Who wins Horse of the Year?

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Why is it a joke? Did you hit your head and forget racing prior to 2000? Drossel-slob who had accomplished so much he was being retired to stud after this year in NY just won the Classic in a scintillating 204 and change. He should be a top sire of future BC marathon horses for years to come.

Who is the HoY? A filly that just failed to hit the board in the worst Classic ever? A grade 3 horse like Game on Dude who was 10-1 ML in the Classic and lost? Tizway? These arent good horses. Sure they all won some grade 1's but someone has to win them.

Who is champion turf horse? Who is Champion turf filly? Our champion 2 yo is going to be a horse whose credentials are a win in a stake at Turfway over zero's and a win in a race where he was clearly 2nd best. At least the Sprinter is going to a horse that actually won more than 2 or 3 races. Yeah the 3 yo filly division was solid but what about the 3 yo colts?

Close races between weak horses doesnt mean that they arent weak horses. Just evenly matched.

It also doesn't mean the entire year was a joke. I choose to look for the positive in all situations.

[TouchOfGrey]

Rapid Redux.

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by TouchOfGrey

Rapid Redux.

You beat me to it.

Personally, I could care less who wins any award (in any sport). I care about who wins on the track (or playing field), not who wins a popularity contest. I couldn't tell you who won HOY two years ago, but I can tell you I love Lite Em Up Lily in the first race at Churchill today.

[herkhorse]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

You beat me to it.

Personally, I could care less who wins any award (in any sport). I care about who wins on the track (or playing field), not who wins a popularity contest. I couldn't tell you who won HOY two years ago, but I can tell you I love Lite Em Up Lily in the first race at Churchill today.

[Thunder Gulch]

HDG

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

It also doesn't mean the entire year was a joke. I choose to look for the positive in all situations.

The entire game is gotten to be a joke. You may choose to be in denial which would align you with many of the decision makers in this business, however the manner in which horses are dispersed and campaigned leads to situations like this year where there are virtually no true "championship" horses, just underraced, mediocre frauds. The day to day racing in virtually all jurisdictions is garbage which is the dirty little secret behind 22 months in a row of handle decline and now our top class horses have been "managed" into oblivion.

[horseofcourse]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The entire game is gotten to be a joke. You may choose to be in denial which would align you with many of the decision makers in this business, however the manner in which horses are dispersed and campaigned leads to situations like this year where there are virtually no true "championship" horses, just underraced, mediocre frauds. The day to day racing in virtually all jurisdictions is garbage which is the dirty little secret behind 22 months in a row of handle decline and now our top class horses have been "managed" into oblivion.

You make many good points. Can it be fixed at all?? On a side note I thought it was nice a horse like Musical Romance won a BC race in her 14th start of the year. That's something you cant' say much anymore in the same sentence...BC win, 14 start.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The entire game is gotten to be a joke. You may choose to be in denial which would align you with many of the decision makers in this business, however the manner in which horses are dispersed and campaigned leads to situations like this year where there are virtually no true "championship" horses, just underraced, mediocre frauds. The day to day racing in virtually all jurisdictions is garbage which is the dirty little secret behind 22 months in a row of handle decline and now our top class horses have been "managed" into oblivion.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The entire game is gotten to be a joke. You may choose to be in denial which would align you with many of the decision makers in this business, however the manner in which horses are dispersed and campaigned leads to situations like this year where there are virtually no true "championship" horses, just underraced, mediocre frauds. The day to day racing in virtually all jurisdictions is garbage which is the dirty little secret behind 22 months in a row of handle decline and now our top class horses have been "managed" into oblivion.

And the industry will hide behind it's the economy... Put me in the minority that says 50 Cent P4's, Tri's are pushing the whales out of the game. I have no evidence of course to substantiate this but the average Joe will spend the same amount on a P4 at 1.00 or .50 but has substansially more coverage at .50 cents thus diluting payouts.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by jms62

And the industry will hide behind it's the economy... Put me in the minority that says 50 Cent P4's, Tri's are pushing the whales out of the game. I have no evidence of course to substantiate this but the average Joe will spend the same amount on a P4 at 1.00 or .50 but has substansially more coverage at .50 cents thus diluting payouts.

The fact that the increments shrunk with the takeout increasing (in some jurisdictions) is probably more of a reason.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The entire game is gotten to be a joke. You may choose to be in denial which would align you with many of the decision makers in this business, however the manner in which horses are dispersed and campaigned leads to situations like this year where there are virtually no true "championship" horses, just underraced, mediocre frauds. The day to day racing in virtually all jurisdictions is garbage which is the dirty little secret behind 22 months in a row of handle decline and now our top class horses have been "managed" into oblivion.

I think the BC itself has rendered it less than a championship day by spreading out all these races which has only served to weaken them to the point that winning it hardly merits it other than winning another race during the calender year.

I think the sprint yesterday is a good example, the horses who used to make the sprint more compelling are now dispersed into the dirt mile or turf sprint and you are left with nine decent runners rather than at least 12 with interesting puzzles to solve and a good winner.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

I think the BC itself has rendered it less than a championship day by spreading out all these races which has only served to weaken them to the point that winning it hardly merits it other than winning another race during the calender year.

I think the sprint yesterday is a good example, the horses who used to make the sprint more compelling are now dispersed into the dirt mile or turf sprint and you are left with nine decent runners rather than at least 12 with interesting puzzles to solve and a good winner.

the bc has gone for quantity over quality. they need to pare back down to one day, get rid of some of the bs races, and put that purse money into the big races. that would draw more competition from overseas as well. far too many races, which leads to subpar fields.
dirt mile, marathon, turf juvie, should be the first three on the chopping block.

[Sightseek]

In my eyes either Drosselmeyer or Afleet Again.


This year sucked, but at least if you had the right longshots in the big races throughout the year it paid out well.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

In my eyes either Drosselmeyer or Afleet Again.


This year sucked, but at least if you had the right longshots in the big races throughout the year it paid out well.

I agree on Drosselmeyer.

I think it comes down to Havre De Grace or Drosselmeyer. Drosselmeyer won the big one and came in second in the JCGC. In horse racing circa 2011, that is a decent resume.

I would understand if they gave it to the mare. Anyone else, I have a hard time seeing. I realize Game On Dude won a couple of awful stakes in So Cal but he lost to Drosselmeyer head to head. At least HDG beat a couple of compelling opponents in her prior stakes races.

[letswastemoney]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

I agree on Drosselmeyer.

I think it comes down to Havre De Grace or Drosselmeyer. Drosselmeyer won the big one and came in second in the JCGC. In horse racing circa 2011, that is a decent resume.

I would understand if they gave it to the mare. Anyone else, I have a hard time seeing. I realize Game On Dude won a couple of awful stakes in So Cal but he lost to Drosselmeyer head to head. At least HDG beat a couple of compelling opponents in her prior stakes races.

It would be a major upset if any horse but Havre de Grace won. If we use last year's standards, Havre de Grace has sparked interest in the sport with the pretty horse people, while winning some G1s on the side. I don't see how she can lose.

It's not necessarily right or wrong anymore. I accept the standards that have been set last year.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

I agree on Drosselmeyer.

I think it comes down to Havre De Grace or Drosselmeyer. Drosselmeyer won the big one and came in second in the JCGC. In horse racing circa 2011, that is a decent resume.

I would understand if they gave it to the mare. Anyone else, I have a hard time seeing. I realize Game On Dude won a couple of awful stakes in So Cal but he lost to Drosselmeyer head to head. At least HDG beat a couple of compelling opponents in her prior stakes races.

If Game On Dude lost to Drosselmeyer head to head, what do you call how HDG finished in comparison? That's the problem. She wasn't disgraced, but giving the 4th place finisher of the Classic HOY? If she finished where Game On Dude finished (it's hard to abbreviate his name without it looking like you're shouting 'God'), it'd be close enough that folks might go for it a la Curlin and his BCC 3rd place. In his case though, he was trying synthetic and you could see the rest of his record as more than sufficient what with winning the Dubai World Cup. For all the 'ooh'ing over HDG's Woodward, a nice performance indeed, Rachel was a second faster and pushed from start to finish on the lead by every single horse in the field.

If HDG won it, I wouldn't cry myself to sleep because I have a lot of respect for her. It'd bug me less than last year's situation, honestly, but HOY shouldn't be like this. It's frustrating.

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

I think the BC itself has rendered it less than a championship day by spreading out all these races which has only served to weaken them to the point that winning it hardly merits it other than winning another race during the calender year.

I think the sprint yesterday is a good example, the horses who used to make the sprint more compelling are now dispersed into the dirt mile or turf sprint and you are left with nine decent runners rather than at least 12 with interesting puzzles to solve and a good winner.

I agree. The Breeder's Cup used to be my favorite sports day of the year. This year there was nothing compelling me to spend the day watching on Friday, and even Saturday was not nearly as riveting as it used to be. Too many races. (I, unfortunately, sound like the Kaiser in "Amadeus"--"too many notes.")

--Dunbar