Of the ideas I've heard, these are the ones I like the best:
I'd add an 8f race on dirt but it would be strictly for 3yo's. I'd add a 12f dirt race but it would be strictly for 4yo's and up. In addition to the new 12f race, I'd add a series of races through the year, maybe 6-8 of them at $500k each at 12f for 4yo's and older. Perhaps if there is a series of races with a bonus attatched to it, it would keep a few more of these horses around a little longer and also would create a market that would encourage breeders to breed for those kinds of races. As it stands now, u can't blame them for not wanting to breed any 12f type horses.
I'd also get rid of the Juvenile Fillies and make just one 2yo race and have that race be at 6f. I don't think 2yo's need to run beyond 6f. There would be no 2yo races at all beyond 6f. Then in January/Feb, the furthest they could go would be 7f....March/April, the furthest they could go would be 8f.....the Derby would be 9f, the Preakness 9.5f, and the Belmont 10f. The purpose of the Belmont used to be to determine which of the 3yo's could handle 12f and be able to compete with the older horses in the fall in the big races, several of which were 12f or longer. But now, since there are no 12f dirt races, the Belmont has been turned into one of America's most irrelevant races, save for when there is a TC on the line. That's sad.
I would not create a sprint race for females. The females have a very good record in the open Sprint as it is. Same for the Mile. If they were being outclassed in those races, maybe so. But Royal Heroine, Pine Tree Lane, Very Subtle, Miesque, Sonic Lady, Safely Kept, Meafara, Ski Paradise, Soviet Problem, Desert Stormer, Ridgewood Pearl, Sayyedati, Tuzla, Honest Lady, Xtra Heat, Six Perfections, and Gorella all say that the girls can run with the boys in those races. All of those females have either won or been in the money in the Sprint or Mile. If u take it a step further, u can add the names of All Along, Pebbles, Estrapade, Indian Skimmer, Sierra Roberta, Miss Alleged, Hatoof, and Borgia and make the case that there was really no need for the F/M Turf.
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The real horses of the year (1986-2020)
Manila, Java Gold, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Go for Wand, In Excess, Paseana, Kotashaan, Holy Bull, Cigar, Alphabet Soup, Formal Gold, Skip Away, Artax, Tiznow, Point Given, Azeri, Candy Ride, Smarty Jones, Ghostzapper, Invasor, Curlin, Zenyatta, Zenyatta, Goldikova, Havre de Grace, Wise Dan, Wise Dan, California Chrome, American Pharoah, Arrogate, Gun Runner, Accelerate, Maximum Security, Gamine
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