Breeders' Cup Changes -- AGAIN!

[Tom]

Not to mention many people outside of racing actually have JOBS!
If nothing else, racing remains the most absurd excuse for a sport ever. Run by idiots at every level. When was the last time a World Series game was played on a weekday afternoon? Racing will get in about 50 years. Dolts. What other sport could totally destroy all credibility of it's champioship event in less than a year?

[russowen77]

Originally Posted by Tom

Not to mention many people outside of racing actually have JOBS!
If nothing else, racing remains the most absurd excuse for a sport ever. Run by idiots at every level. When was the last time a World Series game was played on a weekday afternoon? Racing will get in about 50 years. Dolts. What other sport could totally destroy all credibility of it's champioship event in less than a year?

I am truley just asking here. I have no expertise in this area at all. Why would this seperation destroy credibility of the breeders cup. They love the damn thing in Europe and if Asia gets really involved the pools will be huge.

Why is it so important to be done on a weekend if it is a world event?

[JPinMaryland]

One would have to guess that TV ratings would surely help this sport hence the questioning of friday racing. Newspapers dont even cover horse racing anymore, my guess is we are simply observers to the end game.

The last afternoon baseball game was probably somewhere early 70s. I'd guess 1973..

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by russowen77

Why is it so important to be done on a weekend if it is a world event?

you have really got to be kidding Russ?

[PaceAdvantage]

And I thought giving the 2009 BC to Santa Anita couldn't be topped this year. Boy, was I wrong.

Nothing like taking one of the most exciting races (the now renamed Distaff) and assigning it, effectively, to the kiddie-table known as Friday's BC card.

Splitting the BC over two days is a questionable idea in and of itself, but to now actually go and move IMPORTANT races to that day is really stretching the credibility of this organization.

Imagine, if you will, that being the normal racing fan, you have a job, and you can't watch the Friday BC races. Now imagine that the Personal Ensign / Winning Colors Distaff was run in 2008 instead of twenty years earlier. Yup, that race, which transcended the sport itself that memorable afternoon, would have been run on some nondescript Friday while you were stuck in your cubicle.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by russowen77

Why is it so important to be done on a weekend if it is a world event?

It's a bunch of damned horse races, of little importance to 99% of the people of the world. No one is declaring Friday a holiday - so people who work will miss the day.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by JPinMaryland

The last afternoon baseball game was probably somewhere early 70s. I'd guess 1973..

Yankees-Boston....and I missed it - I had to work!

[melman]

Tom and PA---You guys just don't understand things as well has the "big boys" in racing. Here is the Breeders Cup president Greg Avioli "The initial response from the Breeders Cup family, including ESPN, has been EXTREMELY supportive and enthusiastic". You little guys don't matter, your not part of the Breeders Cup FAMILY.

Is it any wonder that horse racing is in trouble.

[Grits]

Overnight, Breeders' Cup continues to morph. The release that was on the site yesterday has changed; yet it remains, still, an extremely stupid attempt to market thoroughbred horseracing by attaching to it, a "concern" that they believe will have appeal to women nationwide.

They can trot this bit of stupidity out until they're loaded in the starting gate, but they're not going to get more women to a racetrack by hustling women's health.

These are horses, not humans. We are not watching, or WAGERING --which is the real crux of this matter, along with SPONSORSHIP-- on female human athletes.

This is not the LPGA. This is not Women's Tennis.

These men in charge at Breeders' Cup, Avioli and his new cronie, Peter Land.......they're possibly having thousands upon thousands of Breast Cancer Pink Ribbons pins ordered. (Those are always effective.)

Yep, you go boys 'cause that's gonna generate a whole lotta new female bettors.
__________________________________________________ _______________
As the release states this morning:

The Ladies' Classic, the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the new Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf will take place on Friday. In addition to the championship events at the track, the Breeders’ Cup plans to develop a series of Championship festivities designed to promote the new Friday format, including:


--Cause-related programs focused on women’s health
--On-site initiatives for fans and other guests of the event
--Consumer promotions in the Los Angeles marketplace and on a national basis
--Simulcast events in multiple markets throughout North America
--Special merchandise designed for Championship Friday
--First of its kind sponsor activation elements, broadcast and other media programs designed to support both the racing and charitable components

In 2007, the Breeders’ Cup crowned four female champions – Indian Blessing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Maryfield in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Lahudood (GB) in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and Ginger Punch in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

“The initial response from the Breeders’ Cup family including ESPN, our marketing partners, nominators and Trustees has been extremely supportive and enthusiastic,” said Breeders Cup President and CEO Greg Avioli. “By shifting some of our traditional Saturday races to Friday, we ensure that Friday stands on its own as an international competition of the highest level. This new format provides a great stage to showcase the talents of the best female Thoroughbreds in the world.”

Breeders’ Cup officials are in discussions with several prominent non-profit women’s organizations and plan to select its partners in March.

“Combining the best of Filly racing with devoting a day to women’s health is a great development which ESPN is proud to join. The Breeders’ Cup keeps raising the bar in the presentation of world championship horse racing,” said Len DeLuca, ESPN senior vice president, programming and acquisition.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by melman

Tom and PA---You guys just don't understand things as well has the "big boys" in racing. Here is the Breeders Cup president Greg Avioli "The initial response from the Breeders Cup family, including ESPN, has been EXTREMELY supportive and enthusiastic". You little guys don't matter, your not part of the Breeders Cup FAMILY.

Is it any wonder that horse racing is in trouble.

What am I , the "funny uncle" in the attic?

[Tom]

"Honey, I think I found a lump today!"
"C'mon, let's get you to Santa Anita right away."

Look at how those stupid ladies hats have drawn crowds to the Derby every year!

Hey, maybe we can bet on the pregnancy tests!

MuttonChops giving pap smears......the possibilities are endless.

[DrunkenHorseplayer]

Obviously all the races should be on a Saturday but it's far better to put the other races on a Friday than a Sunday. Kentucky Oaks Day, a Friday, does just fine and you don't want to go head to head with the NFL.

[turfbar]

Let me chime in, I think the move is genius marketing to women's health, women will be climbing the gate to get in, now I don't agree with it but it is brilliant.
Horse racing is entertainment and if they can make a few extra bucks on WOMEN (admission, food, some $2 bets) they will have achieved new level of sports marketing.

P.S. the old days are gone fellas and never coming back

PSS don't tell the old lady but when we go to SARATOGA it's not all about the horses

Turfbar

[Grits]

Originally Posted by Tom

"Honey, I think I found a lump today!"
"C'mon, let's get you to Santa Anita right away."

LOLOLOLOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Spoken urgently, by Dumb and Dumber, aka Avioli and Land.

Absolutely, priceless!!!! I'm laughing so, I've got tears in my eyes .

Tom this has to be one of your best. LOLOLOL

[rastajenk]

This is the first morning I've read about the new changes, and, like most everyone else, I find them appalling. But, on the question of using a workweek afternoon as opposed to Sunday, I agree with the Drunk above. You just can't go head to head with the NFL.

At the place I work, we use more clerks on a Friday than on a Sunday...not just during football season, but year round. I always thought that was curious, but the numbers are there.

For me, the question will be (after getting past the nonsense that fillies & mares should be shunted aside and then given their own flimsy pedestal), since it's at Santa Anita, will they use SA's usual post time on Friday, and get some of the afterwork crowd in the East, or will they move it up so it fits an ESPN time slot in the middle of the afternoon on the Atlantic side? The smart thing would be to start at 3 or 4 in the East and run into the evening. But since it's the smart thing, it is probably the least likely.