NYRA offers $1 million to Japan-based Belmont Stakes winner
 

Not a NYRA hater, quite to the contrary. Extending a gracious 1mil bonus to a Japanese based runners IF they win the Belmont is off putting.

1. Isnt winning the 1.5 mil CLASSIC enough
2. Why encourage japan shippers when they EXCLUDE our stock from racing in their country?
3. How you suppose to feel if you are not from Japan. Horses cant ship to Japan and race for ridiculously huge money BUT welcome Japan and here is an extra mil if you win? Why?

IF this was part of some cooperative exchange it would be awesome instead it panders to Lanni types. Is handle going to explode to cover the insurance premium or potential 1mil hit?
It's not that I don't like the trying something knew but pandering to protectionists that don't allow you participate in their programs seems misguided.

Someone explain to me the benefit?

The Japanese handle would explode. Bloodhorse:

Not particularly in favor of this, especially since the Japan pool would be a separate one and North American players derive no benefit, but this is a much better solution for attracting a horse from there than the guaranteed spot that CD if offering for the Derby. Just the fact that the 4th-place finisher from the 2-year-old race could get a Derby spot without accomplishing anything more if those who finish above him on their separate "Japan road" don't want to run for roses is beyond objectionable.

Don't American horses race in the Japan Cup (dirt and turf) practically every year? I believe Echo Eddie raced in a Group 1 there a few years back, and he was a sprinter, so there is more than just the Japan Cup eligible to outside horses.

Who cares if they exclude foreign horses anyways, just consider it like you would state-bred restrictions. Your greedy invest-merge-exploit-dismantle neoliberalist policies might work in the swag business but it doesn't need to extend to every last corner of human (and equine) existence.

You WILL Feel the Bern, Freddy.

It's the Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin effect they are going for.

Oh boy Bernie that Socialist hack wannbe Bolshevik...My uncle Sam would be so proud..

"IF this was part of some cooperative exchange it would be awesome instead it panders to Lanni types."

Didn't understand that line. Can you explain it?

Thanks.

If NYRA got a million dollars to throw around on a bonus like this, why didn't they get up a little money and keep the NYRA channel going in the city ?

Basically if this was a reciprocal arrangement with Japan and they were enticing some of our horses to freely race in their stakes it would be a cool gesture. Effectively NYRA is looking to spice up Belmont, especially in Japan, with some colt from there..

More likely then not they will buy an insurance policy and just be liable for the premium? At least I think that will be the strategy? I dont think they are expecting to pay out more then the insurance premium.

What are the actual conditions? What if a bloodstock agent was able to get a client like Baffert or whoever to a Japanese-based colt and then keep the horse in the States post-Belmont? Does that qualify for the bonus?

I'm sure people were trying to buy Casino Drive while he was in NY leading up to the Belmont, especially with that pedigree (Better Than Honour, half to 2 Belmont winners).

With mad respect... you went with Casino Drive? OK who is next AP's sibling.. Its a farce they dont NEED to have Jap runners Belmont day IF they deem it inappropriate or unworthy of 1.5 mi and a classic title.. Let Mark Hennig run some 90+ BSF in a dopey allowance race for 400K and get back to me

Why not offer the bonus to a NY bred?

Foreign horses can run in every Graded Race in Japan (http://japanracing.jp/en/racing/sche...list/2016.html) as well as a host of others (http://japanracing.jp/en/racing/sche...list/2016.html). There is no need for Japan to put up extra money for foreign horses to come when the purse money alone should be enough incentive. And, as Jasper wrote, the handle and attention to the race would be enormous. Just look at the attention Lani got. As I've written in my own thread, the racing industry in Japan is something else. They are very much on the ascendancy, most probably even the world-leader in quality of breeding, racing stock, quality of races and racedays, purses, cleanliness of racing, etc., while North America is completely on the opposite slope.

the reason they're offering the bonus to a Japanese based horse is because they are expecting a large increase in handle from Japanese fans/punters if one of their horses makes it there. The Japanese have a history of following their horses around the world and betting large sums on them.