California and the Breeder's Cup

[classhandicapper]

California has ideal whether and facilities to host the Breeder's Cup, but IMO the racing out there is too conducive to speed (at least at SA) to have our championships settled there practically every year.

Even if you are of the view that the track was not biased today because many of the results were logical, other than an outstanding horse like Judy The Beauty and a total pace meltdown in the Juvenile Colt dirt, all we saw today was blazing fractions, blazing final times, and horses on or near the lead winning everything. That's not the way the rest of America races. What makes matters worse is that it's at least conceivable the track was changing during the day which complicated matters further.

Maybe they deserve a pass for this year because it's a new surface, but this is not an isolated incident.

[Tom]

Now we add to more shit tack to the list - KEE and Dmr.
The BC is a joke.

It has done more to destroy good racing the promote it.
We do not need a BC.

The old fall championship is far better than this flying circus.

[taxicab]

I'm getting burned out on the Cup @ Santa Anita.
Keenland should be cool next year......hope it goes well for them.
DMR should be decent enough.
I'd love to see NY reappear on the BC scene again.
I wouldn't mind Woodbine getting another look at it also.
CDI can just go away.

[horses4courses]

I'm really looking forward to the turf races next year at KEE.
It's one of the best surfaces in the country.

Best turf tracks in North America are at Woodbine,
Keeneland, Arlington, and the NY tracks.

Should be great!

[Tom]

Woodbine stands alone, IMHO.
Both surfaces.

[Rex Phinney]

As a California resident who attended all three years, I have to say I AGREE on the speed comment. What a thrill it was to watch Texas Red circle the field, made me realize we don't get enough of that at Santa Anita.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by Tom

Woodbine stands alone, IMHO.
Both surfaces.

I have to agree with this one. Amazing how well they have held those tracks together. The one polytrack that seems to work. Why? who knows.......

[RXB]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

California has ideal whether and facilities to host the Breeder's Cup, but IMO the racing out there is too conducive to speed (at least at SA) to have our championships settled there practically every year.

Even if you are of the view that the track was not biased today because many of the results were logical, other than an outstanding horse like Judy The Beauty and a total pace meltdown in the Juvenile Colt dirt, all we saw today was blazing fractions, blazing final times, and horses on or near the lead winning everything. That's not the way the rest of America races. What makes matters worse is that it's at least conceivable the track was changing during the day which complicated matters further.

Maybe they deserve a pass for this year because it's a new surface, but this is not an isolated incident.

So where else should they hold it? Gulfstream over the years has been every bit as friendly to frontrunners as Santa Anita. Belmont doesn't really play a whole lot differently for the most part. Dirt is dirt, it's a big-time frontrunners' surface. Don't particularly care for it myself for that very reason. And the few dirt tracks that I consider to be somewhat fair to off-pace runners-- Oaklawn, Fair Grounds, Tampa, Hawthorne-- aren't venues that the Breeders Cup is going to consider.

[Robert Goren]

Very few people like to see closers win. If they did, every track in the country would be poly. I know some people would like the BC to come East more often, but ....... the weather in the East is uncertain. And with off tracks comes more early speed winners which you claim to hate. I am boycotting CD, so any return to that place is out for me and some bettors. I would take it as an insult to bettors if they brought it back to that joint. I have been around long enough to know that insulting bettors is not going to stop them. GP is a joke of a track with bad management, even for a race track. They can't even get their race times right. Maybe Belmont in a few years. Your east coast choices are Belmont and Keeneland. We will see how Keeneland does next year.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

I have to agree with this one. Amazing how well they have held those tracks together. The one polytrack that seems to work. Why? who knows.......

They hire good people?
They give a crap about their customers?
It will the only track I play most of the year from now on.

[spiketoo]

Originally Posted by horses4courses

I'm really looking forward to the turf races next year at KEE.
It's one of the best surfaces in the country.

Best turf tracks in North America are at Woodbine,
Keeneland, Arlington, and the NY tracks.

Should be great!

Careful what you ask for...

Weather from 11/01/01

45°F High at 5:05 pm

34° Low at 7:45 a

Wind Speed / Gusts: NW at 19 mph gusting to 28 mph

[dilanesp]

You can't really argue that you aren't going to get track biases elsewhere. Other places have huge weather problems. And it is just as unfair to decide championships over mud or soft turf.

Meanwhile we had 60,000 at Santa Anita. They bought tons of souvenirs and food. BC makes a lot of money here. That matters.

[Track Phantom]

The weather in So. Cal. is great.

The surface, at least for the last two years, has been an embarrassment. There is speed favoring and there is whatever Santa Anita rolled out for the last two years. Cement highway, possibly. Made the experience for both years unpalatable.

And, for good measure, the non-dq/Baffert influenced outcome of the Classic and you have a bad overall outcome.

[RunForTheRoses]

The weather does make California a good choice to at least be in a three or four year rotation but the speed favoring eccentricities of it should preclude it from hosting it so often.
On the other hand in New York the weather was atrocious yesterday, we would have gotten a very sloppy track with wind and cold. Remember the Monmouth debacle?
Although Woodbine has a great turf course I don't want the Polycrap to decide championships.

[Shelby]

I'm ready for a change and I'm excited for BC at Keeneland. I reserve the right to gripe about it this time next year, though lol.