Rough Weekend for Stars

walt says:

C:

My belief is concerning lengthening the BC Races and so forth is you sometimes have to drive change down the throats, and this may be a case where you have to do so, taking the bull by the horns.

By lengthening the BC Classic to 1 5/8 Miles while at the same time rewarding those who race more frequently and also at the same time for the Derby basically force horses to make more starts (especially at three) leading up to the Derby would have the effect to me of having fewer injuries over time. This would be coupled with other changes I would make, most notably making it so retiring horses at three is no longer worthwhile (i.e.: Making it so if a horse is retired at three, his offspring is ineligible to race until the stallion reaches his 13th birthday, with two years taken off from that for horses making a minimum of 10 starts in each of his four and five year old seasons, forcing most top horses to race through their five year old campaigns).

And as for running the BC Classic at 1 5/8 Miles, I said that distance over 1 1/2 Miles in part because most tracks can run 1 5/8 Miles, albeit around three turns (and on 1 1/8 Mile tracks, starting near the far turn). That move to me would have the effect of many other major stakes being lengthened, forcing trainers, breeders, etc. to change their ways. Would we see some suffering at first? Of course, but long-term, this is a change that needs to be made.

Posted by Walt Jun 17, 2009 10:47:22 PM

walt says:

With regard to changing the Triple Crown:

My thinking is there does need to be some change, but in my case it would be a relatively minor one when compared to the "drastic" measures some have had:

I would simply push back the Preakness by one week beginning in 2010 (with it next year on May 22 and then on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend beginning in 2011), with the Belmont also one week later (on June 12 in 2010 and on the Saturday of Father's Day weekend beginning in 2011). There is a precedent for doing that, and that is prior to 1969, there only was a two week gap between the Preakness and Belmont Stakes (the 1968 Belmont in fact was actually contested on Memorial Day weekend as it was on Saturday, June 1, and at that time Memorial Day was still observed on May 30, a Thursday that year, and there were a few years where The Belmont was actually contested in late May), and there also were years where The Belmont was four weeks after the Preakness. Having The Preakness and Belmont one week later than at present would not diminish a Triple Crown winner anywhere near as much as other changes that could be made.

The thoughts about why horses make fewer starts today to me makes sense. To me, horses are "babied" way too much like pitchers are in baseball, and if anything, I think the reason we see more injuries now is the fact horses don't race enough, much the same as why we see many more arm injuries in baseball than we used to over the last 15 years or so (something in baseball Nolan Ryan is trying to change with the Texas Rangers). I suspect we would see fewer injuries than at present if trainers and owners had the guts to race their horses more frequently, and tracks in turn went back to spacing their major stakes closer together like it used to be (or worked together so horses would be racing more frequently against each other at different venues).

What really needs to be done in my opinion is for Breeders' Cup, Ltd. to have the guts to make some significant changes to the distances of the Breeders' Cup races and at the same time change the preferences to give horses who race more frequently starting berths over horses who don't race as often. The biggest change I would make would be to lengthen the BC Classic to 1 5/8 Miles and at the same time at least return the BC Distaff to its original distance of 1 1/4 Miles (if not also lengthen that to 1 5/8 Miles), while the Dirt Mile would be renamed the "BC Middle Distance" and be run at 1 1/8 Miles for those trainers who either don't know how or don't want to train their horses properly to run 1 5/8 Miles. Doing so would immediately in all likelyhood cause NYRA to return The Jockey Club Gold Cup to at least 1 1/2 Miles (where it was run from 1976-'89) and many other major stakes would in the process be lengthened from 1 1/8 to 1 1/4-1 5/8 Miles (with the BC Marathon lengthened to 2 1/4 Miles). A point system could be used that rewards racing (and winning) frequently that gives major incentive for trainers to have horses make on average 12-18 starts a year with a top horse. All of this to me would have a ripple effect on the training of top three year olds, who suddenly would be racing more frequently like they used to and come into the Triple Crown more "race ready" and have a better shot at actually winning it as they would come in more prepared in my opinion. Churchill Downs could also crack down in this manner of more frequent starts by making it clear that horses who have made more starts in Graded stakes as three year olds would be given preference over horses with lighter racing schedules (with points awarded for each start made in Graded stakes and more for better finishes).

Drugs are another issue, obviously, and changes there do need to be made in that regard as well. This, however, is something that can't be changed overnight, but to me it can be done if it is phased in over a period of time, most likely in the following manner:

Beginning in 2010: No more having horses do one furlong drills as two year olds in training and using other items of any kind to make yearlings and two year olds "sale ready." Horses will have to "make it" in the sales on their natural appearence. Two year olds will also be barred from racing on any medication of any kind, having to race on hay, oats and water only. In addition, horses racing in the Triple Crown, Breeders' Cup and other selected Grade 1 events (Travers, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Arlington Million, Santa Anita Handicap, etc.) would not be permitted to have any race day medication for such races either. There is a precedent for this in Harness Racing: In the Hambletonian and its filly counterpart (Hambletonian Oaks), horses are NOT permitted to race on any race-day medication of any kind, and it seems to have little effect on their ability.

2011: The ban on medication is extended to three year olds until after the Triple Crown races EXCEPT where they are facing older horses who are permitted to race on allowed medication. The stakes ban on medication would be expanded to ALL Grade 1 and Grade 2 stakes.

2012: Same bans for two and three year olds while the ban on stakes races is expanded to ALL Graded stakes events of any kind. Also, beginning in 2012, any trace of medication would constitute a positive test, and trainers with such would be subject to harsh penalities if proven the trainer was at fault for that.

2013: All race day medication is banned, and any trace consitutes a positive.

These are just some steps that can be done to remedy what has been a serious problem in recent years with the sport of kings. Obviously, it would involve everyone involved put aside any differences they may have to put the sport above everything else, but if everyone involved has the guts to do so, that would bring the sport back into the positive light.

Posted by Walt Jun 16, 2009 12:43:46 PM