The 150th Running of The GR I Belmont Stakes

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Aug27
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Re: The 150th Running of The GR I Belmont Stakes

Postby Aug27 » Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:21 am

Trinniberg wasn't just cheap speed ... He won the Woody Stephens and BC Sprint that same year.
But I did prefer the Graded Stakes earnings method over points. The assignment of points to particular races seems kind of arbitrary to m, just like G1 vs G2 labels. Is the Arkansas Derby really superior to the Wood and Blue Grass?

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TJ
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Re: The 150th Running of The GR I Belmont Stakes

Postby TJ » Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:29 pm

Aug27 wrote:Trinniberg wasn't just cheap speed ... He won the Woody Stephens and BC Sprint that same year.
But I did prefer the Graded Stakes earnings method over points. The assignment of points to particular races seems kind of arbitrary to m, just like G1 vs G2 labels. Is the Arkansas Derby really superior to the Wood and Blue Grass?

Hi Aug,
I agree with you 100% about the points system returning to graded earnings and Trinneberg being an excellent sprinter. Back when graded earnings was the way to earn the grade into the Derby, we would get faster horses entering the Derby who would create a much faster pace then we get now. Most of them couldn't go a mile and a quarter without a van....but they did assure a fast pace. For some reason they used Trinneberg as the scape-goat to cry over an unfair pace by a horse the powers that be deemed unworthy of running in the Derby. It really was unfair...years ago we had some real fast horses running in the Derby, they didn't belong either, but they earned their chance to try. I remember in Secretariat's Derby a real fast horse named Shecky Green set the pace with another fast horse named Gold Bag....both faded to 6th and 11th respectively but no one cried at that time like Baffert did about Trinneberg. TJ

Cree
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Re: The 150th Running of The GR I Belmont Stakes

Postby Cree » Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:32 am

Was Baffert the reason the points system came in?
It’s rather ironic that he stands to benefit from it - proof being (I guess) - his 2 Triple Crown winners. He does after all have a good portion of his horses run on the front end in route races, so it seems he would not want any “cheap” speed in the Derby...
i have noticed the Derby has become a little less exciting since the points system. Gallop around on the lead, or near to, and you win.

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TJ
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Re: The 150th Running of The GR I Belmont Stakes

Postby TJ » Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:26 am

Cree wrote:Was Baffert the reason the points system came in?
It’s rather ironic that he stands to benefit from it - proof being (I guess) - his 2 Triple Crown winners. He does after all have a good portion of his horses run on the front end in route races, so it seems he would not want any “cheap” speed in the Derby...
i have noticed the Derby has become a little less exciting since the points system. Gallop around on the lead, or near to, and you win.

Hi Cree,
I mentioned Baffert because I remember him being vocal over Bode's defeat and he thought the reason was Trinneberg. That being said, at that time, Baffert was not really in the good graces of many after the "sudden death" of some of his horses. I think it was Churchill Downs who wanted these changes and used the Trinniberg situation to point out they are on the right track. It gave CD additional power in controlling who will participate in the Kentucky Derby. If we happen to get another front end winner in the Derby, they will never go back to the graded stakes system...but I could possibly see them give Derby points to some of these 7/8ths and mile races that have been deprived of extra points due to the race distance and time of the year. TJ