Bc Announces Major Expansion..
 

http://www.drf.com/news/article/81728.html

The two-day program concept becomes a reality... 3 races added...

one-mile, 70-yard dirt race for 3-year-olds and up called the Dirt Mile (flat mile thereafter);

a six-furlong dirt race for fillies and mares, called the Filly and Mare Sprint;

and a one-mile turf race for 2-year-old called the Juvenile Turf.

Wow, that is awesome.

still no turf sprint....:(

NOW THERE IS A RACE FOR MALIBU MINT!!!! :)

This is very good news.

This starting this year?

Yes..

A stunner indeed.

I had to look at the calendar and make sure it's not April Fools Day.

My only issue with it is that it should be one day, otherwise, it is great news.

I am guessing making it two days maximizes their profits, which in business sense, makes perfect sense

I'm not sure of the two-day format either. What makes BC so amazing is that all tracks stop racing for the BC, at least most of them, and the entire gambling world in horse racing focuses on the BC. With three races only on Friday, it is unlikely we will see very many racetracks completely shut down for the races and rather just integrate post times accordingly. I love the new races though - thums-up!!

This is the right way to expand.

If Baseball fans have had enough of 4 hour ball games,
how can anyone be happy with an expansion
of a 5+ hours of cramped & claustrophobic event?

I too, am surprised they're not adding a turf sprint.
Monmouth Park is capable of holding elongated sprint longer than 5 panels,
on their new turf chute and it would be welcomed
by the sprint stars who have long been overlooked.

That race 1 mile and 70 yard distance and they call it a DIRT MILE ?

The 2 day concept has been discussed for a while. In fact, I asked Jim Gluckson about its' status on ATRAB Derby Week, and he said that though it had been bandied about thoroughly, he thought they were unlikely to do it. He also said that these three races were heavily considered but that they didn't anticipate anything in the near term.

I can't imagine what made them turn so quickly and decisively without any advance notice that these changes were being considered FOR THIS YEAR!

Will certainly be trying to get Gluckson on ATRAB tonight or Carol Paulick or someone else from NTRA/BC... Pretty wild development!

I like it except for the fact that there should be a turf sprint instead of another race for 2 year olds.

Well for starters, what was the NJSEA going to run on that Friday anyway?

The Bob Harding stakes ?

Very interesting stuff. Good point on the 5 hour broadcast... yawn for most people.

I'm not a turf sprint guy... a trainer once said to me when you're going that fast, that short on a typically hard surface, no horse has a true surface advantage. It's like running over pavement.

I feel the turf sprint is a race to further welcome sprinting into racing while we get away from the distance specialists. I like forcing such horses to go three more furlongs and two turns. I've said for a long time, the filly/mare sprint idea is long overdue.

Thank God, finally a BC race at the important mile and 70 yard distance. To think, now we can add new names to the many immortals who have thrived at that distance.

The race is going to be contested at 1 mile in the future. Monmouth cannot have races at 1 mile due to the track configuration.

I think they should have the 2 year old races all on the same day. I also think they need to add a turf sprint as well.

They can & do, but only for 10 starters. The outside posts would be forced into Long Branch with 14.

Either way, this is sick. I'm excited already!

Thanks Phil for that info. I didnt know it was limited to only 10 horses.

Imagine if the Fair Grounds gets the Breeders Cup.....they can run that race at a mile and 40 yards.