joeya |
02-27-2008 12:16 PM |
Breeders' Cup Changes -- AGAIN!
"The 2008 Breeders’ Cup World Championships will hold all five of its races for female horses on the first day of the two-day event, Friday, Oct. 24, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., the Lexington-based Breeders’ Cup announced today.
It marks the first time a major thoroughbred event in North America has focused an entire day on female championship racing.
Nine other Breeders’ Cup races will be contested on Saturday, Oct. 25. Seven are open to both male and female thoroughbreds, including the marquee event, the $5 million Classic.
The Breeders’ Cup will total a record $25.5 million in purses for 14 races, including $8 million on Friday’s card, more than doubling last year’s Friday program.
In another change, the Breeders’ Cup also announced that it has renamed the $2 million Distaff to the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic, which will be the premier race on the Friday program.
The $2 million Filly & Mare Turf, $2 million Juvenile Fillies, the second-year $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint and the new $1million Juvenile Fillies Turf also will be Friday.
The Breeders’ Cup said it is developing a series of championship festivities designed to promote the new Friday format, including programs focused on women’s health.
“By shifting some of our traditional Saturday races to Friday, we ensure that Friday stands on its own as an international competition of the highest level,” Breeders’ Cup president Greg Avioli said in a release. ”This new format provides a great stage to showcase the talents of the best female thoroughbreds in the world.”
The 2007 Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park marked the first time that the event was conducted as a two-day format. It consisted of 11 races and $23 million in purses, with three new races Friday.
Added for this year are the Juvenile Fillies Turf, $1 million Turf Sprint and $500,000 Marathon. The second-year Juvenile Turf and Dirt Mile have been shifted from Friday to Saturday."
So now we have ungraded races as part of the Saturday card? They are going to keep going and going until they completely screw this up and completely diminish the importance (and interest) in this big day.
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