WAYI Races

[Fairmount1]

The past few days I put together a spreadsheet for this year\'s 52  BC Win and You\'re In Races that took place in North America.    

Aside from the results not yielding what I expected necessarily, it raised several questions so here it goes with a couple.

1.  Who decided these races were worthy of Win and You\'re In status?  The Haskell is a WAYI race but not the Travers?  There are numerous examples of races that leave you wondering how or why this race and not another was chosen.  The fact it is called the Challenge Series presented by America\'s Best Racing suggests ABR has a hand in it which explains a lot I\'d say.....(ABR aka The Jockey Club).

2.  What if you win two WAYI races (or three as Abel Tasman could have accomplished)?  I assume there is no benefit to winning a second WAYI race financially beyond the purse for that 2nd winning race?  Accelerate, Abel Tasman, Blue Prize all won multiple WAYI races this year.  
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52 NA WAYI Races in 2018 (32 Dirt, 20 Turf, who decided this ratio when there are 7 Dirt and 7 Turf BC races.  Granted there are 33 WAYI races elsewhere in the world and mostly turf I presume but how many actually come here out of those races?)

Leading Trainers:  Brown, 7; Baffert, 5; Sadler, 3; D\'Amato, 3;

Leading Jocks:  Jose Ortiz, 7, Irad/Flavien/Joel, 5; Smith, 4

Favorites won 50 percent of the NA WAYI races 26/52

Avg. Field Size 8.75 (lower than expected although it ticked upward after September)

$2 Avg Win Price, $15.00; $2 Median Win Price, $7.45

Winning Favorites in WAYI races located in KY (State of this year\'s BC):  28.57% 4 for 14; All other NA located WAYI Races (22 for 38, 57.89%)

If anyone wants the whole spreadsheet, send me a pm with your email and I\'ll pass it along if interested.

[bluechip21]

I would say you are correct in both of your assessments.
1- I am guessing that it’s part of a sold television package sold to NBC. Hyping the Breeders Cup while also showcasing summer racing seems to benefit both sides, especially on a baron summer tv schedule.

2- yes. I believe this is the case. I don’t think 2nd place gets the free trip to the BC. Sort of like winning races after you’ve already qualified for the derby maybe?

I’ve been keeping spreadsheets on some jockey / trainer data, as I’ve mentioned previously. I’ve since found that looking at it that it may be “paralysis by analysis” and I’d be worried to lead people down a wrong path. However I think your data may be useful to the point on what jocks land on what horses. I get there is a business where they may end up on a weekend in Saratoga, but feel that is thrown out the window in November.

[Tavasco]

With regard to one of your questions. The win and your in enticement has as one side effect the drawing of horses with some celebrity to a specif race, spectators to the the track and dollars to the parimutual pools.

Consequently. I deduce the WAYI race promoter pays for the distintion. Maybe the  plane ticket, the entry fee (c/b BC soft $), promotional fees, bribes and foreign lobbyists.

[phil23]

Was not a fan of the WAYI concept when implemented as it seemed to take away from the entire point of running a full season - to collect enough points to guarantee a spot in the top 7.  Still kind of feel that way but I guess that horse has left the barn.

Had not thought about the promo value bluechip mentioned to NBC in being able to hype these races to viewers but that makes good sense.

Pretty pleased Enable is coming - if for no other reason that to get a look at her sheet.  It can be tough to tell just how their running compared to say a year earlier what with the adjustments time form codes in (that thank goodness it seems tg strips out) for weight for monthly age.

Arc winners (and even just runners) notoriously poor - wonder if it\'s different for her as not the typical long campaign, though of course they\'d still have squeezed her for all she\'s worth for that race. Gosden said just 85% and interrupted prep after the Kempton race with temperature. Inclined to believe him in this case actually - it really would make no sense to run her here (what could they possibly have to gain? - nothing she does here eclipses what she\'s already accomplished) unless they genuinely feel she\'s ready to fire. Granted even money is not making anyone rich. Will be harder for me to toss her from the PicN\'s tho as opposed to if say Sea The Stars had come, who isn\'t sadly, who\'d be a nice easy throwout.

Ah well, at even money, pretty much doubles every other horse\'s price in the Turf though which is nice if you want to fire against her.

Hope Roaring Lion (and his sheet) comes too for the big one - if the weather stays awful over there and he has to miss not just Champions but QEII even, he just might.