Rees addresses AGSC omission of Clark as G1 citing 'bias'..
 

How can the Clark still be a Grade II?
http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs...-grade-ii.html

But wait... Instead of simply laying out the reasonable case for making the Clark a G1, she can't help but talk about 'bias' for East and West Coast interests...

"I really believe there is institutional bias built into the system, where New York and California have the advantage because those tracks have more graded races, which means more of their horses are graded placed, which helps those races keep their grading."

There's no AGSC bias more tilted than the one toward Lexington... I love Jennie, but the Committee kowtows to Keeneland like nobody's business. There has been constant pell mell upping of the grades of events at Keeneland for no especially apparent reason.

If she wants the Clark upped to a Grade 1, which I have no issue with, doesn't the Blue Grass deserve at this point to be reduced to a Grade 2? Or have General Quarters, Monba and Dominican done too much to keep the Blue Grass' reputation pristine?

I read this late last night and think she has a really valid point. Not so certain about having a point on the 'bias,' but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of reason the Clark isn't a Grade I, especially when it was a Grade I and Premium Tap won it....making it worthy of downgrading?

I also remember really liking this:

It's an interesting enough thought experiment.

The graded stakes system boils down to the Arkansas Derby not being a grade one.

And she's right in that it feeds the big tracks, because points are earned by finishing well in graded races, which are mostly at the big tracks, so they feed each other and the cycle continues.

I've often thought that Fair Grounds has been shortchanged by the Graded Stakes Committee. In particular, the FG Oaks should be a Grade 1.

BINGO

let's face it the grading sysem is screwed up and the influx of more big slots money races at non traditional venues will continue to skew the system even further. The Miesque being a grade 3 and the BC juvy filly turf being ungraded is stupid. I know about the criteria but some of that smae criteria leads the Arky Derby not to be a grade 1 also. According to the graded stakes committee Tapitsfly is not a graded winner but Jailot is. Obvious prep races like the Derby preps are the same grade as the target is. It is just tiresome to think about.

i agree the blue grass is a non-prep event now and should be downgraded while the arkansas derby upgraded. keenland can blame the polycrap for that. the horses that win the blue grass have virtually no shot now at the derby. they usually run in the back of the pack. as for the events with the "older" horses included. the whole grade, 1, 2 or 3 system is a joke. there are not enough 4 yo's and up to fill the criteria. heck as far as grade ones go theres hardly none running this year. most retire after the 3 yo campaign. years ago, horses like macho again and bullsbay would be grade 3 at best. the smaller tracks she champions for are another part of the problem. i'll use gone astray as an example. he could not even win a grade 3 in ny but won a million dollar race in the penn. derby against garbage. thats why the bigger tracks get the preference. gone astray won two overhyped races against inferior competition. his competition in those races would have trouble winning allowance races here. thats the reason those big tracks get preference, the level of comp. my opinion is the whole grade 1, grade 2, grade 3 thing should be scrapped. half the time i can't see the difference. theres such a lack of strong horses that the "good" ones can show up in any of the three categories especially in the older ranks. where grade one is just a higher number on the same old bunch.

She is a good writer but definitely not a lawyer. Terrible arguments in this piece. The Clark should absolutely be a Grade 1 but not for the reasons she "stated".

Half these Graded races are frauds. TOO MANY GRADED STAKES PERIOD

Yeah..you know you would run in a Grade 7 at Penn if they had it

I agree. The issue shouldn't be whether the Clark deserves to be a Grade I (it probably doesn't - it's really been helped the past two years by the Breeders' Cup being out west), but rather how many stakes races that are currently given Grade I status don't deserve that grade.

took my son Saturday..Its a casino with a track. The back stretch is ok my son loved feeding the horse. 63 BSF dont quality for much although the Remsen was a 82..lol

You are right

It sure does seem like there are too many Graded events when roughly 75% of these races the average field is 7.

The system should reflect the connections of high quality horses NOT being given the luxury of "picking" and "choosing" garden spots. They should feel like they are somewhat limited to run in the bigger races, not having the choices at their leisure.

I think racing would benefit in this event...