UPDATE: BC keeps 2yo Lasix ban; Drops Juvy Sprint

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Kasept

CJ.. Agree on the Juvy overkill, but after initially scoffing at the Turf Sprint, I've come to around to liking it. There's more than enough of a grass sprint division domestically to justify it and on top of that, turf dashes are very big internationally. It would be pretty exciting to have a Black Caviar or Takeover Target type show up for a running..

Yeah, its better than the others, but this switching from 5 to 6.5f all the time is a bit old.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Yeah, its better than the others, but this switching from 5 to 6.5f all the time is a bit old.

can't they run 5 f on the turf without worrying about using the downhill course? the turf course is 7f. and i agree, several of these bs races need to go. put all their purse money into the classic. it should be the biggest purse of the year.
and the bc juvie and fillies juvie should be shorter.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Yeah, its better than the others, but this switching from 5 to 6.5f all the time is a bit old.

I don't know.. The F&M Turf switches distance from 10f-11f based on venue. That's pretty significant.

The 6.5f-T is unique and I understand those that say it gives an unfair advantage to local runners. But in the first 2 runnings out there, a horse with no experience on it was close: Diabolical (2nd) was beaten a jump in '08 (Desert Code) and Cannonball (3rd) was 2L back in '09 (California Flag).

In that '08 running, Storm Treasure was 3rd at of the WO Mile and that nice Euro filly Fleeting Spirit was 4th. The '09 edition was dominated by Cal-based types besides Cannonball with Gotta Have Her 2nd and Delta Storm 4th.

Last year, Unbridled's Note (2nd) was beaten a half length (Mizdirection) and did have a downhill prep winning the Eddie D. ahead of the Cup. Great Mills was 4th behind Reneesgotzip, beaten 3L after coming in from Keeneland.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Kasept

I don't know.. The F&M Turf switches distance from 10f-11f based on venue. That's pretty significant.

The 6.5f-T is unique and I understand those that say it gives an unfair advantage to local runners. But in the first 2 runnings out there, a horse with no experience on it was close: Diabolical (2nd) was beaten a jump in '08 (Desert Code) and Cannonball (3rd) was 2L back in '09 (California Flag).

In that '08 running, Storm Treasure was 3rd at of the WO Mile and that nice Euro filly Fleeting Spirit was 4th. The '09 edition was dominated by Cal-based types besides Cannonball with Gotta Have Her 2nd and Delta Storm 4th.

Last year, Unbridled's Note (2nd) was beaten a half length (Mizdirection) and did have a downhill prep winning the Eddie D. ahead of the Cup. Great Mills was 4th behind Reneesgotzip, beaten 3L after coming in from Keeneland.

No argument with any of that. It just isn't really a turf sprint in my opinion. Most people think of 5 or 5.5 as turf sprints. Of course it wasn't that long ago that neither New York or SoCal even ran turf sprints outside of going down the hill.

[Linny]

Maybe the BC uses baseline budgeting of races and the "decrease" will actually mean that they are planning on rethinking additional races. recall that this past year they ran those "quasi-BC races" as pilots for potential additional growth.

[Kasept]

https://twitter.com/DRFGrening: Breeders' Cup maintains Lasix ban on juveniles but will permit Lasix in other races. BC Juvenile Sprint eliminated.

[Kasept]

• BREEDERS’ CUP MAINTAINS MEDICATION POLICY FOR JUVENILE RACES FOR 2013 EVENT;
  
  
• ORGANIZATION CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INDUSTRYWIDE STUDY ON EFFECTS OF RACE-DAY MEDICATION;
  
  
• ALSO ELIMINATES JUVENILE SPRINT FOR 2013 EVENT

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 1, 2013) – The Breeders’ Cup board voted today to maintain its race day medication policies for the 2013 Breeders’ Cup World Championships which were in place for the 2012 event. This year, horses competing in the races restricted to Juveniles will not be permitted Lasix (furosemide). Horses participating in all other Breeders’ Cup races will be permitted to race on Lasix, which will be administered only by veterinarians authorized by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) and approved by Breeders’ Cup.

The Board also pledged funding, and called upon other Thoroughbred racing organizations, to support an industrywide independent study of the causes, effects, and potential alternative methods of reducing the occurrence of EIPH in racehorses.

“We recognize that there has been great divisiveness in our industry over medication rules, but joining together in the common goal of independent scientific research of the effects of race-day medications, coupled with industry pursuit of uniform rules, will move us toward eliminating such divisions.” said Tom Ludt, Chairman of Breeders’ Cup. “Our board feels this measure, keeping the policy in place for the Juvenile races and maintaining the 2012 policy on the remaining races, is the most practical course of action at this time.”

Over the last decade, Breeders’ Cup has taken a leading industry position in the areas of out of competition testing, security, pre-race exams and post-race drug testing for its Championships. All Horses competing in this year’s Championships will be monitored for 72 hours prior to post time of the horse’s race.

The Breeders’ Cup also announced it has dropped the six furlong, $500,000 Juvenile Sprint from its roster of races in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships after two years.
“The number of starters and overall quality of the Juvenile Sprint fields for its two runnings did not meet the standards expected for the Championships,” said Craig Fravel, Breeders’ Cup president and CEO. “We also believe that the Juvenile Sprint had a negative impact on field sizes for both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies.

“Even with the reduction from 15 to 14 races,” Fravel continued, “we anticipate we will pay more than $25 million in purses and awards in 2013, more than last year, which is important to our owners and nominators. As far as the roster of races, during the expansion of the last few years and moving forward, our focus is on providing the most competitive fields for racing fans and ensuring opportunities to run at the highest levels for our horsemen and nominators around the world. We will continue to look at our races on an annual basis to ensure they are meeting those objectives.”

In addition to these initiatives for the Championships, Breeders’ Cup approved a full schedule of 2013 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races (“Win and You’re In”), which will be announced in the coming weeks

[Alan07]

Oliver Tait, Darley's chief operating officer, has resigned from the board of the Breeders' Cup because of the organization's medication policy.

"The Breeders' Cup has reversed its previously agreed and stated position that the 2013 Breeders' Cup World Championships will be conducted without Lasix," said Tait in a Darley release issued March 3, referring to the anti-bleeding drug also known as Salix. "As a consequence, I have resigned from the board of the Breeders' Cup."

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...ard-over-salix