Three New BC Races

[sumitas]

you Are Dodging The Question.

[NoChanceToDance]

How can they call a 12 furlong race a marathon??? That in itself is a joke.

There were reports in our racing press that the BC people were discussing the idea of a staying race and it was assumed it would be a 14 furlong race.

I do agree that they are making too much of it now. Field sizes will no doubt drop with these added races.

As someone said, it is becoming too much of a good thing.

Whats next, a race for greys only?

[Riot]

Whats next, a race for greys only?

Hey, I like that race!

[blackthroatedwind]

Racing secretaries saying they will card distance races is not the same as making these races fill....and even if they fill ( what is " fill " these days in racing....six horses I guess ) they will be completely made up of claiming types. Now, I don't knock these horses, in fact I applaud them, as they are the ones that make the races go these days. However, we already have a championship day for them, and it's called the Claiming Crown. While I applaud the BC for realizing that it is in fact these fine animals that should be rewarded with a big race of their own, I think if they are going to do that, it is only fair that they card a full day of half million dollar races for the many valiant claimers making up the cards at all distances....and on all surfaces.

But, there's really a great deal of hypocracy to go around. Considering it was the BC itself that caused races to be cut back in distance it is a real side splitter that they now seek to create a race for the very types they helped diminish. Oh the great BC knows both benevolance and irony.....don't they?

[Riot]

But, there's really a great deal of hypocracy to go around. Considering it was the BC itself that caused races to be cut back in distance it is a real side splitter that they now seek to create a race for the very types they helped diminish. Oh the great BC knows both benevolance and irony.....don't they?

Andy, your points are well-considered, and I agree with much of what you say - especially that last.

We are looking at this from two different viewpoints, and I may indeed be wearing rose-colored glasses. My first response was to look at the list of the top 25 sires in this country, and see whose progeny has become more valuable, what opportunities for genetic diversity now exist.

I will be listening to ATR a half-hour from now. Go git 'em!

Will also be very interested in hearing Lauren's perspective on this.

[letswastemoney]

Hey if you think Malibu Moonshine will show up.....Evening Attire might like this new 12 F dirt race as well.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Racing secretaries saying they will card distance races is not the same as making these races fill....and even if they fill ( what is " fill " these days in racing....six horses I guess ) they will be completely made up of claiming types. Now, I don't knock these horses, in fact I applaud them, as they are the ones that make the races go these days. However, we already have a championship day for them, and it's called the Claiming Crown. While I applaud the BC for realizing that it is in fact these fine animals that should be rewarded with a big race of their own, I think if they are going to do that, it is only fair that they card a full day of half million dollar races for the many valiant claimers making up the cards at all distances....and on all surfaces.

But, there's really a great deal of hypocracy to go around. Considering it was the BC itself that caused races to be cut back in distance it is a real side splitter that they now seek to create a race for the very types they helped diminish. Oh the great BC knows both benevolance and irony.....don't they?

win and your in 5k allw at churchill 1 mile and 1/2 on the dirt

[Nascar1966]

Please correct me if I am wrong, Aren't most of the turf sprint races run between five to six furlongs? Isn't Santa Anita the only track that runs Six and half furlongs on the turf. I though they were about six and half furlongs on the turf.

[2MinsToPost]

What determines whether these new races are a success or failure? Will it be field size? Quality of field size? Attendance? Just curious....................

[The Bid]

Breeders cup is starting to look more like Calder Extreme day

[Bobby Fischer]

One thing about 2008 and the addition of these 3 races -

- combined with AWT track instead of dirt, it immediately makes the event more foreign friendly.

[King Glorious]

I guess I'll never understand why people say that the BC hurts racing. The idea was to have a series of races at the end of the year where everyone focuses on being and the best meet the best to determine the champions. That is basically what we get every year with the BC. That's bad? People say it's so bad because it's hurt other races run during the year, races like the JCGC and Turf Classic turning into basically prep races. So what. They are still huge prep races. Didn't this year's Classic winner run there? Didn't last year's runner up run there? The 2003 HOY Mineshaft? Cigar, Skip Away, Easy Goer, Slew o' Gold, AP Indy, Turkoman, Gate Dancer. All of those horses came back to run pretty well in the Classic. What has changed is NOT the races but the attitudes of the PEOPLE involved with today's horses. From the breeders to the trainers, THEY are the ones that have messed the game up, NOT the BC races. It's them that don't allow horses to be able to withstand racing 8-10 times a year anymore. So now, because people can't breed or condition a horse to run more than eight times a year and they "need" two months between starts, they have to cut back schedules. That is not the fault of the BC. Trainers like Pletcher and Frankel are as much to blame, even moreso in my opinion, than blaming the BC.

As for the BC being what caused a lot of this shortening in the first place, I find that to be absolutely ridiculous. For those that have been around longer than I have, I know that for you, the championship distance was always 12f or maybe even 16f when the JCGC was run at that distance. But for as long as I've been around, the 10f distance has always been referred to as the championship distance. So the BC put in a race at that distance. That was bad? They put in a sprint championship at ......6f. That was bad? What is the distance considered the championship distance on grass? It's 12f and the BC put in a race at that distance. That some of the races like the JCGC, Vosburgh and Super Derby decided that they needed to shorten up to become better fits for the BC races, blame that on the racing secretaries and the horsemen that asked for it. Don't blame it on the BC. The 12f of the JCGC was just fine for Easy Goer, SoG, Turkoman and Gate Dancer. It was the breeding of horses that could no longer handle running 12f anymore and especially running 12f and returning to run 10f in a few weeks that caused them to shorten the races. That's not the fault of the BC.

[Alan07]

Originally Posted by Nascar1966

Please correct me if I am wrong, Aren't most of the turf sprint races run between five to six furlongs? Isn't Santa Anita the only track that runs Six and half furlongs on the turf. I though they were about six and half furlongs on the turf.

Belmont and Woodbine run 7f turf sprints

[deltagulf]

well start breeding them again for the longer distances. and then they should have better horses to run in it then claimers.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by deltagulf

well start breeding them again for the longer distances. and then they should have better horses to run in it then claimers.

I'm willing to wager that at least 3/4s of the field in the BC Dirt Marathon next year are either stakes winners or G1 placed.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by deltagulf

well start breeding them again for the longer distances. and then they should have better horses to run in it then claimers.

I think we have a few of those horses now, they just don't have the niche to excel race after race. I think we might see horses separating themselves out into two clearer groups, into the clear milers, and then more of a separation into the 1 1/4-1 1/2 horses.