What's Happening to the Preakness is the Strongest Argument to change the TC

[SuperPickle]

Of all the arguments to move the dates of the Triple Crown it's what's happening to the Preakness.

The race is shaping up as the Derby winner and little else. Assmussen is considering it with the second placer finisher but he skipped it with Gun Runner last year. Pletcher will be sending no additional horses. Baffert could send the horse who ran second in Lexington but that's probably it. All the top betting choices from the Derby aside from the winner say no. Battle of Midway is a no.

So if Looking at Lee doesn't go and Chad Brown doesn't send Timeline Royal Mo becomes his primary competition.

The bottomline is if 15-17 Derby horses skip the Preakness year after year you've got to consider moving dates.

The Preakness is morphing into the Derby winner versus two weeks rest instead of a horse race.

[sour grapes]

yea lets change something that been around for 150 years.it just makes the belmont a harder race to win with fresh challengers for a potential triple crown.

[dilanesp]

The Preakness field depends on the perceived quality of the Derby winner. Spectacular Bid faced a tiny field; Mine That Bird faced a full field including the Kentucky Oaks winner.

If Always Dreaming is scaring people off, it is because trainers think he is likely to win. But just last year the Derby runner up ran and turned the tables despite Nyquist's then-undefeated record.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by SuperPickle

The bottomline is if 15-17 Derby horses skip the Preakness year after year you've got to consider moving dates.

No you don't.

[SuperPickle]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

No you don't.

PA, not single you out since a lot of people share your opinion but you're wrong.

My close friend is essentially a crisis business consultant. Does a lot of work in industries like print media that have seen declining revenue over extended periods of time generally due to technology.

Anyone who works in this space of consulting sick businesses will tell you two common themes. People wait too long to call them and people don't really want to fix things. They have scared items. "We really want to re-invent our business but you can't change these eight things." Any consultant will tell you it's only works if everything is on the table. Otherwise it's just moving deck chairs on The titanic.

I don't want to move the Preakness but if you're argument is "blah, blah, tradition, blah blah 150 years" you be pretty much lost the debate.

Horse racing is a business not UNICEF. Give me a business reason.

[PaceAdvantage]

How has the Triple Crown suffered lately? Record crowds at every event.

How many were at the Derby yesterday? In the rain? TONS.

Don't tell me the Triple Crown is sick. It's not.

And we just had a TC winner.

Nothing needs to be changed, at least where the TC is concerned.

Tell me about the drastic falloffs in TC attendance and wagering before you start coming at me about how we have to fiddle with everything for no reason.

[Redboard]

Originally Posted by SuperPickle

Of all the arguments to move the dates of the Triple Crown it's what's happening to the Preakness.

The race is shaping up as the Derby winner and little else. Assmussen is considering it with the second placer finisher but he skipped it with Gun Runner last year. Pletcher will be sending no additional horses. Baffert could send the horse who ran second in Lexington but that's probably it. All the top betting choices from the Derby aside from the winner say no. Battle of Midway is a no.

So if Looking at Lee doesn't go and Chad Brown doesn't send Timeline Royal Mo becomes his primary competition.

The bottomline is if 15-17 Derby horses skip the Preakness year after year you've got to consider moving dates.

The Preakness is morphing into the Derby winner versus two weeks rest instead of a horse race.

A couple of years ago, Pimlico was spouting the same argument. I believe they had a conversation with Belmont which didn't go anywhere.

Their whole rationale was to get a better field.

[SuperPickle]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

How has the Triple Crown suffered lately? Record crowds at every event.

How many were at the Derby yesterday? In the rain? TONS.

Don't tell me the Triple Crown is sick. It's not.

And we just had a TC winner.

Nothing needs to be changed, at least where the TC is concerned.

Tell me about the drastic falloffs in TC attendance and wagering before you start coming at me about how we have to fiddle with everything for no reason.

PA again you're not accurate. The Preakness isn't healthy. Both the track that holds it and race itself are ill.

Don't believe me? How about the guy who runs the race? Here's an article from Crome's Preakness talking about moving the race because not only doesn't the race itself draw but the other stakes don't draw the names the Derby and Belmont undercard do. You can't get less fake news than the head of the Preakness on the Preakness website...

http://www.preakness.com/news-center...preakness-date

So the Head of the Maryland Jockey Club disagrees with your assessment that all is fine in Preakness land.

[iamt]

A shallow Preakness field may diminish the Preakness as a sporting contest, and the wagering on the event but is it actually a bad thing for the Triple Crown itself??

The weaker the Preakness the more likely a Triple Crown is alive heading into the Belmont. Knowing the difference in interest and coverage between a live triple crown bid and a Belmont without, the Preakness suffering may actually still be in the interests of the Triple Crown as a whole.

[johnhannibalsmith]

I figured that these symptoms were obviously cause to just get rid of race and just make it a Double.

[rastajenk]

If the Pimlico people can't get the Belmont moved to July, maybe they should take that spot and become the third jewel. So the 3yo's go longer than they've gone before, then they go even longer, then they cut back for the finale. I'm not one for change generally, but I'm more against tweaks with good intentions having unintended consequences.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by iamt

A shallow Preakness field may diminish the Preakness as a sporting contest, and the wagering on the event but is it actually a bad thing for the Triple Crown itself??

The weaker the Preakness the more likely a Triple Crown is alive heading into the Belmont. Knowing the difference in interest and coverage between a live triple crown bid and a Belmont without, the Preakness suffering may actually still be in the interests of the Triple Crown as a whole.

I think you have a point here...but this could easily backfire as well. If the Triple Crown is alive heading into the Belmont on a yearly basis...can the "interest and the coverage" continue to maintain the enthusiasm that they currently generate? How much "interest" can a bi-annual Triple Crown winner possibly generate?

[SuperPickle]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

I think you have a point here...but this could easily backfire as well. If the Triple Crown is alive heading into the Belmont on a yearly basis...can the "interest and the coverage" continue to maintain the enthusiasm that they currently generate? How much "interest" can a bi-annual Triple Crown winner possibly generate?

Exactly. It's a double edged sword. Ideally you want a horse going for the TC every year to generate interest but at the same time you want them to earn the wins otherwise what's the point.

[iamt]

Chrome's owners after their defeat complained about having to run in the Preakness while other horse's were able to aim for the Belmont. Their is truth to their argument, they are disadvantaged by having to run in all 3 legs.

If connections don't feel they can beat the Derby winner in the Preakness then waiting gives them the best chance of preventing a Triple Crown bid.

Ideally what should happen is the more vulnerable Derby winners should be tested in the Preakness, if they survive it gives them more legitimacy for their Belmont bid.

[Fager Fan]

Just bring back the point system which rewards those who run in all 3.