Renaming stakes - redux

[FenceBored]

Before there was the controversy about renaming the Lady's Secret the Zenyatta there was the issue of renaming the La Troienne the Eight Belles. Now, in a stunning move, stunning for its powers of historical confusion, Churchill Downs has announced the renaming of the Louisville Stakes (the G2 for fillies and mares on the Oaks Day undercard) the La Troienne. :faint:

Note: The Louisville Stakes was the race Zenyatta was entered for and didn't run, which gave us the thrilling sight of Miss Isella (Frank Stronach's recent purchase) bulling through a closing hole on the rail and scampering home for the win. Just wish I could remember who the jockey was.

[Tom]

Note: The Louisville Stakes was the race Zenyatta was entered for and didn't run,

Well then, they should rename it the "NADDAyatta!" :D

[GaryG]

It was her regular rider Calvin Borel.

[sandpit]

Before there was the controversy about renaming the Lady's Secret the Zenyatta there was the issue of renaming the La Troienne the Eight Belles. Now, in a stunning move, stunning for its powers of historical confusion, Churchill Downs has announced the renaming of the Louisville Stakes (the G2 for fillies and mares on the Oaks Day undercard) the La Troienne. :faint:

Note: The Louisville Stakes was the race Zenyatta was entered for and didn't run, which gave us the thrilling sight of Miss Isella (Frank Stronach's recent purchase) bulling through a closing hole on the rail and scampering home for the win. Just wish I could remember who the jockey was.

I'm guessing they revived the La Troienne name because they caught so much flak locally when they changed the race to the Eight Belles. Like most decisions at CD, they are made by non-horse people, especially when it comes to history of racing. John Asher is the only person in the entire place that has an understanding of the greats of the past.

Through the years, one thing that upper management at CD has always had infighting about is the naming of races...the egos that be all felt/feel like they have to have their hand in it, like it's some badge of honor to rename a race. Same thing happened when they created several of those overnight races 5 or six years ago.

[illinoisbred]

Arlington years back screwed-up The Round Table stakes. A race named after a turf horse and a good prep for The Secretariat Stakes. They moved it to the dirt and it became a poor,meaningless race. Of course, this was all before they moved the Arlington Classic and Arlington Handicap to the turf.

[46zilzal]

We are going to see MORE and MORE stakes named for corporate sponsors, the Marlboro Cup, the old Spiral that was named for a furniture company, The Ford Pinto stake (at old Hollywood when Marge Everett ran the show and it was a fun place to be) and gone are the days of the good old names like the Dwyer, Lawrence Realization..........


More of them will probably keep the old name and then VERY PROMINENTLY state, "presented by YUM brands."

[FenceBored]

We are going to see MORE and MORE stakes named for corporate sponsors, the Marlboro Cup, the old Spiral that was named for a furniture company, The Ford Pinto stake (at old Hollywood when Marge Everett ran the show and it was a fun place to be) and gone are the days of the good old names like the Dwyer, Lawrence Realization..........


the Grand Union Hotel Stakes, the U. S. Hotel Stakes, the Merchants and Cits. Handicap ...