Five New Grade I Races in 2007; Two Others Drop to Grade II

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by oracle80

In the last 5 runnnings of the ARk Derby, off the top of my head I can list Flower Alley, Purge, Smarty Jones, and Aflet Alex. I'll check and see if there were anymore.

Borrego and the late St. Liam are two I can think of immediately.. And I think Harvard Avenue may have won one.. The Malibu maybe?

Originally Posted by Kasept

Borrego...

Ok thats 5.

Lets face it, the Bluegrass's 3 weeks out from the Derby has really hurt its stature.
That and the fact that it was run over a suspect track that was speed favoring, which they have now changed to absolutely no chance in hell on the lead.
My prognosis for the future of the Blue Grass is bleak.
Why would anyone wanna prep for the Derby over poly where speed has no chance, 3 weeks out, when you can prep at Gulf 5 weeks out, Aqu 4 weeks out, Ark weeks out, or SA 4 weeks out?
What you will get is 2nd tier horses looking to get earnings to get in who will end up making no impact on the Derby.

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Why would anyone wanna prep for the Derby over poly where speed has no chance, .

THe first three in the BC Juvie ran in the the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland.

[Pedigree Ann]

When I look abck at the original list of graded races from 1973, I could cry at how far from the original intent we have come.

In 1973, there was only ONE G1 for horses 3 and up at 8f or less - the Met Mile. At 1 1/16 there was the Californian S; at 9f were the San Antonio S (a Big 'Cap prep) and the Governor S (a prep for the Marlboro Cup etc.); there were 9 G1s at 10f, then the Woodward at 12f and the Jockey Club Gold Cup at 2 miles.

There were no G1s shorter than 9f for older mares, nor for 3yos. Sophomore fillies could get a G1 for winning the Acorn at 8f or the Cotillion at 8.5f, but the remaining 5 G1s were at 9f or beyond. (The Kentucky Oaks was more or less a local race in those days, a G2; its prep, the Ashland S, was a G3). The shortest G1 turf race was the 9f American Derby for 3yos; older horses had the 9.5f UN H, but then it was 11f or longer to win a G1. Juveniles had 6 chances to win a G1 in open company, 5 chances if they ran in filly races. (None of these races was around 2 turns by the way - the 8.5f races at Laurel were run around one turn with an auxilary finish line.)

[Cannon Shell]

The grading system is broken and every year they usually make it worse.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The grading system is broken and every year they usually make it worse.

Simple and true.

I would love to know why races like the Gazelle are still a Grade 1. It comes three weeks after arguably NY's biggest Grade 1 restricted to 3YO fillies....the Alabama. It's almost like saying " hey, don't worry if you weren't good enough for the Alabama, you can still get a Grade 1 in a much weaker spot ". And, I basically agree with the poster who asked why the Prioress is a Grade 1. OK, it's the only Grade 1 at 6F restricted to 3YO fillies. Great, who the hell said we needed one. Somebody remind me, what is the Grade 1 race at 6F restricted to 3YO colts? Off the top of my head I can't think of one. It seems to me the Acorn, Mother Goose, CCA Oaks, Alabama and Test are enough races restricted to 3YO fillies at Grade 1 level for NY.

Whatever race ends the 3YO filly series at Santa Anita probably shouldn't be a Grade 1 either. Wow....last year it produced Balance! And, while I'm ranting, why is the Garden City, a 3YO filly stake on the grass at Belmont, a Grade 1? Yes, it has had some nice fields, but this year the very mediocre Magnificent Song won it, last year while the first two finishers are nice horses it was a four horse field and a few years ago my friend Pete's horse, Indy Five Hundred, won it and she's hardly a Grade 1 quality horse.

While I am on it, I know the Carter has a lot of history, but unless this year's field is SUBSTANTIALLY better than the absolute crap that ran in it this year it needs to be downgraded. If they don't come for these races then they should not retain their ratings.

This is off the top of my head, so I am sure there are others, but frankly I would rather watch " The 400 Blows " than even think about how screwed up this game is.

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Simple and true.

I would love to know why races like the Gazelle are still a Grade 1. It comes three weeks after arguably NY's biggest Grade 1 restricted to 3YO fillies....the Alabama. It's almost like saying " hey, don't worry if you weren't good enough for the Alabama, you can still get a Grade 1 in a much weaker spot ". And, I basically agree with the poster who asked why the Prioress is a Grade 1. OK, it's the only Grade 1 at 6F restricted to 3YO fillies. Great, who the hell said we needed one. Somebody remind me, what is the Grade 1 race at 6F restricted to 3YO colts? Off the top of my head I can't think of one. It seems to me the Acorn, Mother Goose, CCA Oaks, Alabama and Test are enough races restricted to 3YO fillies at Grade 1 level for NY.

Whatever race ends the 3YO filly series at Santa Anita probably shouldn't be a Grade 1 either. Wow....last year it produced Balance! And, while I'm ranting, why is the Garden City, a 3YO filly stake on the grass at Belmont, a Grade 1? Yes, it has had some nice fields, but this year the very mediocre Magnificent Song won it, last year while the first two finishers are nice horses it was a four horse field and a few years ago my friend Pete's horse, Indy Five Hundred, won it and she's hardly a Grade 1 quality horse.

While I am on it, I know the Carter has a lot of history, but unless this year's field is SUBSTANTIALLY better than the absolute crap that ran in it this year it needs to be downgraded. If they don't come for these races then they should not retain their ratings.

This is off the top of my head, so I am sure there are others, but frankly I would rather watch " The 400 Blows " than even think about how screwed up this game is.

Darn good post.

[Linny]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The grading system is broken and every year they usually make it worse.

I couldn't agree more. First off lets begin with the premise that a G1=G1. This means that all G1's (within each division) is EQUAL. Now, does anyone think that the Donn H and the BC Classic are equal? Then why do they carry the same grade. Racing has changed and G1 horses are starting less and less often. As such we need fewer not more G1's. If races like the BC, the Derby etc are "better" or "more important" that races like the Donn or the Foster or the Florida Derby or the Hollywood Gold Cup, why do they carry the same grade. G1 races should be the elite races, not those who, back in the history of the game were won my G1 horses.

I love the history of the game and am saddened to see races like the Ladies Handicap run for $65k, with no grade, no fanfare. It's one of the oldest races in the US. It seems to me that it should have some honored position in the summer with all the history polished and shining every year, but it doesn't. Same for the Fall Highweight and the now dead Lawrence Realization. Sadly though, the game has changed and the best horses cherry pick spots and appear 4-5 times a year.

Originally Posted by Linny

I couldn't agree more. First off lets begin with the premise that a G1=G1. This means that all G1's (within each division) is EQUAL. Now, does anyone think that the Donn H and the BC Classic are equal? Then why do they carry the same grade. Racing has changed and G1 horses are starting less and less often. As such we need fewer not more G1's. If races like the BC, the Derby etc are "better" or "more important" that races like the Donn or the Foster or the Florida Derby or the Hollywood Gold Cup, why do they carry the same grade. G1 races should be the elite races, not those who, back in the history of the game were won my G1 horses.

I love the history of the game and am saddened to see races like the Ladies Handicap run for $65k, with no grade, no fanfare. It's one of the oldest races in the US. It seems to me that it should have some honored position in the summer with all the history polished and shining every year, but it doesn't. Same for the Fall Highweight and the now dead Lawrence Realization. Sadly though, the game has changed and the best horses cherry pick spots and appear 4-5 times a year.

The problem is that the BC has disrupted and ruined just about every part of racing.
Grade one races used to be just that, grade one races. In order to earn accolades and status you had to run and compete in them.
Now the BC has overshadowed everything. races like the Fall Highweight and Lawrence no longer matter, and attendance is no longer required at early year grade ones as noone remembers them at the end of the year anyway, its all BC based.
BC is the worst thing that ever happened to racing. Its rendered most of teh year meaningless and turned a bunch of races that used to be real nice and important into 5 horse "prep" races. Extremely sad.

I also believe that all Grade I's arent equal. Are you to tell me that Seek Gold is equal to Invasor or Barbaro. I think we should have fewer Grade I's. However, I also recognize that there needs to be Grade I's for different type of horses. We need a Grade I for those horses who sprint, can go 1 1/16, 1 1/8 and 1 1/4. We need turf as well. I think three Grade I's per "group" if perfect.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Borrego and the late St. Liam are two I can think of immediately.. And I think Harvard Avenue may have won one.. The Malibu maybe?

Rock Hard Ten won that Malibu, Lava Man 2nd, Harvard Ave (yet another that was run over by the Smarty Train) 3rd. Harvard Ave did win a G2 though- I believe the Portero Grande or something?