One thing we missed reporting today, which I am sure you all know anyway, is that Beach is going to stud at Hanover Shoe Farms in Pennsylvania.
In past interviews with horses going to stud, it seems to be a commercial. Most times the trainer does not say much about the fan, in any way. It is all about the deal and the grandstand folks who are sick to their stomachs seeing the stars retire early are seemingly there to "go along with it", like somehow this is a good thing, and not a dirty little secret and scourge of our game.
This interview was different. When MacGrath announced that Beach was being retired he said "I can hear all the applause out there - all two of you." That of course was a clear reference that he knows this game is a mess and he is well aware that we don't like it.
That was refreshing to see. As someone that is clearly not applauding, I appreciated it. Maybe if more owners and fans let the racing braintrust know that we want them to fix the early retirement problem, we can get them to change this game for the better.
Last up, I will have a post up tomorrow telling everyone what I am going to do if this horse is not number one with unanimous first place votes on Monday. A quick hint? It involves something with a hammer, a railway spike and my skull.
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8 comments:
How can you say that after Dewey's tremendous surge in the third heat? I wouldn't argue with anyone that put them on equal footing.
Here is an idea which may help solve the problem with early retirement. How about two new events, the North American Pacing and Trotting Derbys?
What should happen is whenever a standardbred is registered in the US or Canada, a $50 surcharge should be applied. For this $50, each horse is automatically nominated to these two races (splitting the nomination fees between the two races or base it on the sire being a pacing or trotting sire).
Next, add a $50 surchage to the electronic eligibilty fee and that could be the first substaining payment. In this case, the fee would be assigned to the trotting or pacing derby based on a declaration made at that time.
By doing this, every horse that ever makes a start is automatically eligible for a nominal amount of money each horse is eligible to race. Of course, after the eligibility certificate is issued, each owner will then be able to decide whether or not to keep making payments to stay in the race, but just with these initial fees, you will have good size purses for races that will be raced for 4yos and up.
Have big enough purses for older races and the economic case to keep them racing is made. Here is a way to have get at least one big race for older horses.
Stand in line with the spikes. I am not a believer in the church of Beach is better than Niatross but he is truly a special horse.
Dewey, Mr Big and Beach have all been special this year ( AO not be be mentioned in the same breath based on one race imo). The past two weeks have really cemented where they should stand in relativity to each other though. If you have ever watched a race before you'd have to surmise that Beach would crush Big face to face. Dewey, while specila in his own right, has looked awful of late, winning on heart.
So for me, Beach, Dewey and Big in that order, no doubt about it in my feeble mind.
We disagree a bit about Dewey's performance in the first heat but I think we both know that at the end of the backstretch in the Open Trot, Campbell is asking Pierce if he wants to have dinner.
:)
Read this and get out your Ball-Peen hammer if he ain,t number 1 it,s because the voters black balled him because of MacGraths big mouth about the Jug.Could happen at the end of the year also.
http://www.horseracing.com/blog/the-eagerly-anticipated-dan-patch-awards
"How can you say that after Dewey's tremendous surge in the third heat? I wouldn't argue with anyone that put them on equal footing."
Huh?
If Somebeachsomewhere sat a pocket to a horse he is better than, say Lisfinny, and beat him by a nose I would not call it tremendous, it would be disappointing.
The third heat two years ago, Strong Yankee went 151 beating Vivid Photo. That was impressive.
Pickeral Point, you are absolutely right about Beach being black balled, but you will never find a negative quote regagarding the Jug from any of the connections of SBSW, other than to say they are not going. When asked, Mr Mcgrath was honest and said that Beach wouldn't be there, when asked why, he always answered that he wanted him as sharp as possible for Lexington. That was it, Period. He has never publicly said a bad word about the Jug, other than "we're not going".
But the decision, all by itself, is the only reason the Beach is not number one. The voters are using the poll to untwist their noses and to fill the chip on their shoulder.
congratulations to Hanover and it will be nice to see the quality mares that Somebeachsomewhere will attract and the further refining of the standardbred breed into the future..... can't wait to see his first crop in the stake races :)
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