Derby Trail Next Start-Likely/Possible

[PatCummings]

If we are talking about things to change in the Derby camp, how about limiting the field to 14.

[robfla]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

If we are talking about things to change in the Derby camp, how about limiting the field to 14.

from strictly a gambler's point of view - heck no... the more, the better.... plus that would still allow for synth winners to get in

[lemoncrush]

Why note make the following races "Win and you're in"?
3 races at the end of the 2-year old season
10 races during the 3-year old season

BC Juvenile, KY Jockey Cup, Hollywood Futurity

Risen Star, LA Derby, Fountain of Youth, FL Derby, Gotham, Wood, San Felipe, SA Derby, Rebel, Arkansas Derby,


The remaining spots in the field could be chosen by a Churchill committee (like the NCAA basketball tourney) or some other Criteria. Horses can still choose to run in the Bluegrass, Spiral, Sunland Derby, etc.. but it wouldn't automatically give them an entry into the Derby.

[RolloTomasi]

The thing that justindew takes for granted is that Mine That Bird would have run the same schedule at 2 had a rule been in place excluding synthetic earnings for entry into the Kentucky Derby. All his races at 2 were on synthetics. If any of his connections were "thinking Derby", would they have run him on dirt at some point? Possibly. Definitely if we're talking about horses in a similar boat like Lookin At Lucky and Pioneerof The Nile. What an added bonus that would be, competitive 2yo stakes. No more 5-horse Remsens, no more Champagnes or Hopefuls where the loftiest credential of any of the starters is a maiden special weight victory.

Furthermore, why is January 1st some sort of arbitrary cutoff prior to which earnings shouldn't count? The basic reason why quality horses are raced at 2 is to prepare for the classics the following spring. Encouraging trainers to start later and thereby shorten the time period they have to train/race their horses to be able to negotiate 10f in May would only serve to increase the physical pressure already heaped on young racehorses.