Graded Stakes Committee Makes Changes

[Linny]

The way 2yo's are campaigned nowadays, I understand the Hopeful downgrade. Most years of late it's been a glorified NW1x. In fact, I tend to think that the Euro's have it right in that only their major year end "destination" races for 2yo's have G1 status. I thus think that the Del Mar Futurity should also be downgraded. History can only go so far. Many of the "great races" won by the sports champions have vanished due to lack of ongoing interest or competition from other venues. Just ask Pimlico. The Special was once a must on the resumes of top older horses.

When the elite horses are scheduled to have 5 and 6 race campaigns the sport simply cannot support the number of G1's it once did.

I guss I get the BC upgrades, but in all honesty the turf sprint division remains very broad but not very deep. Maybe they want the spinoff 2yo grass fillies to have the same status as the colts but again we just really don't have a 2yo grass division so I think that this race is a nod to egt more Wuro partication from the highest ranks.

The Jenny Wiley has attracted good fields but I'm not sure it's really a G1 either.

I am surprised that the Gazelle didn't get chopped.

[ateamstupid]

Like most of the changes. @ the Hopeful being downgraded though.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Like most of the changes. @ the Hopeful being downgraded though.

I'll Have Another was 6th in the Hopeful last year. Hmm.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Linny

In fact, I tend to think that the Euro's have it right in that only their major year end "destination" races for 2yo's have G1 status.

France and Ireland hold their first Group 1 events for juveniles in August/September just as the US does.

Only Britain follows the pattern you describe, but inexplicably, it held its first two, the Dewhurst (7f) and Middle Park (6f), on the same day at the same racecourse this year. That cannot make any long term sense.

If the Juvenile Turf races are Grade 1 in order to attract top class Euro participation, then they have done poorly. For the most part, Coolmore and the like have sent nothing over but second string horses to take chunks of the $1 million purses back home. Not a single Group 1 winner has faced the starter in the 9 total runnings. I think only Pounced (who never started again) and Together were even placed in a Group 1 prior to the BC. And Lillie Langtry (injured in the 2009 running) might be the only horse to win a European Group 1 race in subsequent seasons.

That said, last year's renewal of the Juvenile Turf at the very least served as a good preview of the following year's crop of American turf 3yos. Despite Pluck's remarkable double misfire for any semblance of a campaign, and Soldat's modestly successful Derby trail on dirt, last year's race featured Willcox Inn, Banned, Humble And Hungry, and Air Support. Collectively, those 4 took down 9 stakes and placed in 8 others, the vast majority being graded stakes. Grade 2 status sounds about right.