View Single Post
  #7  
Old 06-10-2007, 06:04 PM
Dunbar's Avatar
Dunbar Dunbar is offline
The Curragh
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 2,962
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scav
One of the most serious issues is breeding, early breeding. Fact is that when a horse like Cigar was shipped around the USA, he brought people to the track. I'll never forget that Saturday. I was 2nd in line at 8am in the morning, only a winnebago from Minnesota beat us, lined up on Euclid Ave. Scav was a bit aggressive in those days and actually opened up the gates himself, thus letting the 50 cars sitting on Euclid Avenue in a bit early.

Arlington was packed that day, impossible to move, and some people didn't leave the finish line for the whole day. Brought more people then the Million.
I agree with Scav. It was a very different sport 50 years ago, when horses ran much more frequently and in general stayed around longer. Now, as soon as a star is born it's whisked off to the breeding shed. Real stars, like Cigar, come too seldom for a fan base to be sustained.

I think if the best players left the NFL or MLB every year, people wouldn't be nearly as interested in those sports, either. How popular would golf or tennis be right now if you had to learn a whole new list of contenders every 2 years?

--Dunbar
__________________
Curlin and Hard Spun finish 1,2 in the 2007 BC Classic, demonstrating how competing in all three Triple Crown races ruins a horse for the rest of the year...see avatar
photo from REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Reply With Quote