Three New BC Races

[blackthroatedwind]

Calling the 1 1/2 mile race a BC race drags down every other race.

But what do I know.....I stopped watching the NFL in 1987 when they let the scab teams take the field for five games.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Calling the 1 1/2 mile race a BC race drags down every other race.

But what do I know.....I stopped watching the NFL in 1987 when they let the scab teams take the field for five games.

I understand that sentiment. It's the same one I have with calling prep races grade ones. IMO, if the Santa Anita Derby, the Florida Derby, the Wood and the Blue Grass are preps for the Kentucky Derby, making them the same grade as the main event does the Kentucky Derby an injustice. I believe the graded stakes committee decided that next year, not only will they keep the Arkansas Derby as a grade two but they also upgraded the Rebel to grade two status. That's very stupid to me. But I don't get worked up over it either way. They could make them all grade ones or make them all grade nines. They can call the new races BC races or they could call them whatever they want. I judge the races by what I think is the quality of the field and won't let a grade or title bother me.

[blackthroatedwind]

I agree with you about the Derby preps and their graded status. However, I can also understand the other side of the argument. There are pros and cons and the people that spend a great deal of money for horses have more than a right to a say in this matter. However, there is something highly illogical about TC preps being Graded the same as the actual TC races. However, they don't carry the same weight, or anything close, in terms of commanding breeding attention.

I don't care a great deal either about the whole thing but I do find the entire system greatly flawed. I wish there was a way to objectively grade all races at the end of the year, after they have been run, and after we have seen what kinds of horses actually comprised the fields. One of the main problems, of course, with this is the same people with questionable judgement, and personal agendas, would be doing the post race rating as well. Thus, all in all, I guess I would have to agree that it just doesn't matter or isn't really worth wasting much time over. However, wasting my time is my full time job.

[whodey17]

I wonder if Evening Attire will try the 1 1/2 miles race.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I agree with you about the Derby preps and their graded status. However, I can also understand the other side of the argument. There are pros and cons and the people that spend a great deal of money for horses have more than a right to a say in this matter. However, there is something highly illogical about TC preps being Graded the same as the actual TC races. However, they don't carry the same weight, or anything close, in terms of commanding breeding attention.

I don't care a great deal either about the whole thing but I do find the entire system greatly flawed. I wish there was a way to objectively grade all races at the end of the year, after they have been run, and after we have seen what kinds of horses actually comprised the fields. One of the main problems, of course, with this is the same people with questionable judgement, and personal agendas, would be doing the post race rating as well. Thus, all in all, I guess I would have to agree that it just doesn't matter or isn't really worth wasting much time over. However, wasting my time is my full time job.

I brought up the idea of grading races at the end of the year a long time ago to a semi-prominent trainer on the Southern Cal circuit. He said that he thought it was a good idea but that one of the main problems we'd have if we did that was that if we thought the problem of top horses ducking each other was already a problem, it would become even moreso by grading races after. Take the situation in 2003. As much as I wanted to condemn Mineshaft's being selected for HOY because he beat NOBODY and the only time he faces another horse that was considered one of the top 6-7 older males (Perfect Drift), he lost, I had to at least acknowledge that his people put him in the races that were considered the best races during the second half of the year. That nobody chose to face him in those races wasn't their fault. Now, if there was no grading until the end of the year, the connections of several different horses could pick and choose their spots and stay away from other top horses and make the claim that the race they went in was the best race and the others ducked them. At least by knowing ahead of time what the grades are, we know which races are supposed to be the best ones and where the best horses are supposed to go.

[blackthroatedwind]

That's a very valid point.

It's a good thing I bet most of my money in maiden races and turf races.