Three New BC Races

King Glorious · #1 12-10-2007, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Don't you think it's hard enough to get quality mile and a quarter races with Million dollar purses?

I do. And as I said, this new race is not going to be a quality race for at least a few years. The races they have during the year to support it will also suck. But I think they have to start somewhere. If you are a breeder, you had absolutely no incentive to even think about breeding horses that could run beyond 10f. Now, they do. It's going to take a while but I am confident that in a few years, maybe it takes five or more, this race won't be so bad. I try not to only focus on the short term when I think about racing.

#2 12-10-2007, 11:21 AM

So now the BC is going to save horse racing.

And people are buying it.

You can't make this stuff up.

slotdirt · #3 12-10-2007, 12:06 PM

I'm sure Navesink River is around somewhere. He used to always win those goofy mile and 7/8's races that NYRA seems to card once or twice per year.

sumitas · #4 12-10-2007, 12:22 PM

He is in Saudi Arabia.

SniperSB23 · #5 12-10-2007, 12:32 PM

Well at least they chose the three races least likely to canibalize the other existing races. I don't have a problem with the races being added but don't see any reason for the purse to be anymore than $250,000 since they will draw the same fields regardless. If they had added a 10 furlong turf race that would have been a distaster.

VOL JACK · #6 12-10-2007, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Well at least they chose the three races least likely to canibalize the other existing races. I don't have a problem with the races being added but don't see any reason for the purse to be anymore than $250,000 since they will draw the same fields regardless. If they had added a 10 furlong turf race that would have been a distaster.

Give them time..

lemoncrush · #7 12-10-2007, 01:48 PM

I would prefer they have a non-graded stakes race at 6-1/2 furlongs down the hill as part of the BC undercard at Santa Anita.

I love the downhill sprints, but it makes no sense making this race part of the BC, since it can't be run next year, and there can't be any "prep" races for it anywhere besides Arcadia, CA.

robfla · #8 12-10-2007, 02:27 PM

This just in... A new race on Friday.

For 6 y.o. and up for Grey Horses only.

The "Gray Pride" Breeders Cup Stakes (GIII)

Riot · #9 12-10-2007, 02:29 PM

C'mon, I can't believe that those that decry the sturdiness and endurance of the TB racehorse are so against the return of races with some distance to them. The value placed on a baby 2-year-old being able to break 11 seconds in a training sale is silly, in my eyes.

Yes, watching (and betting) a 1 1/2 mile race is different than a California sprint. But I'm not fond of Quarter Horse racing, either.

The track secretaries agreed last year to start carding more 1 1/2 mile races, they reiterated to the BC Committee they are behind this, and will card appropriately throughout the year.

I'm very happy to see it. I agree with King Glorious and think King made some excellent points.

Do I think the sport is too geared to BC Championship day, at the expense of racing throughout the year? Absolutely. But that's a different concern than what distances should be offered to TB racehorses; and that doesn't mean I'm against an attempt to expand TB racing back to what it used to be, and providing longer races.

I'm more unhappy with the added carding of more short and intense sprints, than distance races, in regards to "what the breed is".

What is the difference between Hard Spun, Street Sense, and Curlin? Two will prove to be far more commercial than the third, for different reasons, and why is that? Why will Curlin be HOY? What is the extra-added value of Rags as a broodmare?

freddymo · #10 12-10-2007, 02:31 PM

I really see no need for the 1.5 mile affair. On the same token why not? Who cares

blackthroatedwind · #11 12-10-2007, 11:21 AM

This new race will never have a quality field. Never.

Sightseek · #12 12-10-2007, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I do. And as I said, this new race is not going to be a quality race for at least a few years. The races they have during the year to support it will also suck. But I think they have to start somewhere. If you are a breeder, you had absolutely no incentive to even think about breeding horses that could run beyond 10f. Now, they do. It's going to take a while but I am confident that in a few years, maybe it takes five or more, this race won't be so bad. I try not to only focus on the short term when I think about racing.

I agree with what Hossy said above and because of this I think the Breeder's Cup Comittee would be better served focusing on the issues that are brought before them (not enough windows etc) than diluting the product and getting horses there that shouldn't be. Quality over quantity IMO.

If they really wanted to bring more Breeder's Cup to the second day, why not transfer the Steeplechase event to that day?

blackthroatedwind · #13 12-10-2007, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sightseek

If they really wanted to bring more Breeder's Cup to the second day, why not transfer the Steeplechase event to that day?

On the surface this is a good idea but it's tactically impossible as few turf courses are wide enough to run this race on only the outside part of the course and taking the fences down in time to run other turf races is a daunting task. Not impossible but perhaps unnecessarily difficult.

Theoretically Belmont could do this ( and they ran the BC Steeplechase there a week before the BC in 1990 ) as they have two turf courses.