the 1 race that makes a campaign, it's the 1 set of races that if you win you're a champion.

Love,

Zenyattafan

[Gate Dancer]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The Breeders would riot if they put me in charge of Grading the stakes races right now. I would be slashing races of status left and right. Some Gr 1's would become Gr 3's. Some Gr 2's would become ungraded. Basically eliminating options for good horses in each division and almost forcing their hand into the same one or two likely spots for each start.

While I basically agree with this...............actually given the 'state of the state' of racing, some of this may happen naturally due to economic conditions and/or some track closures.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Was Rachel's 7 last year the closest of any other horse since '04 to make 10 graded stakes appearances?

Nope.

Cowboy Cal and Be Fair both made 10 starts in Graded Stakes company last year.

Thorn Song was the only to make 10 in 2008.

Nobiz Like Shobiz the only to make 10 in 2007.

Like I said, you have to go back to 2004 to find a horse whos made more than 10. Seven different horses did more than ten in '96 alone.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Like I said, you have to go back to 2004 to find a horse whos made more than 10. Seven different horses did more than ten in '96 alone.

Was it Perfect Drift?

I like Travis' idea of not grading races until the entries are out.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Steller Jayne and Gygistar.