If all 3 Triple Crown races were run at 1-1/8M we could possibly have a TC winner every other year.....that is NOT what this sport needs.....what would really help the TC series is lowering the # of horses in the Kentucky Derby to 14....and then changing the way horses qualify for the derby...graded earnings is outdated and stupid.....with lower entries in the Kentucky Derby and a better qualification system that is the only way to truly help the TC series...I like that it's hard to do. quote,"It's supposed to be hard, otherwise everyone could do it." - Tom Hanks as "Jimmy Dugan" in League of Their Own...just my opinion though.
I do not think that changing the distances of the Triple Crown races would solve anything at all. In my opinion, the answer is to eliminate the two-year-old racing altogether as it is horrible for the horses. Then move the Triple Crown races so that they are for four-year-old horses that are stronger and more mature. There would be far fewer break downs. While I am opining, lets get all major tracks onto synthetic surfaces as they are much easier on the legs and feet of the horses.
I could not agree more with your response. Well done. What is the benefit of 2yr racing. Look at Hansen who won the Breeders Cup Juvenile last year but has not even grown. Now look at Union Rags who grew handsomely and is probably a legitimate Derby Contender at three. However, Horses are at their best at 4yrs and beyond. Therefore, the prestige and the purses should be higher as well. Spot on in your assessment!
changing the triple crown races to the same distances would be the wrong idea in my opinion.
it would not be fair to the horses running in the race, or the previous triple crown winners,
because it would be easier to win.
i think it is the wrong idea, PERIOD!
trackatsunrise
It is supposed to be a test of endurance and speed. Only the Toughest ones win. If they want to do something to improve the sport STOP all the inbreeding, that is why the horses have less bone and break down so easily. In the history of the sport the horses of the old days, used to run several mile or over heats in one day. Now we are lucky if they can run once or twice a month.
I' sorry to not agree with you , but if you read the studies done on SYN surfaces , they have no less break down statics than a regular Dirt track. Just look at Del Mar they had a rash of breakdowns early last year what 7 in opening week i believe. Also SA went back to dirt because of drainage problems..new things are always not the best .
I don't feel changing the distance to 1 1/8 miles for all three is the solution here.
Winning the Triple Crown in my opinion is the hardest thing to do in all of sports. It is supposed to be hard. Being a champion is one thing, being a legend is something else entirely.
If you look back at just a few past Triple Crown winners you will see that Citation, Affirmed and Secretarit all raced 9 times as a two year old. That is more races that most of todays best three year old run in a lifetime !!! So what has changed ?
In my opion it is the way horses are bred today that has made today's horses so fragile. Horse back in the day were bred for stamina and endurance, while todays horses are bred for one thing......SPEED. Inbreeding plays a big role in this as well. Owners and breeders trying to find more speed in the pedigree to get that fast horse. While speed is the governing factor in todays racing, we see that many horses today can't go the classic distances because the stamina and endurance just aren't there.
I think if we are ever to see another Triple Crown winner, the way horses are bred has to change back to the old way of thinking, both for the good of the breed and racing as a whole.
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