Quote:
Originally Posted by RolloTomasi
So they ran the Arcadia (Grade 2 at 8f turf) on April 9. They ran the Inglewood (Grade 3 at 8.5f turf) just 15 days later on April 24. Now they will run the San Francisco Mile (Grade 3 at 8f turf) on April 30.
This is why top class racing in CA is accelerating towards oblivion. Failure to accept the fact that the horse population is not what it once was and failure between tracks to "work together" to make the most of the situation.
Hey, at least Liberian Freighter is a top BC Mile contender now that he's stolen two uncompetitive and paceless races, the latest featuring all of 4 horses.
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Had this exact conversation, in concert with the Andy Beyer piece, with Satish Sanan and Seth Merrow this week on ATR. And it's hardly limited to an effect on California racing. It's pandemic. Between the AGSC (Graded Stakes Committee) and perhaps the Racing Secretaries group, there simply needs to be an aggressive pruning and reorganization of the national stakes calendar.
It's ridiculous to go on this way when there are relatively simple solutions available to rectify the situation and improve the product in every respect. The problem is of course that the breeders are as eager to produce "multiple graded stakes winners" for sires under the current scenario as the owners are eager to win them. But we're wasting money and certainly are going to need less sires moving forward, so cut stakes and you'll make winning them more meaningful.