Two BC Races to be run following Classic

[Al Gobbi]

Saturday will feature a revamped race order with two Breeders' Cup races slated for after the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) and the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) plus a final undercard race will all follow the $6 million Classic. This year marks the first time that Breeders' Cup races will be held after the Breeders' Cup Classic. The race 12 finale will have a published post time of 8:32 p.m. ET.

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-rac...-after-classic

[Tom]

So the Classic is no longer the main event?

What idiot came up with this "idea?"

[Parkview_Pirate]

I hope the BC committee releases some information on the reasoning for this change. We're not privy to all the data they have, but I gotta believe that a BC pick 6 that doesn't end with the Classic will be confusing, if nothing else.

Personally, I have not really cared for the two day format as I think it's watered down/diluted the event. Greed wins out though. I'm also not too crazy about the juvenile races, as the crazy 2YO purses are not good for horses having longer careers, IMHO.

Changes, simply for the sake of change don't support the tradition of the events, and racing needs all the help it can get these days.

[the little guy]

The reasoning is in the story I'm quite sure.

[jimmyb]

If something works, lets fix it

[RunDustyRun]

Originally Posted by the little guy

The reasoning is in the story I'm quite sure.

There is actually no reason given in the linked story unless I've completely missed it...television reasons?

[camourous]

It's because of College Football coverage.

[classhandicapper]

There must be a reason (better time slot for the Classic, other sports coverage?), but there are also implications.

First, I'm not a fan of playing musical networks. I'll probably just watch it on the track feed. That's just a personal quirk, but I suspect there are casuals out there that are not going to follow it around from network to network because they don't know the schedule and won't care enough to try to find it. They may not be big bettors, but they bet.

Following the running of the Breeders' Cup Classic on NBC and Peacock, FanDuel TV will televise the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and the Breeders' Cup Sprint and will conclude its coverage with a final undercard race with a post time of 8:32 p.m. ET.

Second, imo something like this could impact the handle for those last two races. Previously, anyone that was interested was not going to shut of the TV until they saw the Classic. Now, once the Classic is run, some will just shut off the TV and go to dinner. Also, a lot of people that may be interested in racing on a BC day don't have FanDuel TV and are not going to pay for it just for that day. I know I'm not. That makes it even more likely you pack it in for the day after the Classic.

[dnlgfnk]

NBC gets all the revenue from recent deal regarding "Big Ten Saturday Night". They spit revenue with the Breeder's Cup telecast.

The internet can be your friend...

https://www.drf.com/news/breeders-cu...llege-football

[Robert Fischer]

we are doomed

racing is done

something changed...

It could create some interesting multis, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to arrange the P6 in my head from memory...

was the "BC Turf Sprint" part of the Pick 6 in 2022?

I don't know these things.

Not something that I'm competent with , so I don't want to write things as if I understand.

If the Turf Sprint is, in fact, a new addition to the sequence, that would add another full field race that occasionally contains some randomness and chaos.
cool

[Geno_Gino]

Horse racing seems to be a dying sport. I say this as an avid fan of racing since July of 1980, former racing scribe, backstretch employee and a degenerate gambler (that is actually a term of endearment in the Maryland press boxes, per Chick Lang's comment on Andy Beyer).

I recall Dale Austin of the Baltimore Sun informing me that when he started as a racing reporter in 1962, there were 38 reporters on a daily basis in the press boxes at the Maryland tracks. Granted this was an era when the New York papers sent down their staff since there was (I believe) no winter racing in New York at the time. The regional papers -- The Sun (both morning and evening), News American, Washington Star, Washington Post -- each had a crew that might include a beat reporter, features writer, public handicapper and possibly one other.

It all, for the most part, went away. Was great while it lasted!

[VeryOldMan]

Originally Posted by camourous

It's because of College Football coverage.

This - was even identified in the underlying article.

NBC has FAR more money at stake re college football than horse racing. Also, it makes complete sense to have the BC Classic in the 6:30-7:00 pm Eastern time slot.

I realize this is a board of horse racing fans, but let's not kid ourselves about where horse racing stands in the sports pecking order.

Why they can't simply reduce the amount of time between races (particularly the immensely long period before the Classic itself) and/or shorten the Saturday card to have nothing but BC races - that's a different discussion.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by VeryOldMan

This - was even identified in the underlying article.

NBC has FAR more money at stake re college football than horse racing. Also, it makes complete sense to have the BC Classic in the 6:30-7:00 pm Eastern time slot.

I realize this is a board of horse racing fans, but let's not kid ourselves about where horse racing stands in the sports pecking order.

Why they can't simply reduce the amount of time between races (particularly the immensely long period before the Classic itself) and/or shorten the Saturday card to have nothing but BC races - that's a different discussion.

The original sin here was back when they expanded the BC from 8 races on one day to two days.

The BC could have had its original deal with NBC for a long time. 4 1/2 hours on network TV. The rights fee wasn't very much, but the exposure for the sport was great. And NBC only had one stipulation that evolved out of its deal with Notre Dame: don't do it it on a day when there's a Notre Dame home game.

Once the BC moved for bigger money from ESPN and expanded itself onto 2 days, it was never getting those 4 1/2 hours of network TV back. And that's where we are now- begging networks to put us on for an hour with the rest of the event on obscure cable channels and streaming. Nice job, horse racing!

[v j stauffer]

I wonder how this effects the BCBC?

Over the years they've included ALL races, even non BC, as part of the tourney.

Of course they've all been earlier.

Does this mean the deciding race in the BIGGEST, BEST tournament of the year could end with an allowance race?

That doesn't sound too appealing to me.

[Wiley]

Why not just move up the Saturday first race post starting time to accommodate the need to finish the Classic prior to the football kickoff?

Makes more sense to me to do that then to not finish the BC races with the Classic.