Sadly, BC Marathon Eliminated

[Man o Taz]

http://www.drf.com/news/breeders-cup-eliminates-bc-marathon

It was a shame to learn this week that the BC Marathon was eliminated from the Breeders Cup.

Some are glad about this development, but I was not because American racing has long been criticized for its focus on speed and short distance prowess.

The Breeders Cup Marathon was an effort to buck this attitude and demonstrate that the premier championship event would reward distance horses.

For me, I agree with those who have suggested that the Marathon is the other end of the spectrum of the Dirt Mile - the difference is that we have a lot of races (G1 or otherwise) between 6 and 9 furlongs than we do at 12 or more furlongs so of course you do not see horses running in the marathon with stellar records - because if they had the stellar records they would be running in the Breeders Cup Classic, just as if the milers were good enough they would be running in the BC Spring or the BC Classic, and not the BC Dirt Mile.

Now, should the BC Marathon be a G1 race? No. Absolutely not. However, it should definitely be continued because it is just as relevant as a the Dirt and Turf Mile.

I do not think the competition has been that bad for this race.

Last year, London Bridge won - but multiple graded stakes placed horse Blueskiesnrainbows finished 2nd...and other graded stakes winners were in the field including the G1 winning (multiple graded stakes winner) Pool Play, graded stakes winner Old Time Hockey, and graded stakes placed horses like Worldly. 

The previous year, Atigun, a third place finisher in the Belmont Stakes, which race is regarded as among the top three year old contests finished third. Grassy is a multiple graded stakes placed horse with a graded stakes win. Juniper Pass is a multiple graded stakes winning horse. Balladry is a multiple graded stakes placed horse. Eldafer we know about. Romp is graded stakes placed.

In 2011, Afleet Again, a multiple graded stakes winning horse, won. Birdrun is a multiple graded stakes placed horse. Giant Oak is a multiple G1 winning horse. Cease is a multiple graded stakes placed horse. Baryshnikov was a multiple grade stakes placed horse. A.U. Miner and Pleasant Prince were multiple stakes winning horses. Gabrielle's Hill as was another multiple graded stakes placed horse. This horse finish second in the BC Marathon to Eldafer and 2nd to Greenwood Cup winner Alcomo in the Brooklyn Handicap. Was Gabrielle's Hill an unworthy horse to be in the gate in the BC Marathon? Was Golden Soul in last year's Derby?

Awesome Gem has been lauded by some as perhaps the top horse ever to run in the event. However, as much as I am a fan of Awesome Gem, Giant Oak has multiple G1 victories, while Awesome Gem has only one G1 and several lesser graded stakes. Prince Will I Am was also multiple graded stakes winner. Atoned was multiple graded stakes placed...

And I could go on.

And these horses that enter some of them may not prep with distance races simply because, as some have noted, more stakes distance races were not carded in response to the creation of the BC Marathon as initially thought. That said, most of the BC Marathon entries in recent years have run long in preps for the Marathon - so their entry is not as much of a lark as one might try and suggest.

There are other G2 BC races, so why not allow the race to continue as a G2 event? I

s there anyone who suggests that the fields for the race have not been G2 worthy? I think they have.

The bottom line for me is that these types of races often include or seem to be created for geldings like Evening Attire who love going long. Unfortunately, the marathon was created and Evening Attire never got to contest it, but I am confident, if healthy, he could have won it, and few can argue he would not have been a worthy champion.

By eliminating the BC Marathon, make it a G3 race if necessary, I think the sport of American horse racing has been diminished. We hurt the sport because a disincentive is created for tracks to run the G2 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park or the G2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream Park and the G3 Greenwood Cup at Philadelphia Park where I was able to witness Evening Attire turn in his final race at 12 furlongs where he set the track record on a day when people were saying he did not run well in heat. It was magical and the excitement was palpable and intense during the entire race.

[Dusty]

I am not happy about this one at all. I loved the distance races and I strongly feel that we as an industry need to promote stamina, soundness and endurance rather than the flash abd dash speed. BAD MOVE

Man O Taz - You said it very well. AND I CONCUR!

[Man o Taz]

OK - here is the comment in the DRF article I site above:

"It is our mission to conduct a racing program with competition at its highest level," said Craig Fravel, the chief executive of the Breeders' Cup, in a statement. "While we truly appreciate the participation of owners and trainers in the Marathon, the conditions of the race have not developed into a competition that we believe reaches the standard set by the remaining races [in the Breeders' Cup's year-end event]."

Now can you really tell me that the competition is superior in other BC races to that in the BC Marathon?

Let's look...

2013 looks like an exception to the BC Marathon rule of attracting G2 horse to a G1 race...

Goldencents (multiple G1 winning horse); Verrazano (multiple G1 winning horse); Golden  Ticket (G1 winning horse; Alpha (multiple G1 winning horse); Brujo De Olleros is a multiple graded stakes placed horse; Hymn Book a G1 winning horse; Pants on Fire (multiple graded stakes winning horse); Fed Biz (multiple graded stakes winning horse); and Centralintelligence (G1 winning horse)

Now let's look at past runnings...

2012 - Tapizar (multiple graded stakes winning horse before the race); Shackleford (multiple G1 winning horse before the  race); Rail Trip (G1 winning horse); Delegation (multiple stakes wining horse); Emcee (G1 winning horse); John Scott (multiple graded stakes placed horse);  Jersey Town (G1 winning horse before the race;

2011 - Caleb's Posse (G1 winning horse before the race); Shackleford (G1 winning horse before the race); Tres Barrachos (multiple graded stales wining horse before the race); Trappe Shot (G1 placed horse and graded stake winning horse before the race); Tapizar (graded stakes winning horse); Willburn (graded stakes winning horse); The Factor (G1 wining horse); Irrefutable (multiple graded stakes placed); Jersey Town (G1 winning horse)

The last three runnings have had worthy G1 fields...however, for the first four runnings that is debatable even though there are many times more graded stakes races carded for these distance races. This is another point that needs to be emphasized - OTHER THAN THE BELMONT STAKES THERE ARE NO GRADE 1 RACES CARDED AT 12 FURLONGS OR MORE. So, of course horses entering the Dirt Mile have stronger resumes...

2010 - Dakota Phone (graded stakes winning horse before the race); Mine That Bird (G1 winning horse before the race); Morning Line (graded stakes winning horse before the race); Gayego (G1 wining horse before the race); Cool Coal Man (multiple stakes winning horse); Tizway (graded stakes winning horse before the race; Vineyard Haven (multiple G1 wining horse at 2); Thiskyhasnolimit (graded stakes winning horse before the race); Aikenite (graded stakes places horse before the race); Hurricane Ike (graded stakes wining horse before the race); Here Comes Ben (G1 winning horse before the race); Mad Flatter (graded stakes winning horse before the race)

2009 - Mastercraftsman (multiple G1 wining horse on turf before the race); Ready's Echo (multiple graded stakes placed horse before the race); Midshipman (multiple G1 wining horse before the race on synthetic); Mambo Meister (multiple graded stakes placed before the race); Mr. Sidney (G1 winning horse on Turf before the race); Pyro (G1 winning horse before the race); Chocolate Candy (graded stakes winning horse); Bullsbay (G1 wining horse before the race).

And 2008 probably had the one of the weaker fields...

[Blue Jeans]

Remember the 2009 BC Marathon?  Of course, you do, 'cause how could anyone forget that one?   

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... g-marathon

May I please take this opportunity to wish Cloudy's Knight a very happy 14th birthday .... foaled May 2, 2000.   

ETA:  Oops, that's not the link to the 2009 BC Marathon that I searched for at B-H a couple of days ago.  Sorry 'bout that!  What happened to the link?   

ETA:  This should be the correct link ....
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/53333/man-of-iron-by-a-nose-in-thrilling-marathon

>The 26th World Championships got off to a thrilling start in the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon when Man of Iron hung on to defeat 9-year-old Cloudy's Knight by a nose Nov. 6 at Santa Anita Park (VIDEO).<

[Man o Taz]

Very exciting.

And Caleidoscopio's race was a BC 2012 highlight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzomYVmMeJs

The idea of giving Argentina a win and you're in opportunity to me helped solidify exactly what the BC World Championships are all about.

With the loss of the race, so goes Argentina's win and your in, and our stature as hosting a world championship has narrowed slightly.

[Raven]

Spot on!!

btw, i loved Caleidoscopio that day and i had a good win bet on him.

He gave me almost the same thrill that i felt when i had Forego at 9/5 and he nipped Honest Pleasure at the wire!!!

[Delamont]

Spot on!!

btw, i loved Caleidoscopio that day and i had a good win bet on him.

He gave me almost the same thrill that i felt when i had Forego at 9/5 and he nipped Honest Pleasure at the wire!!!

I remember that.  And what a character he was, too.