Comments on: Top 50 in Graded Stakes Earnings http://wireplayers.com/blog/1933-top-50-in-graded-stakes-earnings.html We're Betting on Horse Racing Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:48:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tony Bada Bing http://wireplayers.com/blog/1933-top-50-in-graded-stakes-earnings.html#comment-1203 Tony Bada Bing Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:56:45 +0000 http://wireplayers.com/blog/?p=1933#comment-1203 Steve, Hay, oats, water and steroids... Steve,

Hay, oats, water and steroids…

]]> By: Steve http://wireplayers.com/blog/1933-top-50-in-graded-stakes-earnings.html#comment-1202 Steve Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:39:07 +0000 http://wireplayers.com/blog/?p=1933#comment-1202 Gib, loved the crack about Lookin at Lucky. He seems to have tons of talent, but doubt he'll have the conditioning for a grueling Triple Crown run. Tony, great baseball analogy. But remember, back in '85, they played on only "hay, oats, and water." Gib, loved the crack about Lookin at Lucky. He seems to have tons of talent, but doubt he’ll have the conditioning for a grueling Triple Crown run.

Tony, great baseball analogy. But remember, back in ’85, they played on only “hay, oats, and water.”

]]> By: Tony Bada Bing http://wireplayers.com/blog/1933-top-50-in-graded-stakes-earnings.html#comment-1193 Tony Bada Bing Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:02:03 +0000 http://wireplayers.com/blog/?p=1933#comment-1193 John, I love horses that run, and I get they are fragile creatures. But I also fear running Thoroughbreds every six to eight weeks (allowing them time to recover and not bounce) is worse than rolling them out every two or three weeks. Allow me to make a baseball analogy - 25 years ago starting pitchers pitched more innings, completed more games and had far fewer injuries than they do now. In 1985, Bert Blyleven led both leagues with 24 complete games from 37 starts...10th place was Ron Guidry 11 complete games from 33 starts. Last season Ron Halladay led both leagues with 9 complete games from 32 starts, 10 from him was Cris Carpenter who had 3 complete games from 28 starts. Yet in the age of specialization and one inning closers, starters are hurt a lot more, work a lot less and I doubt we can blame the breeding of such pitchers for their injuries as we do for the horses. (By the way I'm tired of that excuse). Let 'em run. Tony John,

I love horses that run, and I get they are fragile creatures. But I also fear running Thoroughbreds every six to eight weeks (allowing them time to recover and not bounce) is worse than rolling them out every two or three weeks.

Allow me to make a baseball analogy – 25 years ago starting pitchers pitched more innings, completed more games and had far fewer injuries than they do now. In 1985, Bert Blyleven led both leagues with 24 complete games from 37 starts…10th place was Ron Guidry 11 complete games from 33 starts. Last season Ron Halladay led both leagues with 9 complete games from 32 starts, 10 from him was Cris Carpenter who had 3 complete games from 28 starts. Yet in the age of specialization and one inning closers, starters are hurt a lot more, work a lot less and I doubt we can blame the breeding of such pitchers for their injuries as we do for the horses. (By the way I’m tired of that excuse).

Let ‘em run.

Tony

]]> By: gib. (John Gibson) http://wireplayers.com/blog/1933-top-50-in-graded-stakes-earnings.html#comment-1191 gib. (John Gibson) Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:35:08 +0000 http://wireplayers.com/blog/?p=1933#comment-1191 Tony Bada Bing, you must be off your rocker! Ask race horses to race? Crazy idea. Don't you understand that not losing is more important the winning? [smile] I think that horses should run (win) their win into the Derby rather than buy their way in. I've never seen this LOOKIN AT LUCKY. Technically, I don't believe that he would have to show his head before the Derby. He probably already has enough earnings. I hear guys whine about horse racing losing its popularity. They toss out facts, figures, excuses . . . they miss (in my mnd) the obvious. The "stars" don't compete enough to establish any mainstream notoriety How popular would the NFL be if its stars came out to play four or five times a year on an unannounced schedule? Duh? For me the "big dogs" are boring, and impossible to handicap - my heroes are those claimers that roll out every couple weeks. Tony Bada Bing, you must be off your rocker!

Ask race horses to race? Crazy idea. Don’t you understand that not losing is more important the winning? [smile]

I think that horses should run (win) their win into the Derby rather than buy their way in. I’ve never seen this LOOKIN AT LUCKY. Technically, I don’t believe that he would have to show his head before the Derby. He probably already has enough earnings.

I hear guys whine about horse racing losing its popularity. They toss out facts, figures, excuses . . . they miss (in my mnd) the obvious. The “stars” don’t compete enough to establish any mainstream notoriety

How popular would the NFL be if its stars came out to play four or five times a year on an unannounced schedule? Duh?

For me the “big dogs” are boring, and impossible to handicap – my heroes are those claimers that roll out every couple weeks.

]]> By: Steve http://wireplayers.com/blog/1933-top-50-in-graded-stakes-earnings.html#comment-1188 Steve Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:44:13 +0000 http://wireplayers.com/blog/?p=1933#comment-1188 I agree Tony, a points system would be better than graded earnings. Especially because a race with a huge purse can blow the scale. Many of the top earners made the bulk of their money on Breeders' Cup day. And as noted, Rule won the G3 Delta Jackpot with a $750K purse which is higher than many G1s. The points system you explained seems to be a fair and consistent way to measure & reward ability. Perhaps a points system that weights 3 year old races more heavily than 2 year old races would be a good idea. This might address John's issue with horses that do nothing as a three year old, but make the Derby based on stakes earnings won as a two year old. I agree Tony, a points system would be better than graded earnings. Especially because a race with a huge purse can blow the scale. Many of the top earners made the bulk of their money on Breeders’ Cup day. And as noted, Rule won the G3 Delta Jackpot with a $750K purse which is higher than many G1s. The points system you explained seems to be a fair and consistent way to measure & reward ability.

Perhaps a points system that weights 3 year old races more heavily than 2 year old races would be a good idea. This might address John’s issue with horses that do nothing as a three year old, but make the Derby based on stakes earnings won as a two year old.

]]> By: Tony Bada Bing http://wireplayers.com/blog/1933-top-50-in-graded-stakes-earnings.html#comment-1187 Tony Bada Bing Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:36:20 +0000 http://wireplayers.com/blog/?p=1933#comment-1187 Graded stakes earnings is a lousy system for determining the 20 Derby starters. Even the point system the Road to the Roses contest uses would be better (for wins: Grade I, 15 points; Grade II, 12 points; Grade III, 8 points; Listed stakes, 4 points). The most prestigious races carry the most points, as they should and the horse's connections would be rewarded accordingly with a few more points. This would guard against a single, big purse Grade I win or the Delta Jackpot winner necessarily getting you into the Derby starting gate as it does now. A point system would also reward greater consistency across the two and three-year-old seasons. (If you can even call three or four races a season?) A tight, controlled point system might even force trainers and owners to race their horses - a novel idea. Graded stakes earnings is a lousy system for determining the 20 Derby starters. Even the point system the Road to the Roses contest uses would be better (for wins: Grade I, 15 points; Grade II, 12 points; Grade III, 8 points; Listed stakes, 4 points). The most prestigious races carry the most points, as they should and the horse’s connections would be rewarded accordingly with a few more points. This would guard against a single, big purse Grade I win or the Delta Jackpot winner necessarily getting you into the Derby starting gate as it does now. A point system would also reward greater consistency across the two and three-year-old seasons. (If you can even call three or four races a season?) A tight, controlled point system might even force trainers and owners to race their horses – a novel idea.

]]> By: John Gibson http://wireplayers.com/blog/1933-top-50-in-graded-stakes-earnings.html#comment-1186 John Gibson Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:45:57 +0000 http://wireplayers.com/blog/?p=1933#comment-1186 I wish that only 3yo earnings counted towards the Derby slots. I wish that only 3yo earnings counted towards the Derby slots.

]]> By: Brian Appleton http://wireplayers.com/blog/1933-top-50-in-graded-stakes-earnings.html#comment-1185 Brian Appleton Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:32:01 +0000 http://wireplayers.com/blog/?p=1933#comment-1185 I am really looking forward to seeing Backtalk get back to the races if they ever stop "bringing him back slowly". I am really looking forward to seeing Backtalk get back to the races if they ever stop “bringing him back slowly”.

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