Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostyapper
Juvenile Turf
Filly and mare sprint
Dirt mile run at 1 mile and 70 yards.
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Quote:
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=2723725
... In addition to the three new Breeders' Cup World Championships races, there will be three other stakes races on the card funded by the Breeders' Cup and each of the three races will carry a purse of $250,000. They are: a 1 1/16-miles race for 3-year-old fillies; a 1-mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies and a six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds. Total purses for the 10-race card on Breeders' Cup Friday will be $4 million, making it the second-richest racing day in North America.
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I think either of the two bolded additional stakes would have have been preferable as a BC event to the F&M Sprint. What I find troubling about such a race is is that it dilutes the competition of the BC Sprint where F&Ms are already competitive. Let's be sure to add Very Subtle to Bubble's list.
IMO a better option would have been an open BC 7f on dirt even with the new BC Mile on dirt (which I'd have preferred to be at the more commonly run 1-1/16 m in 2007). There have been many top class horses who can't beat the best at 6f, but were virtually unbeatable at 7f. Birdonawire and Langfuhr come to mind immediately. Honest Lady could have bested the boys at 7f.
The Cigar might become even more popular as a champion-confirming race for the new mile division much as the DeFrancis supported Thor's Echo's credentials for an Eclipse Award. Certainly the Met Mile winner should receive an automatic berth in the new BC race.