Why does the Breeders Cup insist on racing at sub-standard racetracks like Monmouth?

Question

1. Racing on the East Coast in Late October / Early November is asinine. The weather is inclement, leads to incidents like what happened to George Washington (euthanized).

2. To race beautiful animals on a 7/8 mile track showed the pitfalls. One needed only to watch European horses try to make those absurdly tight turns. (They blew them)

3. Churchill Downs, Arlington Park (marginally), Santa Anita and Hollywood Park make more sense for horsemen to show their finest animals. So much more so now with "synthetic" surfaces.

Do not race at "bullrings" like Monmouth anymore.

Answer 1

I think that any track is a crapshoot in October or November.  h**l, I remember when the Breeder's Cup was in Toronto at Woodbine, and they were worried about the cold, but they got lucky with both fairly warm and clear weather.

Like I said, you can get rain anywhere in October or November.  It's just that now in California, you have the synthetic track and it won't have the effect that Monmouth had this weekend.

I think that any horse could have been stricken like George Washington last Saturday.  Of course, it gets more press because 1) it's a major event 2) the horse was bred by the same breeders of Barbaro 3) weather was horrible all week.  Europeans had the advantage with the soft turf, but it was cancelled out because of the tight turns, which is fairly normal in the US.

If the horse that broke down was a $4,000 claimer in a boring Wednesday during the summer at Monmouth, no one would care.  Because it's the Breeder's Cup, everyone does.

Answer 2

Monmouth racetrack is beautiful, you have no clue.  I was lucky to go there once in the summer years back and it was terrific.  It was too bad it rained but maybe the person who posted this ridiculous question stays home in bed and cries any time it rains.  Welcome to the world of weather.  It happens, get over it.  Monmouth was this little secret paradise of racing that the Breeders Cup finally came around to.  If you're a west coaster, think Del Mar.  They made many renovations that just would have played better if the weather cooperated.  However, the idea the Breeders Cup needs to be on the west coast all the time is ridiculous.  You had the opposite problem there last time at Santa Anita when the weather was over 100.  Horses and people alike were uncomfortable.  So don't blame the beautiful Monmouth Park for any weather related issue.  In my view, Monmouth should be on the Breeders Cup circuit.

Answer 3

i think the BC is better suited for the west coast. the 3 Crown is a good east coast one, but the BC should b at Santa Anita, or something.

Answer 4

There were two injuries, one fatal and one career ending, last year at Churchill, so I don't think your argument stands up.  Plus there was that track bias  that developed.  Monmouth did fine.  The weather was disagreeable, sure, but I don't think it caused George Washington's breakdown.

Answer 5

The Breeder's Cup was created to promote horse racing throughout the USA, and the original idea was to rotate it between all of the different tracks that actually had the facilities to handle the crowds, thus spreading around the money and prestige that the Breeder's Cup brings with it, and expose more different areas to world class racing. It wasn't considered fair to let only one or two favored tracks have the races every year.  Obviously, the bigger tracks will get the races more often, but it is only fair to allow the others to have their shot at it as well.

Yes, the Monmouth turf course does have really tight turns, but that is a part of racing.  Different tracks have different configurations, and part of finding a great horse is finding one who can adapt to different tracks and surfaces.

Answer 6

Monmouth is an extremely historical track...  one of the greatest summer races is there: the Haskell.  I'd hardly call Monmouth substandard.  They put in a whole new track this year for the Breeders Cup.  I agree about the weather though, although I don't know that the slop caused George Washington's injury... particularly since hundreds of other horses raced on the surface without incident.  It's true that the Europeans didn't do well over the track, but I don't think we really need to be catering to them...  all tracks are different... some horses will run better in different places... that's just part of racing.  Maybe European horses ought to prep over a small track to prepare for the Breeders.

Synthetic tracks are so completely different than normal dirt...  especially surfaces like Del Mar cater to only one type of horse...  I'm not yet ready to see a Breeders Cup at a track with a synthetic surface.

edit: Tira A, I love that picture of Afleet Alex!!

Answer 7

I agree with you.  The races Saturday were a filthy fiasco and did nothing for the image of American racing. It was the last time I will go to Monmouth Park.

Answer 8

the great ones, win.....it's that simple.....

you must show up and run you race on the big day!!!!

lava man is a good horse, but he runs Saturday in the cal cup....

Monmouth park's fans deserved a breeders' cup event.....

you guys should be pushing for a event in the u.k.......

that would be something to see......

so focus on this weeks racing and get another hyped

up horse ready to get beat, when they race at

Santa Anita in 2008....good luck and racing!!!!

Answer 9

They had the second Breeders Cup at Aqueduct and that seemed fine although I do agree that the Northeast may not be the best place to have the cup in November.

I think the reason why Monmouth had the cup is because it is a historical track and New Jersey racing really needed a boost with both Atlantic City and Garden State going down the drain, as well as the small fields at the Meadowlands.

Also, Monmouth is seated in the heart of Monmouth County a very, very wealthy community, and being close to New York, no doubt money played a big role in the decision, always seems to.

Answer 10

Monmouth is so not a bullring!

Having worked in the NJ and PA area at Phil Pk and Meadowlands and Monmouth, I can honestly say that weather is gonna be what the weather is gonna be.

Crying about it is certainly not going to change it.

If you really and truly want an answer to this question, contact the Breeders Cup.  And bless them with the vast superior knowledge you seem to have been blessed with.

Answer 11

I agree.  Let them run in Dubai, if must be.  Monmouth (sp) abysmal.  Yes, horses are tougher than baseball players, all weather sport--but that track so sub-par.  I agree Jersey needed to pump up notoriety and with OTB collapsing in NYC, economically induced.  Such a shame, the weather beyond control, but I felt so bad for ALL the turf horses, second loop, and of course first not even an inside rail.  The choice of track, omitting weather, never equaled the depth of the field, and because of this, Breeders Cup will decline.  The Classic  so sad, not because George Washington broke down, so sad, but that field could have slopped it out  on a track that at least equalled the caliber of the horses.  Curlin came through. Monmouth (sp) second rate, should never even been considered to host the Breeders.  A disgrace, but so is Jersey, politically corruption, etc..,   Meadowlands obvious choice first. then reconsider, get the best field in 10 years and put them on that  track??  Insane and shameful.   Sorry to say even laughable with that 2cd race on Saturday's card , that gray filly  in the Juvenile Fillies, pulling three horses not even off the pace , but to the border rail, she even ran down an outrider.  I laughed then, but for the turf horses got worse, then was not funny.   I hope  the Dodge tough  sponsors etc.., will reconsider, with some input by the entire racing community.  Blame Jersey.  Sorry state.

Answer 12

1. Well, what happened with George Washington could have happened on a fast track and could happen on an artificial surface, too. I just saw Teufelsberg break his leg at Keeneland (Polytrack surface) a few weeks ago on a dry day. You are right about the weather being iffy in this part of the country in October.

2. The three turn, tight turn aspects of Monmouth were a factor in the races for sure. Poor Precious Kitten never had a chance after that European horse bolted out of the turn and carried Kitten with him.

3. You'll get your wish next year -  in 2008 the Breeders Cup races will be held at Santa Anita. It is one of the most beautiful facilities.

Answer 13

You do not know what you are talking about.

Monmouth is a mile track, not 7/8.

It rains at every track, during every season.  It is unfortunate that the weather was not nice, but the weather was not so nice any pretty much any midwest or mid-atlantic track last weekend, wherever you wanted to put it.

Next year, when the the Breeders Cup will be at Oak Tree/Santa Anita, having the biggest raceday of the year on the Cushion Track will be a big change, and depending on that goes, there might be a bigger outcry against artificial surfaces then there was this year.

Pretty much everybody seemed to love Monmouth, except you.  I haven't read any articles from name writers with the same opinion as you.

Plus, I can maybe hold out that the Breeders Cup might someday come to my closest track (Laurel), which would be awesome.

What happened to Geo Wash.  was terrible, but I most likely didn't have anything to do with Monmouth.  As another person said, there were more incidents at Churchill last year, in a fewer number of races, and on a drier surface.

Answer 14

Arlington? I guess you didn't actually attend the BC at Arlington. I did. Tellers were completely untrained. They would close lines no matter how many people were in them, because they "ran out of money" and on several bets I didn't get all the change I was supposed to because my tellers didn't have enough change. They were woefully unprepared.

Some friends of mine went to Monmouth this year, and they couldn't get trains out of the park for over an hour after the races were over. They didn't have any complaints about the betting, but they didn't bet often, and Bloodhorse.com said they'd received multiple complaints about the tellers there, including at least one who didn't know what a Pick Four was.

As for weather, well you can't blame that on Monmouth. I've attended BC events at Arlington, Churchill (three times) and Belmont, froze my tail off every time, but at least it didn't rain. I was just lucky. I've been to the Keeneland meet many times in October and have been met with rain. That part's not Monmouth's fault.

But I don't think Monmouth (or Arlington, either) should be allowed to host again. Generally with the lack of tellers and lack of a huge marquee event, they're not able to pull it off well  overall.