LA Derby will lengthen, richen, compete with FL Derby

[Left Bank]

Track Wars...???????

[SniperSB23]

So dumb. They now get lesser fields having to compete with all the other final preps and make it impossible for horses to run in the New Orleans Handicap and Oaklawn Handicap. Moving it up one week to give 8 weeks until the Derby would have made so much more sense.

[Bobby Fischer]

i like the distance increase

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

So dumb. They now get lesser fields having to compete with all the other final preps and make it impossible for horses to run in the New Orleans Handicap and Oaklawn Handicap. Moving it up one week to give 8 weeks until the Derby would have made so much more sense.

Moving it up one week would have put them six weeks out. This year it was run seven weeks prior to the Derby on March 14.

As for the NO Handicap, there is such a dearth of legitimate handicap races in the country at that time of year that they could run it whenever they want. FG had a field of 14 entered in the NO Cap last year. Oaklawn had 7 in the Oaklawn Handicap. They shouldn't be concerned with allowing horsemen to run at Oaklawn, a track that had a significantly stronger meet than FG last year.

I like the move, it adds some starch to their closing weeks and puts it in position to be a legitimate prep. This will keep people like Larry Jones, Todd Pletcher and all the rest from using the La Derby as a final Derby prep eight weeks off the race.

NT

[Travis Stone]

This is a good move on the part of the Fair Grounds. Their race was becoming less popular with its odd distance/spacing at that time of year. Now they've taken a stand. Going the other way could have worked, but then you're still another round away from the Derby.

[DaTruth]

Smart move by Fair Grounds to return the Derby to nine furlongs, boost the purse, and move it five weeks out from the big day. I'm also pleased that the Risen Star purse was returned to $300,000 and moved to late February. Hopefully this will mean some of the good Derby prospects will race at FG instead of merely using the track for training (for past examples, see Curlin, Victory Gallop, Touch Gold).

Moving the Fair Grounds to late March is going to basically eliminate the Ashland as an Oaks prep. Not sure how it is going to affect the Fantasy, as with the exception of Rachel Alexandra, many of the FG Oaks winners have not run in the Fantasy on their way to the Oaks.

According to Bob Fortus with the Times Picayune, the FG Oaks is going to be run on the Friday before the La Derby, along with three other stakes for the ladies.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

Smart move by Fair Grounds to return the Derby to nine furlongs, boost the purse, and move it five weeks out from the big day. I'm also pleased that the Risen Star purse was returned to $300,000 and moved to late February. Hopefully this will mean some of the good Derby prospects will race at FG instead of merely using the track for training (for past examples, see Curlin, Victory Gallop, Touch Gold).

Moving the Fair Grounds to late March is going to basically eliminate the Ashland as an Oaks prep. Not sure how it is going to affect the Fantasy, as with the exception of Rachel Alexandra, many of the FG Oaks winners have not run in the Fantasy on their way to the Oaks.

According to Bob Fortus with the Times Picayune, the FG Oaks is going to be run on the Friday before the La Derby, along with three other stakes for the ladies.

I would think there's also an excellent chance you see some twilight/night cards come back at FG considering CDI is all about night racing after the experiment at CD.

NT

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

I would think there's also an excellent chance you see some twilight/night cards come back at FG considering CDI is all about night racing after the experiment at CD.

NT

I dunno... driving out of the Fair Grounds at 11pm... yikes!

[FGFan]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

I would think there's also an excellent chance you see some twilight/night cards come back at FG considering CDI is all about night racing after the experiment at CD.

NT

We had nite/twilight racing for the last 3 Fridays of the 08/09 season, first time in 20 years I think they said.
Maybe we were the experiment...

I like the move to the last weekend of March and raising the purses. I think whoever said it hopefully will stop us from just becoming a training spot is right on target. We also are opening on Nov. 6 which is 3 weeks early....
We shall see how it works out come the Louisiana derby trail, but can't wait until Nov. 6.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Moving it up one week would have put them six weeks out. This year it was run seven weeks prior to the Derby on March 14.

Up to me means earlier in the calendar. I thought that was pretty clear by specifying 8 weeks.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Up to me means earlier in the calendar. I thought that was pretty clear by specifying 8 weeks.

OK but it's pretty safe to say tracks that feel like they run a "major" Derby prep just about never move it farther from the Derby.

NT

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

OK but it's pretty safe to say tracks that feel like they run a "major" Derby prep just about never move it farther from the Derby.

NT

At 8 weeks out they would draw horses from everywhere who would then go split up for the final preps. At 5 weeks out they are just going to split the pool of horses even further off from the other major preps which means weaker pools for everyone. They'll never get G1 status from that. At 8 weeks out they could draw a great field each year with that purse increase.

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

At 8 weeks out they would draw horses from everywhere who would then go split up for the final preps. At 5 weeks out they are just going to split the pool of horses even further off from the other major preps which means weaker pools for everyone. They'll never get G1 status from that. At 8 weeks out they could draw a great field each year with that purse increase.

Agree completely.

--Dunbar

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

At 8 weeks out they would draw horses from everywhere who would then go split up for the final preps. At 5 weeks out they are just going to split the pool of horses even further off from the other major preps which means weaker pools for everyone. They'll never get G1 status from that. At 8 weeks out they could draw a great field each year with that purse increase.

In 2003, the purse was $750k and the race was run on March 9th, putting eight weeks before the Derby. The field included Funny Cide, Peace Rules, Kafwain, and Badge of Silver.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by Left Bank

Track Wars...???????

I know it, because that is just what this sport needs, more cannabalism

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by boswd

I know it, because that is just what this sport needs, more cannabalism

As long as the NYRA tracks and SoCal tracks can't keep things straight, why should the lesser tracks like FG seek permission from the racing world before making improvements to their stakes schedule.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

As long as the NYRA tracks and SoCal tracks can't keep things straight, why should the lesser tracks like FG seek permission from the racing world before making improvements to their stakes schedule.

Cause this isn't an improvement. This is declaring outright war on Oaklawn when those two tracks should be doing everything they can to compete with NY and California. A $750k Grade 2 eight weeks from the Kentucky Derby is a gold mine. It rules March and will attract the best horses. A $750k Grade 2 five weeks from the Kentucky Derby is just another Derby prep.

And let's not forget that the World Cup moves to synthetics next year so all the top dirt horses won't be a guarantee to go over there. That means between the Donn and the Met Mile there is a huge gap for races like the New Orleans Handicap and Oaklawn Handicap to gain G1 status. By having the two races compete with each other instead of feed into each other it assures that neither will get there anytime soon.

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Cause this isn't an improvement. This is declaring outright war on Oaklawn when those two tracks should be doing everything they can to compete with NY and California. A $750k Grade 2 eight weeks from the Kentucky Derby is a gold mine. It rules March and will attract the best horses. A $750k Grade 2 five weeks from the Kentucky Derby is just another Derby prep.

And let's not forget that the World Cup moves to synthetics next year so all the top dirt horses won't be a guarantee to go over there. That means between the Donn and the Met Mile there is a huge gap for races like the New Orleans Handicap and Oaklawn Handicap to gain G1 status. By having the two races compete with each other instead of feed into each other it assures that neither will get there anytime soon.

Considering that Oaklawn has boosted the purses of the Southwest and Rebel (which have conflicted in the past with the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby), and that has drawn horses directly from Fair Grounds, it can be said that Oaklawn declared war on FG well before this. FG and Oaklawn have always had a love/hate relationship. FG has a better group of horses stabled on the grounds than Oaklawn does, and Oaklawn has been dependent on these horses vanning up to Hot Springs to enhance its stakes races. It used to be that there was a mass exodus of horses from FG when Oaklawn opened; that has not happened over the last 10 years.

I'm not holding my breath for the Graded Stakes Committee to designate any FG stakes a Grade 1. The FG Oaks and Mervin Muniz (especially when it was worth $700k) were among the top races in each stakes division for several years, but neither was ever graded past the Grade 2 level.

[Pedigree Ann]

Louisiana Derby was 9f from 1898 to 1987. Why they changed it to 8.5f I never understood. Used to be, it wasn't unusual for a horse to run in both the Mid-South Derbies before heading north for their final prep.

Since they are restoring race distances, why don't they put the New Orleans Hcp back to 10f? There isn't a major race for classic-type older horses in the eastern part of the country in the winter anymore, since Gulfstream deep-sixed the GP Hcp by reducing it to a mile.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

Louisiana Derby was 9f from 1898 to 1987. Why they changed it to 8.5f I never understood. Used to be, it wasn't unusual for a horse to run in both the Mid-South Derbies before heading north for their final prep.

Since they are restoring race distances, why don't they put the New Orleans Hcp back to 10f? There isn't a major race for classic-type older horses in the eastern part of the country in the winter anymore, since Gulfstream deep-sixed the GP Hcp by reducing it to a mile.

Considering they just knocked the Suburban down to G2 for being at 10 furlongs I think you have your answer.