Churchill deal steals 2010 BC from Belmont

[slotdirt]

All I know is the 2006 Breeders Cup at Churchill was the worst run horse racing event I've ever attended in terms of organization, teller lines, and concessions. And it was butt cold that entire week in Kentucky.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

So you went once, in a rainstorm and based a decision on that?

Isnt that problematic though, if you are trying to attract fans to your "super bowl" and that is their first exposure its a tough sell for the sport?

[parsixfarms]

Actually, the weather the day of the 1995 Breeders Cup wasn't bad at all. The temperatures was in the 60s; however, there were torrential rains the day and night before, leaving the track a sea of slop and the turf courses a bog.

The Breeders Cup at Churchill in 1991 was one of the coldest days that I have ever been to the track - and that includes trips to Aqueduct in the winter. And the site lines at Churchill for the typical fan are downright horrible.

IMO, the "best" Breeders Cup site, for fans and horsemen, had been Gulfstream Park, but unfortunately Magna's changes to that facility prevent it from hosting the event any more.

[Holland Hacker]

Originally Posted by zippyneedsawin

I could care less about the BC with its back-to-back all-weather races for '08 & '09.

NYRA should bill its 9/27 date as the "real dirt" championships with the JCGC (Classic), Beldame (Distaff.. oops, I mean Ladies Classic ) , and Vosburgh (Sprint) as the real championship races. Heck, with the Flower Bowl (F & M Turf) and Joe Hirsch (Turf Classic), it's basically the same thing (without the turf mile and Juvy races) as the 'old' BC Day.
Either way, it's the best remaining day on the calender for dirt racing in '08.

At least they didn't decide to stay in California for a 3rd straight year.

Move the Champagne and the Frizette from the following week to cover the Juvy races and contemplate moving the NYRA mile from Aqueduct's Holiday fest and you've got all of the bases covered.

[SentToStud]

LMAO.

Chrurchill steals deal from NYRA.

What exactly do you expect and how can you be surprised?

Evans, Hamilton, Santulli, Phipps. All on non-profit NYRA's bloated board. Funny, they are also on the boards or are trustees of for-profit entities Churchill and Breeders Cup, Ltd..

Maybe if NYRA had another couple dozen board members, this might not have happened.

[AeWingnut]

just how many tracks meet the requirements to host a BC?

3?

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by Quiet Chris

The Breeders Cup at Churchill is much better than the BC at Belmont. Churchill fills up and has a great atmosphere. Belmont could easily be 40 degrees and freezing with the winds. Throw in a home Giants or Jets game on the Sunday and the Yankees or Mets in the World Series and the BC doesn't even get any coverage.

I'm against the B.C. being held at Churchill. They simply are unable to avoid having a biased track. Belmont is a more fair track. Street Sense looked like he jumped on a motorbike and took a ride. He never did that before, or after. Yea, he won the Derby on the track, but was giving up ground at the end. Did he ever win by 10 lengths again? The Calbred WHO ROMPED in the sprint was all out to win his next race, and hasn't done anything since. They get way too much weather there. They can't get the track fair after that.

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

I'm against the B.C. being held at Churchill. They simply are unable to avoid having a biased track. Belmont is a more fair track. Street Sense looked like he jumped on a motorbike and took a ride. He never did that before, or after. Yea, he won the Derby on the track, but was giving up ground at the end. Did he ever win by 10 lengths again? The Calbred WHO ROMPED in the sprint was all out to win his next race, and hasn't done anything since. They get way too much weather there. They can't get the track fair after that.

It's still better than possibly 95 degrees and ashes falling on you like in '04. IMO

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

All I know is the 2006 Breeders Cup at Churchill was the worst run horse racing event I've ever attended in terms of organization, teller lines, and concessions. And it was butt cold that entire week in Kentucky.

I couldn't disagree more. Maybe I got lucky but had NO PROBLEMS either at the teller lines or concessions including Carolina BB-que. Weather was brisk but certainly better than Arlington's BC and well above freezing.

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

All I know is the 2006 Breeders Cup at Churchill was the worst run horse racing event I've ever attended in terms of organization, teller lines, and concessions. And it was butt cold that entire week in Kentucky.

Did you go to Lone Star for BC? THAT, was bad

[slotdirt]

Originally Posted by GBBob

Did you go to Lone Star for BC? THAT, was bad

I did not, but I have been to Churchill numerous other times for other big racing days.

[TheSpyder]

Scab horses?

Originally Posted by docicu3

So what happened to the...

"We....(Churchill).....can't make enough of a profit hosting the BC to make it worth our while!!)


.......supposedly in response to previous announcements that SA would be the site of the next 2 BS.....I mean BC "festivals"......what happened did they squeeze a few more bucks out of the event by adding 1/4 horse events??

Such a joke to screw NYRA yet again.....I hope the horsemen boycott the thing and turn it into a "Replacement BC".....ala the NFL strike season!!

[smuthg]

Anything beats the BC in Hong Kong as was discussed last year. I thought Churchill in '06 was better than both Monmouth last year and Belmont in '05.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

All I know is the 2006 Breeders Cup at Churchill was the worst run horse racing event I've ever attended in terms of organization, teller lines, and concessions. And it was butt cold that entire week in Kentucky.

Disagree completely, other than the weather (which was cold, but not brutal... what do you expect in the first week of November though?) Other than that, and the horrific job of Denman's first attempt at calling the BC, it was a fantastic experience. Churchill handles crowds better than anyone else. I personally am looking forward to 2010.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by philcski

Disagree completely, other than the weather (which was cold, but not brutal... what do you expect in the first week of November though?) Other than that, and the horrific job of Denman's first attempt at calling the BC, it was a fantastic experience. Churchill handles crowds better than anyone else. I personally am looking forward to 2010.

If that was handling crowds, that I experienced this year at the Derby, COUNT ME OUT!!!

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by philcski

Disagree completely, other than the weather (which was cold, but not brutal... what do you expect in the first week of November though?) Other than that, and the horrific job of Denman's first attempt at calling the BC, it was a fantastic experience. Churchill handles crowds better than anyone else. I personally am looking forward to 2010.

I'm with you Phil and I loved that weather...sweatshirts and good for racing. Lines brutal, but it's always that way on BC day. Better than the sauna at Lone Star

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Scav

If that was handling crowds, that I experienced this year at the Derby, COUNT ME OUT!!!

BC crowd is HALF the Derby, and generally more knowledgeable fans. I know what you mean about that though, there's a reason I've only been to two Derbies and it's not because I don't like it. It's just too much. Of the Triple Crown events, I happen to enjoy the Preakness the most.

Originally Posted by GBBob

I'm with you Phil and I loved that weather...sweatshirts and good for racing. Lines brutal, but it's always that way on BC day. Better than the sauna at Lone Star

and WAYYYYY better than the baths we took at Monmouth, which was a real shame because Mth is great on a nice day. Cold and dry is fine by me!!!

[slotdirt]

I don't know where y'all sat at the 06 Breeders Cup, but for those of us down in the 1st floor grandstand, they had about 1/3 of the tellers available for the same number of 1st floor grandstand seats that are generally filled at the Derby. It was one of the more tedious sporting events I've ever attended. This year's Belmont - you know, the Belmont where the bathrooms busticated half way through the card in 98 degree heat - was by comparison a much more enjoyable experience than was the 2006 Breeders Cup.

I guess it's just a matter of perspective.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

I don't know where y'all sat at the 06 Breeders Cup, but for those of us down in the 1st floor grandstand, they had about 1/3 of the tellers available for the same number of 1st floor grandstand seats that are generally filled at the Derby. It was one of the more tedious sporting events I've ever attended. This year's Belmont - you know, the Belmont where the bathrooms busticated half way through the card in 98 degree heat - was by comparison a much more enjoyable experience than was the 2006 Breeders Cup.

I guess it's just a matter of perspective.

1st floor grandstand for me... this year's Belmont I was in the comparative Taj Mahal (the Garden Terrace Dining Room)... and I'd rate the '06 BC higher.

[slotdirt]

I was up in the 4th floor clubhouse for the Belmont, which could also lead me to reach a different conclusiont on those two events in particular.

Eh, I love visiting L-ville, but dang, is Belmont an awesome place to watch racing.