Graded Stakes and Polytrack

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by repent

was wondering the other day.
I think the graded stakes committee will have to totally reavaluate graded stakes at KEE and Holywood for their main track races.

there is no way the Toyota Blue Grass stakes can be considered a Grade 1 KY Derby prep anymore.
its the last place to prepare a 3YO for Churchill Downs on the first saturday of May.
and the Blue Grass winner was something impressive to put on a sire's resume.
now, who cares?
unless you want a polytrack horse, who really cares to breed to a Blue Grass winner.

these races really hold no importance anymore.
if I had to guess, I would think that Ball Four has to be the early favorite to win next year's Holywood Gold Cup.
he obviously likes that crappy surface they just installed.

just look at the Spinster.
was won by a really mediocre turf horse.
and thats supposed to be one of the most imortant races of the entire year in the Distaff division.
anyone have any thoughts?



Repent

I would agree with you if they only had polytrack at one track, but now they have it at Turfway, Keeneland, Hollywood, and Woodbine. Shortly they will have it at Del Mar and Santa Anita. So if you have a horse that is a good horse on polytrack, that is significant because the horse can win big races at 6 different tracks including some of the biggest tracks in the country.

By the way, there are plenty of people that thought the old track at Keeneland was a joke. There was a big speed bias there and there were plenty of good horses that didn't like the track there. At least now if a horse wins a race at Keeneland, he can probably take that form to 5 other tracks. You could argue that Sinister Minister couldn't repeat his race at Keeneland at any other track. So you could argue that a horse's Keeneland form on polytrack is more meaningful than their form on the old Keeneland track.