You and I are just seeing that trip quite a bit differently. There is no denying that she most certainly is NOT a front-runner though.

The fact that NO ONE in the entire Derby field has a higher average last four Beyers than her says to me she wouldn't be out of place in the Derby at all. If she were male she'd be the third or fourth favorite. Plus, has anyone in this field beat a horse coming off a 100+ Beyer as a 3yo? Eight Belles has done that too.

B-I-N-G-O!!! Boyd Gaming moves race to first week in January and becomes key prep race. Yes, they would have to wait for grading, but it would come. I wondered how long it would take someone to post this fact. See you in Vinton!!!

If 3YO graded earnings are more valuable than 2YO graded earnings, many horses will have very light 2YO campaign and quality of 2YO racing would likely decline. I suggest that many horses would get 2 or 3 races during late spring-midsummer and go on shelf until mid-November. Get an allowance race in early December and begin graded stakes journey on January 1.

Existing graded races such as FG: Lecomte, Risen Star and Louisiana Derby and OP: Southwest, Rebel and Arkansas Derby would gain greater importance. Aqueduct could move Withers immediately and improves its stature. Tampa Bay could introduce new 3YO prep and slide Tampa Bay Derby into February and create new value for its facility. Magnaville (GP & SA) would have to stop mismanaging its race schedules (see stellar G3 Holy Bull this year). Magna would need purse hikes in its 3YO preps for Santa Anita and Florida Derbies to attract horses away from FG, OP and Tam. The scenarios are endless and intriguing should this change occur.

anak nakal is a perfect example of a horse getting in based solely on his two year old season. he's run eighth, seventh and fifth this season. but the gr 2 win in november gives him the earnings to run in may.

I agree. Winning money in restricted races for fillies is not in the same league as graded earnings in races open to any entrant. It is outrageous that these 2 could bump some horses that battled in open stakes.

2yo races should count. Filly races should not. All horses from the Derby crop are eligible to compete in the 2yo races. All horses from the same crop are not eligible to compete in filly races.

I think sprints should be excluded as well, but that is a tougher sell. If you exclude by distance, you could argue turf and sythetic races shouldn't count either. (Side note: Will they actually call it the BC Dirt Mile this year?)

i think you'd see the AE list occur long before filly graded races are taken out of the rules.

Filly graded earnings discriminate against colts because they are not allowed to enter the races. A law suit should settle this nonsense and I'd like to see one from the owners of the excluded colts in this years derby if the fillies bump them.

Maybe they can change the name of the Oaks to the Female Derby?

What grounds would you sue them for? Bad judgement?

Young Ladies Derby.

I take it you don't agree? :D

I'mnot much for the old Clintonesque affirmative action which is emobodied in this stupid Churchill Downs policy for graded stakes. It just lessons the derby, which is ok, because it's over rated anyway.

I do. Restricted races are restricted races. They shouldnt count.

You'd think. And they said Cali is the home of fruits and nuts. If the flakey owner wants to take advantage of a loophole I guess he can but it's against the history of the KD and shows no respect for the sport or the legendary race whatsoever.

eight bells
 

sorry but eight no in the money here my friend. better chance with there own.

is the sudden hard on about fillies in the derby due to the fact that these two are owned by porter, that he might enter only to scratch, thus keeping some horse in 22nd place in earnings out, or that neither filly has faced boys as yet?
if eight belles should happen to win, which is unlikely, would the foul crying get worse or stop altogether?

Porter doesn't own Proud Spell

no, eight belles....i should have kept all that singular, since jones' other filly is pretty much a lock to go in the oaks.

i can't remember tho if all other fillies to this point who ran in the derby had met colts beforehand. had they all?

I feel like quite a few did. Winning Colors won the Santa Anita Derby, Althea won the Arkansas Derby and Genuine Risk ran third in the Wood Memorial. Frankly I can't remember a lot of other fillies trying. Maybe Life's Magic? She was a Lukas horse so it wouldn't surprise me if she had faced the boys ( she sure did later ).