BC Whys

[misscashalot]

Pardon my ignorance
Why are the BC Marathon and 2yr Fillie turf not GI races?

[cj]

Pardon my ignorance
Why are the BC Marathon and 2yr Fillie turf not GI races?

They haven't drawn strong fields and those that have run haven't done much in the future. It is strange they are even graded, probably politics. Race gradings are supposed to be earned.

[Jackal]

Any race with a $500,000 purse that isn't state restricted or a futurity should be a graded race. The marathon can be won by any good horse that has a great trip and 2 year old stake winning fillies often peak at 2 years old. Fillies and mares generally aren't as durable as their male counterparts.

[Some_One]

America already has way more G1's (both in count and in %) then any other country in the world. When the horses in the Marathon start earning 105+ beyers and the Juvie fillies turf 90+, then you can start talking G1 status for those races.

[FenceBored]

America already has way more G1's (both in count and in %) then any other country in the world. When the horses in the Marathon start earning 105+ beyers and the Juvie fillies turf 90+, then you can start talking G1 status for those races.

That is just not true. The number of US G1s as a percentage of races run is the 4th lowest amongst the 16 ICS part I members. Only Canada, Japan, Italy have a lower percentage.

One shouldn't focus only on the (to use last year's numbers) 115 G1s as compared to Ireland's 12 and ignore that fact that Ireland only had 1,020 flat races giving it a G1 percentage of 1.18% compared to the US figure of 115/49,951 or 0.23%. Furthermore, the percentage of total Blacktype races 3.90% for the US puts it midpack, 7th lowest of 16.

But, as to the original question, they aren't G1s because they haven't earned it. They are "championships" in search of a division.

[tubesockshakur]

that marathon race needs to go......

[Tom]

A whole lot of our Gr1 races should not be. Dittos Gr2 We have far more Graded races than we need. Once upon a time a Gr 1 stake meant something. Too many today do not.

[Bettowin]

Arkansas Derby should be a Grade I oh that's right it already is. What the hell took them so long? :)

[Bruddah]

Arkansas Derby should be a Grade I oh that's right it already is. What the hell took them so long? :)

Industry politics and the quirky personality of Charles Cella. More the latter than the former. Nevertheless, it's what took so long.

[iwearpurple]

that marathon race needs to go......

Why don't you just pass the race and let others wager on it if they like?