Quote:
Originally Posted by Spalding No!
By the way, if the crux of your argument is that the TC is too hard physically on horses (which is probably true), then I don't see why you would keep the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. Certainly much of what you call the "TC grind" is really the grind getting to the Kentucky Derby. Most of the injuries to key horses crop up before May and not during the Triple Crown.
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I started with the precocious issue because I don't think three year olds at a mile and a quarter the first week of May is representative of much other than who is physically more developed. And considering your hardly see $5,000 claimers running every two weeks anymore, the physically taxing argument seems pretty obvious.
And if the "grind" is the three races they run in three months as three-year olds, well I guess so, but it's only a legitimate argument if these horses are getting hurt at a greater rate than the three year olds not running in stakes races. It seems more of an argument to not run horses who haven't hit a certain level of physical maturity. You have "three year olds" that are actually a couple of months over three, and a few barely at three.
I'm not insistent on the Derby being the first Saturday in May, but the blasphemy can only go so far.
I'd also suggest that far from spreading out the dates making it easier to win the TC, it would actually make it harder. I think the races would be even more competitive.
And while we're at it, 20 horses? Are you nuts?
