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Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
The real question is what are the qualifications of new NTRA head Greg Avioli and why is he being given free rein here. The whole thing smacks of some plot hatched by breeders to falsely inflate the value of stallions and broodmares. Who they are fooling, however, I do not know. Perhaps any new buyers getting into the game. But, the simple fact is there are already too many Grade 1 races and all of these have been watered down and savaged by the BC races already. Why creating more, and unnecessary, races somehow elevates the game is beyond me. Where exactly are all the supposed quality horses to fill these races going to come from?
One thing I have gleaned from watching past stakes races on Youtube is how much more legitimate the paces were in those days. Nowadays it seems a 48 half in any distance race, save the Derby and BC races, is borderline contentious. This is undoubtably due to the relative lack of competition in many of these races. As we pile on more and more BC races, and surely dilute the quality of each event, soon those races will be non-competitive as well.
It is high time that racing had someone in a leadership role that didn't have a hidden agenda being fed by those without the true interests of fans in mind. It is also time that somewhere in racing someone with a voice asks some of these questions.....before it is too late. Who is speaking for us?
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Well said. As usual, nobody is looking out for bettors.
This pace thing is something you rarely hear talked about. I think horses are going slower for a few reasons. One, as you say, is the lack of competition. The other is that the breeding is so sprint oriented these days, it is the only way the horses can get around the track respectably.
It used to be that a fast pace pretty much guaranteed a fast final time in top class competition. This isn't really so anymore. In fact, it is just the opposite.