Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Craven
Done.
I would also sign a petition supporting a new Spring championship series titled The Triple Crown - for 4 year olds who did NOT run in the previous year's 3 year old series - to be held on the same day and locations as the current Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, say back-to-back with the 3 year old series while we gradually fade out the 3 year old races.
In other words, begin to support the notion that the REAL Triple Crown should occur in the Spring of a 4 year old's career, not a 3 year old's career.
If it takes a gradual change-over and gaining of support, fine, but the distances should be shorter for the 3 year olds (e.g. 9f, 9.5f, 10f) and the purse should be (gradually) less, while the purse for the 4 year old series should be gradually higher, until someday it's the 4 year old Triple Crown which is considered the real Triple Crown, with the REAL money. Traditions can evolve. After all, the current Triple Crown series was not always contested at the current distances, and at precisely today's tracks (wasn't Belmont different in the 1800's?).
So say I.
Ted
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Ted,
This is an eminently sensible proposal and long overdue. It brings specificity to other proposals that seek the same end; namely moving all horse racing back a year so that the current 2-year-old season begins with 3-year-olds, the 3-year-old season becomes the 4-year-old season and so on.
Your proposal ties the shift to money and that would ensure that it would happen.
I've been telling people for years that if I were the God of racing, this is exactly the change I would mandate.
Traditionalists will oppose it, but if we are to keep this great game, changes are going to have to occur. As it is, we are one high profile break-down away from broader calls to ban racing and the next time it won't just be from loonies like PETA.