Quote:
Originally Posted by Linny
Why change anything? What "right" horses have been kept out by "wrong" horses?
If you eliminate synthetic, do you also not count grass races? That means a horse like Frankel (who is NOT pointing for the Derby) wouldn't be able to compete, yet I think that most people would like to see such a horse were his connections interested. In fact it would keep out Master of Hounds this year and by all accounts he's a pretty nice horse. By ditching synth you take out races like the CashCall Futurity, the Breeders' Futurity the Del Mar Futurity and in the last couple of years all the big SA preps.
As handicappers we like to see rational outcomes (at least rational to those who 'capped the winner) but the general public likes the excitement of the Mine That Bird or the Giacomo. The fact is that for the most part, graded earnings signify the "best" horses anyhow. If a horse isn't one of the top 20 in graded earnings overall in his generation he probably doesn't belong in the field.
As for field size being cut to eliminate some of the no-hopers, no way. Every other major racing nation runs it's classics with far bigger fields. Eight Belles didn't break down because she had to face 19 runners. Yes, it's a tough, scrappy race but it would be with 14 or even 8 runners, because it is the most famous race in America and every rider is riding like their life depends on it.
|
I don't agree with not counting stuff... but I do agree with discounting. I don't think it's a big deal to discount 50% a race run in August of the 2-year-old year versus the race run four weeks before the Derby.
The synthetic/dirt argument is tricky... lots of politics, good feelings and happy hand-shakes involved there.
04-21-2011, 02:19 PM
Threaded Mode