Im probably less enthused than Ive been in 30 years of the Event. I\'m sure as it gets closer the energy and fire will surface but....Someone needs to tell these Breeders that when you sponsor and build an event you have an obligation to uphold the quality of it. Im still trying to figure out who the Stars are. The purses are bug so the fields will be full. Somewhere in there there is opportunity. Im just struggling to feel it right now...
Hurricane Willa?
11/2 Fri currently forecast to be 57 degress partly sunny possible thundershowers
11/3 Sat currently forecast 66 degrees overcast possible thunder showers
Rain forecast for Sunday
Low in the mid 40\'s the week leading up to the races. c/b an issue for Fl & SoCal shippers?
The westher for Derby was the worst in history. I dont wish this on anyone. The fans deserve better. Better westher. A better racing product. Its a wagering opportunity and good one. But so is Cal Cup Day. There are no Stars on November 3rd. The Breeders retired them and killed their own Event....
Seems like the love of money ruins a lot of things not just the ponies.
My interest in the Breeders\' Cup went from very high to very low the instant the event went from one day to two days.
I don\'t know why there would be such a dramatic change in my interest level but that\'s the case.
I hear a lot of complaints about a lack of stars, and I understand that, but I\'d rather see a competitive field of top flight horses than one or two stars, and the rest fodder for a field.
Let\'s look at the Classic.
Last year the top five were
Gun Runner
Collected
West Coast
War Story
Gunnevera
Arrogate
I guess there were two stars in there, one well past done. This year\'s field is almost certainly deeper - especially with the foreign contingent. Collected and War Story are nice enough, but at the pointy end of the division?? I think I saw the futures have Gunny at 30-1.
Then there\'s the sprint.
The top two return, plus xy jet and promises fufilled, and the Forego winner, and maybe Limo Liberal on his home track.
And, if you really need star power, I here tell a filly from Europe might come.
C\'mon, man.
The Breeders have cannibalized their own Event. No one outside a hardened gambler will turn on their TV to watch this. When the ratings shrink their goes the TV airtime. Only total incompetence or stupidity would do such a thing.....This is fact
Tara Lipinski & Johnny Weir will save the day & event!!!!
Really build up the TV ratings.
Silver Charm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No one outside a hardened gambler will turn on their
> TV to watch this.
Hasn\'t this been the case for some time now??
The days of watching Ferdinand vs Alysheba are long gone.
P-Dub Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hasn\'t this been the case for some time now??
>
> The days of watching Ferdinand vs Alysheba are
> long gone.
Well said. And the days of anyone serious watching and gambling on the NFL Pro Bowl are long gone over also. This is what happens when nobody shows up. You turn your own Event into a TOTAL NON-EVENT. The only people stupid enougb to do this are the same ones stupid enough to think they can convince the public what they are watching is good and real. #nobodyisbuyingit
I was gonna post this thought along with a link to the BC CCEO but I closed the tab by accident and no longer had the desire to hunt and peck.
I\'m not sure we get the mainstays Tara & Johnny but we do get such luminaries as Catt Sadler and Kristin Chenoweth doing the red white and blue carpet. I\'m wondering about that colorful Englishman?
Marlin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tara Lipinski & Johnny Weir will save the day &
> event!!!!
> Really build up the TV ratings.
How I hate these two. Weir playing up his gay stereotype and Lipinski doing the fashion police. I remember at one year\'s Derby these two, who know nothing about racing, interviewing a dumb model who knows nothing about racing.
Not to mention the dumb celebrities who pick a horse because they like it\'s name.
Maybe they\'ll do a reality segment on \"Backstretch Drama\". How about \"Cheating Trainers\' Wives\". That should jack up the ratings.
Hey, NBC - It\'s supposed to be racing, not fashion.
Maybe I am different-I like the breeders cup races, for a change we get full fields and of those full fields, often there are many nice prices to choose from. I don\'t want races with superstars in them, those races become unplayable for me, I like watching the champions race, but I like betting on races more than just watching them, so I would prefer a full field with no odds on favorite. Playing horses in New York on a regular basis is tough, the fields in the fall and winter are very small, and the prices are equally small. Look around the country, and you see 6 and 7 horse fields in too many races. I like the Big days like breeders cup, even though its tough to pick winners, though when you can the payoff is greater.
If you’re not excited about huge fields and wide open races I think you should look for another hobby.
Other than Justify, not sure which other star you are referring to. Can’t imagine any other horse drawing attention outside of the horse racing crowd. Is that what you are saying, because there isn’t a triple crown winner running in the classic, there is no star power?
I agree. This years\' races, particularly the Classic, offer a very competitive field. A true handicapping challenge and a treat for fans and handicappers, as well as offering bigger payoffs.
Folks love to whip on Tara and Johnny, but the KY Derby is the single greatest wagering opportunity of the year for the horseplayer, and it isn\'t remotely close.
We should beg them to put more of Tara and Johnny on the air. We should beg them to have more celebrities who pick cute names, one-eyed horses, etc.
Bet Twice Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you’re not excited about huge fields and wide
> open races I think you should look for another
> hobby.
>
> Other than Justify, not sure which other star you
> are referring to. Can’t imagine any other horse
> drawing attention outside of the horse racing
> crowd. Is that what you are saying, because there
> isn’t a triple crown winner running in the
> classic, there is no star power?
I rarely bet horses anymore. Just the big days and a trip or two a year to Santa Anita.
Having said that, I still look forward to the BC every year. Maybe its because TG helps me win more often than not, I dunno.
There have been several recent BCs that have had plenty of stars, and there will be plenty of quality on hand this year. Not many years have a star people from outside the industry know about.....Pharoah, Zenyatta (forgive me)....but for horse racing fans there is plenty of quality, not to mention the top riders plying their craft.
As a guy that just wants to bet on horses and wants some good opportunities for a score, the BC is still a great two days with plenty of quality horses.
The BC used to have the entire card telecast on national television. Now its put on the minor NBCSN with just a couple hours on NBC for a few of the biggest races. The event is really for horse racing fans, not the general sports fan. I work in a casino/card room, and a LOT of people bet on sports. Horse racing hardly registers with 95% of them with many not having a clue about the BC.
I\'m flying into Burbank Friday morning, spending the weekend at SA. A buddy from out of town was supposed to join me, had to cancel. My cousin lives down there and is meeting me Saturday for a day of beer and gambling. Next man up, I\'m not cancelling a trip to SA. If anyone will be at SA Friday hit me up.
Wednesday can\'t get here fast enough.
Speaking of the Derby, is it a BC rule to have a maximum of 14 horses in every race?
When the BC is at CD, why can\'t they race a field of more than 14 in the BC Classic? 19 entered....why not run \'em all for the 6 million? I don\'t know if other tracks (SA, Del Mar, Keeneland next 3 BC) can race 20 but I know CD can. Maybe next time at CD? Maybe at these others tracks?
Got to be one of two reasons about a 14 horse field.
a) CD can\'t load more than 14 colts to run 1 1/4 miles @ CD unless its the first Saturday in May?
OR
b) The Pari-Mutuel machines only have 12 runners on the push buttons. (The good old days)
Only two reasons I can imagine. HAR HAR
And say screw you to all racing fans. Your sport is not a sport anymore. Just a platform for trash TV. Gladly dump what is of interest to fans and handicappers and drive them away with this trash and stupidity. You will lose the few fateful fans by catering to the ignorant bringing in these morons who will not become racing fans anyway since they\'re to stupid to understand a reading form.
Some people naively think that this will save racing when it will destroy racing. As true fans will not tolerate these spectacles aimed at the stupid who will just forget all about racing the day after the races and return to their fashion and reality shows. One cannot make a sport more popular by disgrassing and destroying it. I guess you can get ratings with this rubbish but it will no longer be any kind of real racing.
bobphilo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One cannot make a sport more
> popular by disgrassing and destroying it. I guess
> you can get ratings with this rubbish but it will
> no longer be any kind of real racing.
What are you on about, half of the the BC is turf races . . . .
Lol:)
I will be buying product and I\'ll make a few wagers. Regarding taking up another Hobby the Ft Lauderdale Yacht is a mile away and I\'ll be there too. Louisville is my hometown and I was offered good tickets. Free. I passed. I wasnt the first person to have turned the guy down who is struggling to give them away. Sooooo there is another perspective on some reality. People can ignore it if they wish. Good luck and I hope Jerry gives us all a few winners!!
Silver Charm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I will be buying product and I\'ll make a few
> wagers. Regarding taking up another Hobby the Ft
> Lauderdale Yacht is a mile away and I\'ll be there
> too. Louisville is my hometown and I was offered
> good tickets. Free. I passed. I wasnt the first
> person to have turned the guy down who is
> struggling to give them away. Sooooo there is
> another perspective on some reality. People can
> ignore it if they wish. Good luck and I hope Jerry
> gives us all a few winners!!
Sorry guys but I don\'t agree but I understand your (and others) frustration. With 5 former or defending BC winners, Aidan O\'Brien with 18 pre-entries, 2 time Arc winner Enable, multiple Group/Grade 1 winners including Roaring Lion and a record 221 pre-entries, I cannot wait -- to watch and to bet. I love the sport. I have owned horses (some good) since 1990. I have a box at both Del Mar meets. Watching and betting on the best Euros is a treat. As we get older we yearn for the \"old days.\" I get it. But, these 2 days are still special -- at least for me.
If you think about it, the BC was way ahead of its time: a large festival of G1 races clustered around a big event day.