Sprial purse/points cut

[Al Gobbi]

From DRF:
The Grade 3 Spiral, for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on Polytrack, will be worth just 20 Derby points to the winner (and 34 overall) when it is renewed March 17. Since Churchill instituted its points system in 2013, the Spiral had been worth 50 points to the winner (and 85 overall). In addition, the Spiral purse has been slashed from $500,000 to just $200,000.
http://www.drf.com/news/spiral-purse-cut-200000-after-kentucky-derby-qualifying-points-reduction

[tanner12oz]

200k is pretty sad..did the spiral preps go down also?

[Afleet]

last horse to win Wood then the derby 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusaichi_Pegasus)

Last horse to win the Spiral then the derby 2011 Animal Kingdom (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Kingdom_%28horse%29)

seems like they down graded the wrong race

Notable winners of the wood(last 30 years): Frosted, Bellamy Road, Tapit, Empire Maker, Coronados Quest, Unbridled Song, Easy Goer, Gulch, Broad Brush

Notable winners of the Spiral(last 30 years): Hard Spun, Flower Alley, Perfect Drift, Serena's Song, Prairie Bayou, Lil E tee, Hansel, Summer Squall, Broad Brush.

[lamboguy]

step in right direction, i like it when i hear purses are being cut.

[zico20]

Six years without a serious Derby contender is long enough to justify the downgrade. Not to mention it is run on a fake surface.

[Spalding No!]

Notable winners of the wood(last 30 years): Frosted, Bellamy Road, Tapit, Empire Maker, Coronados Quest, Unbridled Song, Easy Goer, Gulch, Broad Brush
What about Congaree? Captain Bodgit? Devil His Due?

[sour grapes]

the wood has produced many contenders and unfortunatly a lot of derby favs that scratched in uncle mo,buddha,i want revenge,eskendraya in the past 10-15 years while the spiral has only produced animal kingdom since going to poly.

[cj]

So it is future success in the Derby only that counts towards a grading now? This year's third place finisher won the Preakness and the winner was runner-up in the Belmont.

No serious Derby contenders are pointing to the Spiral any longer. It was like, "Oh, now I have enough points for the Derby, I guess I'll go" instead of a planned race.