Nashoba's Key

[EJXD2]

Everyone said the same thing about Azeri in 2002, and she destroyed the Distaff field at Arlington.

I agree that Nashoba\'s Key (and pretty much everyone else in most divisions) needs to prove herself on Breeders\' Cup day, but that doesn\'t change the fact that she is the current leader of the division.

I never understood this nonsense about horses needing to ship to prove themselves. If a horse is running in Grade 1 races, then that\'s the most you could ask them to do.

[miff]

Agree N Key is top older filly right now but the so called grade 1 runners in Cali are the most common bunch in years, most divisions.

[EJXD2]

Barry,
When have the NTWA, racing secretaries, and Daily Racing (the voting bodies for the Eclipse Awards) gotten it wrong recently?

Favorite Trick winning Horse of the Year in 1997 is the last travesty that comes to mind, but maybe you feel otherwise.

I don\'t mind the system here (disclosure: I am an Eclipse Award voter). The people who observe racing as their profession vote on the best. That seems logical to me.

[Perfect Drift]

Everyone would have been out of touch.  Azeri had already shipped and won the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn in April of 2002... which she again won in 2003 AND 2004 and also won the Spinster at Keeneland.  

 


EJXD2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Everyone said the same thing about Azeri in 2002,
> and she destroyed the Distaff field at Arlington.
>
> I agree that Nashoba\'s Key (and pretty much
> everyone else in most divisions) needs to prove
> herself on Breeders\' Cup day, but that doesn\'t
> change the fact that she is the current leader of
> the division.
>
> I never understood this nonsense about horses
> needing to ship to prove themselves. If a horse is
> running in Grade 1 races, then that\'s the most you
> could ask them to do.

[Barry Irwin]

In every country in the civilized world of racing, handicaps are regularly produced. At year\'s end, the Champion is decided by which horses are weighted atop their divisions.

Even more importantly than determing the Champions themselves is the ability to be able to compare horses by how many pounds superior they are to their competition.

We don\'t have this in America and it is a disservice to owners and especially to breeders.

Funny story: when I worked at the Thoroughbred of California magazine in the early 1970s, a guy named Alan Magerman stopped by the library. He owned a fast sprinter named George Lewis.

In those days, in the DRF, the voters used to have their names listed with their one-two-three selections in each division.

Magerman looked at the page, turned to a friend and said \"Hey look at this. This guy here voted for my horse for Champion sprinter--and I don\'t even know him!\"

[Silver Charm]

Barry,

Competition NOT Opinions should settle these Championships.

Nashoba\'s Key by running on Turf instead of Dirt now has forfeited the opportunity to win everything and instead finish the year with NOTHING!!

[Barry Irwin]

Au contrere mon ami, if Miss Key wins the BC, she could sweep EVERYTHING. I include HOY under certain circumstances. This is 2007 my friend, completely new rules and new categories. Open up your mind.

[Silver Charm]

Barry,

Simple question. Why is Polytrack considered an extension of dirt racing and yet not considered an extension of turf racing when it comes to these voting categories.

If any horse or mare rattles off four quality wins on poly/synthetic why is she placed at the top of the division or near the top in a category that has nothing to do with the turf category. And yet this same animal is nowhere to be found in the turf category.

Who defined this?

Or is this like the installation of Polytrack/Synthetic. They are making it up or figuring it out as they go along.................

[fkach]

The answer is that Poly was meant to be a substitute for dirt, but we all know that \"Poly\" (not all synthetics) is probably actually closer to turf than dirt. The industry doesn\'t want to admit that. Since handicappers/gamblers don\'t care about anything other than profit, we are generally trying to deal with reality.