Graded Stakes Committee Makes Changes

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

For the most part I agree with Cannon. The one problem I can see with grading races after the fact is you will have many different trainers and tracks claiming their horse or race is the star or marquee and the others are avoiding them. At least by grading them ahead of time, we all know which are supposed to be the biggest races and where the stars are supposed to be.

We should already know what races are supposed to be the biggest races and where the "stars" are supposed to be. End of the year evaluation encourages competition as opposed to the system currently in place. Grading of races was supposed to be for breeders to use to determine what black type races were of what class. Of course this was 40 years ago before information was readily available like it is now. The sad thing is that if you bring any of this up to members of the committee or most racetrack execs or breeders they look at you like you are crazy. Again there is zero sentiment to adjust the system because it is putting money in peoples pockts, gives tracks a marketing tool (though I am skeptical about anyone other than serious fans actually being swayed by a grade of a race-I'm sure Parx will not see a big spike in attendance for next years Cottillion) and gives the year end voters something that they can use regardless of how weak certain highly graded races were in a given year.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

(though I am skeptical about anyone other than serious fans actually being swayed by a grade of a race-I'm sure Parx will not see a big spike in attendance for next years Cottillion)

For what it's worth, which isn't much, I would be surprised if Parx didn't put the PA Derby and Cotillion on the same card now, plus the Turf Amazon and Gallant Bob...they have zero draw for the Cotillion in its current spot on the calendar and seem ready to have a big day when there isn't much else going on...so in that sense, if they run the Cotillion on PA Derby day, there will be a significant spike in attendance. Of course, the spike has everything to do with the race being moved to already a popular day attendance-wise, not because the Cotillion is a G1

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

We should already know what races are supposed to be the biggest races and where the "stars" are supposed to be. End of the year evaluation encourages competition as opposed to the system currently in place. Grading of races was supposed to be for breeders to use to determine what black type races were of what class. Of course this was 40 years ago before information was readily available like it is now. The sad thing is that if you bring any of this up to members of the committee or most racetrack execs or breeders they look at you like you are crazy. Again there is zero sentiment to adjust the system because it is putting money in peoples pockts, gives tracks a marketing tool (though I am skeptical about anyone other than serious fans actually being swayed by a grade of a race-I'm sure Parx will not see a big spike in attendance for next years Cottillion) and gives the year end voters something that they can use regardless of how weak certain highly graded races were in a given year.

The marketing appeal of a grade is virtually non-existent unless you can say you have a card with five G1's. Still debatable though.