Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board

Go Back   Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board > Thoroughbred Horse Racing Discussion > General Racing Discussion


Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
Old 06-28-2022, 08:03 PM   #181
BarchCapper
Registered User
 
BarchCapper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1,206
Quote:
Originally Posted by the little guy View Post
Life is Good sort of has to run in the Classic or find some reason to be retired. A second win in the BC Dirt Mile is like waving the white flag....and a loss in a second attempt would be disasterous.
Based on the (overly?) high regard the breeding industry seems to have for milers, how much longer before they take the Dirt Mile and rename IT the Classic and move it to the last race of the card? Then they can take that "way too long" 1 1/4, run it at the beginning of the card and call it the "Marathon" before allowing it to drift into nonexistence in a few years like the previous race of the same name.
__________________
Tom in NW Arkansas
——————
”Past performances are no guarantee of future results.” - Why isn't this disclaimer printed in the Daily Racing Form?
BarchCapper is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 04:46 PM   #182
cj
@TimeformUSfigs
 
cj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,816
Quote:
Originally Posted by BarchCapper View Post
Based on the (overly?) high regard the breeding industry seems to have for milers, how much longer before they take the Dirt Mile and rename IT the Classic and move it to the last race of the card? Then they can take that "way too long" 1 1/4, run it at the beginning of the card and call it the "Marathon" before allowing it to drift into nonexistence in a few years like the previous race of the same name.
The problem with the Dirt Mile is that outside a few tracks where it is run around one turn, it really isn't a true test and not worthy of any kind of championship status. It is more of a consolation prize. The "miler" isn't even really a division on dirt in this country.
cj is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 04:55 PM   #183
the little guy
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 7,324
Quote:
Originally Posted by cj View Post
The problem with the Dirt Mile is that outside a few tracks where it is run around one turn, it really isn't a true test and not worthy of any kind of championship status. It is more of a consolation prize. The "miler" isn't even really a division on dirt in this country.
It's been a detriment to the BC in my opinion. It has hurt two more important races while being little more than a relatively meaningless alternative. The Cigar is a more important race.
the little guy is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 05:32 PM   #184
classhandicapper
Registered User
 
classhandicapper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 20,528
I guess I'm still the rare horse player that doesn't like to watch true dirt milers get outrun at 6F or tire at 10F.

The Sprint purse is 2 million dollars.

The Classic purse is 6 million dollars with much greater prestige.

If you have a major contender equally adept at 6F and 8F or 8F and 10F it's usually an easy call.

If he's not of a caliber to win the tougher more prestigious race or not versatile enough to run outside his best distance, he runs for 1 million in the Mile.

The only problem I've seen is the type of horse that has handled 9F easily dropping back to the Mile where he looks like a huge favorite to avoid a much tougher confrontation at 10F in the Classic. The most obvious was Liam's Map. That was a "weak" move.

But it's not like I am complaining every year about some horse that could have won the Sprint or Classic running for less money and prestige in the Dirt Mile. I accept I'm on an island with this. Everyone hates the Dirt Mile except me and the winner who probably would have gotten nothing in the Sprint or Classic.
__________________
"Unlearning is the highest form of learning"

Last edited by classhandicapper; 06-29-2022 at 05:42 PM.
classhandicapper is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 05:47 PM   #185
PalaceOfFortLarned
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 2,003
Quote:
Originally Posted by classhandicapper View Post
I guess I'm still the rare horse player that doesn't like to watch true dirt milers get outrun at 6F or tire at 10F.

The Sprint purse is 2 million dollars.

The Classic purse is 6 million dollars with much greater prestige.

If you have a major contender equally adept at 6F and 8F or 8F and 10F it's usually an easy call.

If he's not of a caliber to win the tougher more prestigious race or not versatile enough to run outside his best distance, he runs for 1 million in the Mile.

The only problem I've seen is the type of horse that has handled 9F easily dropping back to the Mile where he looks like a huge favorite to avoid a much tougher confrontation at 10F in the Classic. The most obvious was Liam's Map. That was a "weak" move. But it's not like I am complaining every year about some horse that could have won the Sprint or Classic running fro less money and prestige in the Dirt Mile.
Liam's Map's choice to run in the Dirt Mile made sense actually.

You had American Pharoah in the BC Classic in which only 8 tried to beat him. In the Sprint you had Runhappy. As it turns out, the 3 older male dirt races turned into free squares with those 3 completing each leg that weekend.
PalaceOfFortLarned is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 05:55 PM   #186
cj
@TimeformUSfigs
 
cj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,816
Quote:
Originally Posted by classhandicapper View Post
I guess I'm still the rare horse player that doesn't like to watch true dirt milers get outrun at 6F or tire at 10F.

The Sprint purse is 2 million dollars.

The Classic purse is 6 million dollars with much greater prestige.

If you have a major contender equally adept at 6F and 8F or 8F and 10F it's usually an easy call.

If he's not of a caliber to win the tougher more prestigious race or not versatile enough to run outside his best distance, he runs for 1 million in the Mile.

The only problem I've seen is the type of horse that has handled 9F easily dropping back to the Mile where he looks like a huge favorite to avoid a much tougher confrontation at 10F in the Classic. The most obvious was Liam's Map. That was a "weak" move.

But it's not like I am complaining every year about some horse that could have won the Sprint or Classic running for less money and prestige in the Dirt Mile. I accept I'm on an island with this. Everyone hates the Dirt Mile except me and the winner who probably would have gotten nothing in the Sprint or Classic.
Life Is Good last year, no? Wouldn't he have likely won either of the other two? The sprint I'd say 99.9%, the Classic maybe 85%. We see what he did to Knicks Go in the Donn.
cj is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 05:56 PM   #187
cj
@TimeformUSfigs
 
cj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,816
Quote:
Originally Posted by PalaceOfFortLarned View Post
Liam's Map's choice to run in the Dirt Mile made sense actually.

You had American Pharoah in the BC Classic in which only 8 tried to beat him. In the Sprint you had Runhappy. As it turns out, the 3 older male dirt races turned into free squares with those 3 completing each leg that weekend.
He should have been in the Classic.
cj is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 06:14 PM   #188
PalaceOfFortLarned
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 2,003
Quote:
Originally Posted by cj View Post
He should have been in the Classic.
$550K to win the Dirt Mile. $900K for 2nd in the BC Classic.

Maybe 2nd choice? Honor Code ran him down in the Whitney at 9F that year.

Would have been great to see LM and AP go at.
PalaceOfFortLarned is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 07:08 PM   #189
classhandicapper
Registered User
 
classhandicapper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 20,528
Quote:
Originally Posted by cj View Post
Life Is Good last year, no? Wouldn't he have likely won either of the other two? The sprint I'd say 99.9%, the Classic maybe 85%. We see what he did to Knicks Go in the Donn.
The goal with Life Is Good was to stretch him out eventually. He probably would have won the Sprint and made more money, but I'm not sure it made much sense long term since the targets were the Pegasus and Dubai World Cup. They must have felt going from the Kelso at 8F to the Classic at 10F was too much too soon. So did the Dirt Mile and then stretched out 1 furlong at a time. The Kelso to the Classic move didn't work so well for Pletcher with Uncle Mo when they tried to stretch him out and face tougher in the Classic. Maybe that influenced him? Someone that knows him could always ask.

To be honest, I'm kind of surprised they are going from 8F to 10F with Flightline. That's a pretty aggressive move for a lightly raced horse that has had issues. I am looking forward to it.
__________________
"Unlearning is the highest form of learning"

Last edited by classhandicapper; 06-29-2022 at 07:10 PM.
classhandicapper is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 08:58 PM   #190
Spalding No!
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,046
Quote:
Originally Posted by classhandicapper View Post
Everyone hates the Dirt Mile except me and the winner who probably would have gotten nothing in the Sprint or Classic.
Yep; hard to fathom horses like Caleb's Posse, City of Light, Goldencents, or Life is Good making a dent in the Sprint what with their multiple Grade 1 wins/placings at sprint distances on their records.

Also, Knicks Go, City of Light, and Liam's Map didn't look like Classic candidates in their 9 furlong races.

But all that is relatively meaningless when you consider the tragedy for the industry if stalwarts like Furthest Land, Dakota Phone, Tapizar, and Tamarkuz were never BC Champions without the advent of the Dirt Mile.
Spalding No! is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 09:54 PM   #191
classhandicapper
Registered User
 
classhandicapper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 20,528
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spalding No! View Post
Yep; hard to fathom horses like Caleb's Posse, City of Light, Goldencents, or Life is Good making a dent in the Sprint what with their multiple Grade 1 wins/placings at sprint distances on their records.

Also, Knicks Go, City of Light, and Liam's Map didn't look like Classic candidates in their 9 furlong races.
We already debated this. You are not going to change my mind.

Basically you are saying that the connections of all those horses (with the exception of Liam's Map who I also called out and LIG who I also noted was immediately going to stretch out and for who it made little sense to turnback) are idiots.

I'm not buying it. They ran for less money and less prestige because they believed that was their horse's best chance to win/earn or best distance fit given where the horse was in its development and their plans later that season. The thinking was the same as any other race selection.

What people want is for connections to be forced to run in a race they don't believe is ideal even if it means some of them get buried instead of getting a nice payday. These days, that means most would sit out, freshen up, and wait for the Cigar instead.

Beyond that, the speed figure PAR for the Mile is below the Classic (as it should be given the 5 million dollar purse and prestige difference) but as high or higher than the typical non BC Grade 1 dirt race in America. So on average it's as good a Grade 1 as Grade 1 races on dirt go these days.
__________________
"Unlearning is the highest form of learning"
classhandicapper is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 10:08 PM   #192
Spalding No!
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,046
Quote:
Originally Posted by classhandicapper View Post
We already debated this. You are not going to change my mind.
Not trying to change your mind.

I only responded to your comment that the winners of the Dirt Mile would have "gotten nothing" in the Sprint or Classic, which is a ridiculous assertion.
Spalding No! is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 11:26 PM   #193
the little guy
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 7,324
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spalding No! View Post
Yep; hard to fathom horses like Caleb's Posse, City of Light, Goldencents, or Life is Good making a dent in the Sprint what with their multiple Grade 1 wins/placings at sprint distances on their records.

Also, Knicks Go, City of Light, and Liam's Map didn't look like Classic candidates in their 9 furlong races.

But all that is relatively meaningless when you consider the tragedy for the industry if stalwarts like Furthest Land, Dakota Phone, Tapizar, and Tamarkuz were never BC Champions without the advent of the Dirt Mile.
I highly doubt the people misunderstanding your first paragraph would have thought Precisionist or Gulch would win the Sprint.

Furthest Land was related to Dynever, or whatever they changed his name to....so there's that.
the little guy is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-29-2022, 11:31 PM   #194
dilanesp
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,798
"Forced to run in the race" doesn't capture it, but the idea is that losing a race isn't some catastrophe. Every great horse lost at some point. You run because it is the sporting thing to do
dilanesp is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 06-30-2022, 12:26 AM   #195
Spalding No!
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,046
Quote:
Originally Posted by the little guy View Post
Furthest Land was related to Dynever, or whatever they changed his name to....so there's that.
Dynever sucked up for 3rd in the 2003 BC Classic, costing the great Congaree a placing after a protracted duel with Medaglia D'Oro. This coming during a phenomenal full campaign stretching from January to late November.

I guess if classhandicapper had his undercard race in place at the time, Congaree would have started in the Dirt Mile and we could have watched both he and Medaglia D'Oro enjoy easy leads in watered down renewals of championship events.
Spalding No! is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Reply




Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

» Advertisement
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:23 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 1999 - 2023 -- PaceAdvantage.Com -- All Rights Reserved
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.