Saratoga Condition book is out

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Probably. But I don't think the Suburban failed to attract good horses because it was run at ten furlongs. I think it had more to do with the Foster and Hollywood Gold Cup being run two weeks earlier for $1,000,000 and $750,000 respectively, plus the reality that there just are very few good handicap horses out there.

True...especially the lack of good handicap horses.

I dont want to sound like an alarmist but something is going to have to give. We are either going to have to change the way we breed or change the way we race. Seeing how we are a society of instant gratification, I would imagine it would be more practical to change the way we race.

What I am getting at is the races are going to have to start getting shorter in order for them to fill. Do you agree?

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

True...especially the lack of good handicap horses.

I dont want to sound like an alarmist but something is going to have to give. We are either going to have to change the way we breed or change the way we race. Seeing how we are a society of instant gratification, I would imagine it would be more practical to change the way we race.

What I am getting at is the races are going to have to start getting shorter in order for them to fill. Do you agree?

Nah, I don't think so. I don't think there's all that much difference between a nine-furlong handicap horse and a ten-furlong handicap horse. Plus, the sprint and miler divisions are no great shakes either. I just think we caught a crappy year in terms of older horses, and the retirements of Street Sense, Any Given Saturday and Hard Spun didn't help..

[Linny]

Between the retirements of last years leading (except Curlin) 3yo's and the infrequent appearances of those that remain, the once great "Handicap Division" could get by now with about 5 G1's all year.

Look at Frost Giant. He scratched from a NW2x on the week of the Suburban. Had he run and lost (or maybe even won) he'd have probably run back again at Belmont then maybe 2 more times at Saratoga. Now that he's a G1 winner, he will rest until the JCGC. WTF???!!!!!
This is what happens to a horse that wins a G1, even if he's not really what most of us would call a "G1" horse.