Quote:
Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
Curalina and Cavorting staying in the barn instead of contesting the eminently winnable Beldame and now Spinster is preposterous. In both of their cases, they are highly unlikely BC Distaff winners, and each has something significant to be gained by racing. Curalina can win more money, and increase her value with another Grade 1 win ( though probably not significantly ), whereas Cavorting has a chance to win an Eclipse should she win the Spinster and Songbird beats her elders in the BC ( unlikely but surely possible ). There's also no real downside to racing.
Where does it say Cavorting needs more time? She won the Phipps a month after winning the Ruffian. As for Curalina....well, Todd always wants more time. I'm shocked the owners went along with it in her case given her long odds in the BC vs short odds in the Spinster.
These are just two of the indefensible examples that have seriously hurt this Fall's big races. Yeah, you can blame the BC, but it's the curious handling that baffles me.
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Curlina is in Fall sale so not running her is even more ridiculous. What was she going to do hurt her value finishing 1st or 2nd in Beldame G1?
Cavorting is a different problem. When breeders with unlimited resources and horse populations in wings that virtually assure them runners next year still pass on the very races they breed horses to attend you have to scratch your head and ask what really is the point breeding them anyways.
Maybe all G1 purses should be capped at 300k since nobody cares about purse money and G1 races are now second rate in the wake of BC wins. Sure trainers will suffer but they can renegotiate with the very breeders whos horses they train that are only allowed to run with 60+ days of rest.
If NYRA had 700k more to fund bread and butter races perhaps field size would improve, lower the rake a to something all can leave with and maybe handle increases? Since the Beldame/Spinster are just preps to a means (BC races) drop the purse to 300k. Of course then people will be pissed 30 claimers are running for 75,000. But you know what? at least they will run.