Graded Earnings: Is there an alternative?

[Thunder Gulch]

Field of 20 and everyone knows the rules. Every year it seems that someone develops late and becomes the bubble horse that people talk about, but the most deserving get in. I think graded earnings is as good as any system to fill up the field. Maybe you could find a weighting system to adjust graded earnings for distance and adjust down for 2yo money, but I wouldn't recommend any dramatic changes.