Southwest Ungraded???
 

This is still a biased decision in my opinion! Here is a nice article that helps explain the issue.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/20...022007king.txt

Afleet Alex won the Rebel? That's news to me.

If you also look at the list of "also rans" or those who hit the board behind the big names: http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.p...d=view&id=1777 they really have reason for not having it graded. I do think however, even though there are too many Graded races in the country overall, the Arkansas Derby should be Grade 1.

Good point. Not a whole lot running in it.

Ridiculous point! Let's post a link of a GIII for comaprison. How about the Lecomte. They gave it a GIII status in 2003. http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.p...ld=view&id=372

Now, let me hear that there were better horses on the board in the Lecomte PP's.

I'd agree that both the Lecomte and the Southwest should have the same grade. Whether that should be G3 or ungraded is a tough call though.

It doesn't necessarily mean that was a good decision either.


The also rans in the '06 edition also include Mark of Success, Music School (who was highly rated, but unjustifiably) Sharp Attack and King's Field. While the class of horses isn't the only determining factor, I think this is enough to show that it shouldn't be graded either. There are lots of races throughout the country that should lose their graded status at well.

They can't all be graded, and from year to year many graded races have some real clunkers in there.

I'm sure that there are a lot of ungraded races that deserve the "upgrade" as well as many that should be downgraded, but in my mind, the recent increase in significance of Oaklawn park on the road to the Derby (which probably has as much to do with the slot money as Smarty Jones), I think it just makes too much sense for the Southwest/Rebel/Ark Derby, to be a Grade III/GII/GI progression. With the increase of big money/low "status" 2YO races (ie the Delta Jackpot) wrapping up Derby spots, it seems that more should be done to reward horses that run on the major Derby-prep circuits.

TOUCHE!

the arkansas route has the progression a lot of trainers want, but the lack of graded earnings hurts...i know that some aren't happy with how the florida route runs now regarding distances, but everyone needs the earnings. i wonder how much influence tracks have on which races get graded, and which (esp at other tracks) don't....