The Mother Goose Stakes

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

You would think that there would be a lot of owners that think like you are but it seems they are brainwashed. Funny how everybody in the breeding business talks about Graded Stakes placings and yet grade 1 races on both coasts are routinely 5 (or worse) horse fields.

I rarely think that the Europeans do much better than us but the way they design the stakes schedule of races is far superior to our haphazard, everytrack for themselves way.

Why wouldn't it be in Todd's best interests to run as many as possible?

[NoLuvForPletch]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

And lowering the grade would accomplish....???

Maybe if a handful of barns didn't control 90% of the quality horses in NY then you might see more competitive races.

wouldn't logic dictate that if the Grade's were lowered, and there were less Grade 1's, there would be less opportunities to earn G1 type, therefore more horses would have participate in those individual races?

BTW CS, I don't disagree with your point, but I think there are many contributing factors to these problems. These are just the sprinkles on the sundae.

In regards to the Suburban, nominations were due June 16th and there would've been no way of knowing Invasor would not be here to race. Would you want to run against Invasor until you absolutely had to?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by NoLuvForPletch

wouldn't logic dictate that if the Grade's were lowered, and there were less Grade 1's, there would be less opportunities to earn G1 type, therefore more horses would have participate in those individual races?

BTW CS, I don't disagree with your point, but I think there are many contributing factors to these problems. These are just the sprinkles on the sundae.

In regards to the Suburban, nominations were due June 16th and there would've been no way of knowing Invasor would not be here to race. Would you want to run against Invasor until you absolutely had to?

I see where you are going and it makes some sense. There are too many graded stakes races and the schedule of stakes is screwed up. But You would need an overhaul of the whole system. Really the best thing would be the elimination of the grades altogether. The breeders would go crazy and the tracks would cry about it. But they really serve no purpose than in many cases greatly over inflating the value of bloodstock and allowing the tracks a marketing item that I think is very overrated at best and meaningless to the betting public at worst. Horseracing and breeding got along just fine for a hundred years without its races being graded.

[ateamstupid]

So are we blaming Pletcher for the embarrassing Suburban field too or are we admitting that the major problem is that 99% of owners are total pussies?

[Benny Leger]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

And lowering the grade would accomplish....???

Maybe if a handful of barns didn't control 90% of the quality horses in NY then you might see more competitive races.

"nuff said"

[whodey17]

I believe there are 10 Grade I's restricted for 3 year old fillies at 8 furlongs or longer on dirt and 9 Grade I's for 3 years old males at 8 furlongs or longer on dirt. I don't know if that is too many or too few or just right. I am leaning towards it being just right. That is less than one Grade 1 event a month. The Mother goose field is a blunder for sure, but there are many reasons why the field is so small and those have been pointed out in several posts. I really think that tracks need to work together to ensure quality fields and quality racing.