Is this really a good thing?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by dean smith

And by the way, I never said that we needed a TC winner "to save the game" or be its "savior." This is coming from you guys, who have obviously heard it time and again. I'm simply talking about the mainstream interest in the sport that increases ten-fold when the hunt for a Triple Crown is on.

Northern Dancer was the first race I watched on TV. I saw Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed/Alydar (on TV)

The Triple Crown didn't seem to interest casual non-fans until right before the last race. Just that last week or so.

People - the casual sorta fans - remember D. Wayne vs. Baffert, they loved Mrs. Gentner being hugged by Carl, they loved Afleet Alex and the Lemonade Stand, every girl with a jumping pony had a crush on Michael Matz when he first became an Olympic caliber rider - you don't need a Triple Crown.

You need something they can root for or against, that's all. They just need a little superficial knowledge readily available so they can latch onto the big public horseracing events with an opinion and an interest.

Getting them, then, to the racetrack is another thing, as they are lost there. The environment is different without a talking head telling them the story. That's where we come in, taking friends to the track.

[sumitas]

And I , as a fan , loved NY Triple Crown winner, the first in history, Tin Cup Chalice last year . What a tragic end to an inspiring story that had many more chapters to be written .

[Pedigree Ann]

It's rather sad that it took the fact that their (part-)owners are in jail and have to refund megabucks to the clients they bilked to keep two of the best older horses in training - Curlin and Einstein - beyond their 'normal' retirement ages. While Midnight Cry only retained 20% of Curlin and the majority owner (Jackson) has been allowed some leeway, Einstein is 100% owned by Midnight Cry and his net earnings go into escrow. Whether a stallion deal can be worked out for Einstein next year is entirely in the hands of the court; do they try to syndicate privately or sell him publicly at auction? Does the judge (even if he is in Kentucky) know which way would net more for the plaintiffs? Will plaintiffs who think he is worth more than they get tie him up in litigation for years?
I worry about this, because I think Einstein is the sort of stallion we need in the US - sound, versatile, and dead game. By a champion, out of a champion.