Yes, your horse can get hurt in any race at any time. But, the BCJ is harder on the two year olds than any other two year old race in the country. It is a simple fact that I don't see why anyone would argue because the figures are there.
No, I wouldn't abolish the BCJ (I actually like the race), but if I had a really, really promising two year old who looked like there was a ton of room for improvement and could get the classic distances, I would be damned if I would run my horse in that race because I know what it does to a lot of them.
And I can give you a ton of examples of horses that were injured in the race, retired, had problems throughout the rest of their careers because of that race, or were just never good again because of both mental and physical reasons specifically from running in that race. It is the two year old equivalent to the Derby, although the Derby carries much, much more weight. Both races ruin a ton of horses.
I believe that Tagg is the best trainer in the country with the quality of stock that he gets into his stable, and I believe that he makes very good decisions with his horses. I'll trust his judgment again.
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