Graded Stakes Committee Makes Changes

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

We should already know what races are supposed to be the biggest races and where the "stars" are supposed to be. End of the year evaluation encourages competition as opposed to the system currently in place. Grading of races was supposed to be for breeders to use to determine what black type races were of what class. Of course this was 40 years ago before information was readily available like it is now. The sad thing is that if you bring any of this up to members of the committee or most racetrack execs or breeders they look at you like you are crazy. Again there is zero sentiment to adjust the system because it is putting money in peoples pockts, gives tracks a marketing tool (though I am skeptical about anyone other than serious fans actually being swayed by a grade of a race-I'm sure Parx will not see a big spike in attendance for next years Cottillion) and gives the year end voters something that they can use regardless of how weak certain highly graded races were in a given year.

The marketing appeal of a grade is virtually non-existent unless you can say you have a card with five G1's. Still debatable though.