- Got an email [from NTRA] with this ad for ESPN's coverage of the races at Arlington today. Take a look and tell me if you notice what's missing. I'll check out this Nick Cave video while I wait.
Got it? There's not a single mention that the Million, as well as the Beverly D, are Breeders' Cup Challenge Win And You're In races! I think we've quickly seen this year the problem with the Breeders' Cup expanding the series so drastically - from 24 to 53 - in just its second year. Last year, with a more manageable amount of races, the concept caught on, at least a little, in the press with the catchy "win or you're in" tag line. But this year, the seeming importance of the races has been quickly diluted by their sheer volume (as well as, perhaps, the fact that some horses who qualified last year didn't run due to the fees to supplement), including a weekday race at Del Mar and one at Philly Park for Evening Attire. Even the NTRA, which works so closely with the Breeders' Cup, didn't even see fit to mention it!
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Saturday, August 09, 2008
Win And You're What??
Posted by Alan Mann at 12:35 PM
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4 Comments:
how impressive was winchester?
Those races should have been called “Win and You’re Almost In.” To me the issue is how to restore the significance and luster of graded stakes that have been devalued by the Breeders’ Cup, which IMO is every one in this country other than Triple Crown events and their preps. A secondary issue is the role of the BC as a crowner of divisional champions.
It's simply ridiculous to have a "Win and You're In" race where the winner might be BC-ineligible, and therefore have to be supplemented for several hundred thousand dollars.
Crossing The Line was a prime example of this last year, though he later hurt himself and wouldn't have run anyway.
More Breeders' Cup races, a second day of Breeders' Cup, more win and your ins, two straight years of having the BC run at Santa Anita-you'd almost think the folks who organize this thing are getting greedy and power mad, forgetting the original purpose of these races.
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