How can the Arkansas Derby be a grade 2 ??????????

Question

How can the Arkansas Derby be a grade 2 ??????????

Answer 1

kmniami, you are wrong again...the bonus was a 1 year thing that was put on for Oaklawn's 100th year celebration, since then the purse has stayed at $1 million

it will be G1 soon, the money is comming back to Oaklawn through the electronic games  and purses are gonna get bigger and bigger

Answer 2

Don't really care, I just know I'll be there for the 42nd year in a row.  Wouldn't miss it.

Have seen some beautiful horses run in the Derby.

Won big time with Sir Cherokee

Answer 3

Purse money, past history of the field . . .

Answer 4

Because of the Purse Money.

Answer 5

I know the argument is that it should be a grade 1 because 4 great horses won the race in the last 4 years... but the fact is, those horses were attracted to that race because of the bonus that they'd get if the won the Kentucky Derby too.  And look at the field Curlin ran against in the race last year... that was not GI company... truthfully, it wasn't really even GII company... the only half way decent horse other than Curlin in that race was Going Ballistic and he's not even really all that great.  Until it attracts a full field of good horses, it stays a GII.

Sorry, wikipedia told me the bonus was an ongoing thing.  But I take opposition to you saying i'm wrong "again" since I wasn't wrong the first time you said I was wrong.

It doesn't change the fact that the field was weak.  And if Curlin had chosen to race some harder competition in his Derby prep, he might have been able to win the Derby.  The Arkansas Derby should remain a GII until it attracts a whole field of decent horses, not just one each year.  Look at the Louisiana Derby this year... Pyro, Majestic Warrior, Tale of Ekati, J Be K, Blackberry Road... now that's a GI field in a GII race.