Breeders' Cup Going for Grade 1's Again

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It was joke about some of the crazy suggestions people make.

Chuck, the same horses will show up for $250K. The money is better spent elsewhere ( or nowhere ). Look at the Juvenile turf races this year. The Filly race, for $250K, was exactly the same as the Colt BC for $1 Million. European and foreign participation? You're kidding....right? We get very little and frankly the BC doesn't seem to want any. With many horses not nominated and thus forced to pay exorbitant supplemental fees along with no perks offered by the BC ( as opposed to enormous perks from Japan and Hong Kong ) the best we could hope for were European mediocrities who happened to be nominated. Boy, is that exciting....and really what championship racing should be all about.

Why should racetracks around the country begin to construct a program of races to lead up to the BC? The BC has done the opposite to major races all around the country. They have drained, minimized, and even eliminated major races in just twenty short years. What obligation does the racing community have to work with a group that doesn't work in their better ( not even best ) interests? And, quite frankly, just pumping up purses, and/or creating races, doesn't alter the fact that many, if not most, of these supposed races would be extraordinarily weak fields. And furthermore, if the industry is going to work together on something, a great idea, they shouldn't waste it on the superfluous BC.

Frankly, considering the greed displayed by the BC I am beginning to wonder what major venue will be even interested in hosting it in the future. One can dream, I suppose, that the whole thing just goes away.

What difference does it make to Andy Serling or Chuck Simon if the race purse is $250 or 1 million? That is what I am try to convey? So what if they will attract the same field? Do you think the BC will use that extra money for good use?

There have been plenty of Euros that come when the races are at a location that they feel is suitable for them. This year obviously was an exception but I dont believe that it was a great year for top horses over there either. Hell just last year there were at least a dozen or more euros at CD. Many if not most Euros are eligible to the BC through the EBF. The South Americans are the ones who are not eligible and there probably should be a program where a horse can be nominated once they are imported for a pretty good fee ($25000?)

If you are that pessimistic that you believe tracks should not try to implement a series of races that would have possible benefits with little to no downside then this may be falling on deaf ears. But it would not be difficult or costly to do.

As for the greed displayed by the BC, why would they be any different than the tracks, trainers, owners, jockeys, breeders, sales companies, etc.?

[blackthroatedwind]

None of it matters to me Chuck. Hell, why should any of this crap matter to any of us? Does Daafur matter? What matters?

That doesn't mean it isn't a stupid and indefensible idea to denote a supposed championship race for a division that doesn't exist at anything close to a high level and is populated by also rans.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

None of it matters to me Chuck. Hell, why should any of this crap matter to any of us? Does Daafur matter? What matters?

That doesn't mean it isn't a stupid and indefensible idea to denote a supposed championship race for a division that doesn't exist at anything close to a high level and is populated by also rans.

I think the problem is that you are accepting these races as "championship" races. By changing the name that still doesn't make them championships. Was the Distaff a championship race this year?

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

I think the problem is that you are accepting these races as "championship" races. By changing the name that still doesn't make them championships. Was the Distaff a championship race this year?

No, but it was at least contested by a bunch of reasonable horses with decent accomplishments.

[blackthroatedwind]

Let me add, the BC is supposed to be, by it's very conception, a series of championship races. Whether I accept them as such is besides the point. They are saying so.....and thus by creating a BC Turf Sprint they would be denoting a race, that by its very nature is likely to be at least mostly contested by marginal race horses, as a " Championship " event. It lessens the rest of their program if nothing else.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Let me add, the BC is supposed to be, by it's very conception, a series of championship races. Whether I accept them as such is besides the point. They are saying so.....and thus by creating a BC Turf Sprint they would be denoting a race, that by its very nature is likely to be at least mostly contested by marginal race horses, as a " Championship " event. It lessens the rest of their program if nothing else.

When the NBA started giving out the 6th man of the year it didn't lessen the value of the MVP award.
I just dont see how a turf sprint or 2 year old filly grass race effects the quality or reputation of the Distaff or Classic. Adding the Texas Bowl wont have any effect on the Rose or Orange Bowls. No one in their right mind would equate the winners as equals. I dont think that anyone would believe the winner of the FM Sprint the equal of the winner of the Classic.
But in the end it really doesn't matter what we think or what they do...

[blackthroatedwind]

The NBA's Sixth Man awards a player of talent who helps his team. The BC Turf Sprint would award a horse too slow to compete against even mildly talented horses in other races that was the fastest turtle of his group. I don't see the analogy.

I believe in standards, Chuck, and if the BC denotes races for marginal contingents, so marginal in fact that there are a mere smattering of races for that group even contested annually, then they are suggesting, at least to me, that they have no standards. To me it marginalizes their entire product.

I do see a distinction between making $250K supporting races and making these same races $1 Million BC races. I am all for supporting stakes for divisions below championship caliber. I think if the BC is unable to make this distinction they are further marginalizing themselves and their product. I'm all for improving something, but to alter it to its detriment does the opposite, it diminishes itself.