Match Race

[Tucumcari]

Exactly Winds! Note the only person arguing with you is the only person who's closest personal equine experience came in Central Park.

[bdw0617]

brindilles et pierres tuc, brindilles et pierres....


The fact of the matter is, maven so far has made the best arguement for the "against" side, when she mentioned her trainer, who i have the upmost respect for, is against it. but even that is an opinion. Still waiting for statistical or any other, what is the word...imperical data to prove that match racing is more dangerous.
I will attempt to use some data here

off the top of my head, I can only think of 1 break down in a match race, and 1 injury during a race being a match race

IN the Breeders Cup, one horse DIES per every 8 races as there is just about a breakdown every year, am I not correct?

[Tucumcari]

Don't need stats... strongest case is that is isn't done anymore. Why pray tell do you think that is? What stronger statement could you possibly need?

[bdw0617]

Don't need stats... strongest case is that is isn't done anymore. Why pray tell do you think that is? What stronger statement could you possibly need?

you seem to not grasp the conept of why exactly match racing was holted in the first place.

No comission was formed, no committe was gathered and presented a case on why it was holted.. they just stoped, because the most brilliant filly died on CBS in front of america.

it's like Smarty Jones dying in the belmont and they stop runing mile and a half races

and you seem to not want to mention the point I made, that they still DO run them, just not here. one, a huge one, was scheduled for tomorrow

[Tucumcari]

Brandon, are you still here? Haven't you found a way to get days yet?
And Ruffian wasn't the last matchrace... get up to date. We have equine matchraces we had male vs female, etc. Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure were far from the last matchrace.
Shit, move to California, and I'll point you in the direction of all of the match racing your heart desires.

[llbean]

Don't need stats... strongest case is that is isn't done anymore. Why pray tell do you think that is? What stronger statement could you possibly need?

you seem to not grasp the conept of why exactly match racing was holted in the first place.

No comission was formed, no committe was gathered and presented a case on why it was holted.. they just stoped, because the most brilliant filly died on CBS in front of america.

it's like Smarty Jones dying in the belmont and they stop runing mile and a half races

Very good point, bdw0617,

Since people stopped doing Match Races based on one big break-down, and not a more general pattern, it's more likely that people weren't right to stop it.

Of course there have been so few Match Races between a top-class filly and a top-class colt that it it surprising, I think, that one of them led to a fatal injury; so maybe in situations like that there's greater danger than in a Non-Match Race (though with such a small sample we can't say anything for sure here).

When it comes to Match Races in general though, there have actually been quite a lot more of them between big-time horses in the United States than a lot of people think and it's not surprising to me, really, that one of them led to a fatal injury.

-llbean

[geowarrior]

With regard to Rogue's question about Taz. My dog Taz often participates in match races with the terrier/Satan cross Rhue. The purses for these match races have been rising astronomically to huge amounts of IAMS, and we'll shortly be needing a sponsorship from Purina.

I think it's worth remembering that Ruffian was a daughter of Reviewer, who broke down three times. So how much was pedigree and how much was the circumstances of the match race?

[Tucumcari]

Very good point, bdw0617,

Since people stopped doing Match Races based on one big break-down, and not a more general pattern, it's more likely that people weren't right to stop it.

Of course there have been so few Match Races between a top-class filly and a top-class colt that it it surprising, I think, that one of them led to a fatal injury; so maybe in situations like that there's greater danger than in a Non-Match Race (though with such a small sample we can't say anything for sure here).

When it comes to Match Races in general though, there have actually been quite a lot more of them between big-time horses in the United States than a lot of people think and it's not surprising to me, really, that one of them led to a fatal injury.

-llbean[/quote]

LLbean, that was not the end of match racing.

[hemphill]

One problem I have with the concept of a highly-publicized match race is that there would be incredible pressure not to scratch a sick horse. In other words, if a few million dollars had been spent promoting a match race and one horse spikes a slight fever or has a bit of heat in a leg, would an owner and trainer be strong enough to scratch?

[Tucumcari]

YEP, you are right on.

[winds]

Remember Frank Whitely didn't want to run Ruffian in the match race, he wanted to give her time off. Maybe his instinct told him something would happen.

I can see your point bdw. Regarding the networks, so that it doesn't leave a bitter taste in their mouths if a horse does need to scratch out, there should be horses in the wings as also elegibles............

winds

[FOS]

hi hemphill...hello Tucumcari...hi all

One problem I have with the concept of a highly-publicized match race is that there would be incredible pressure not to scratch a sick horse. In other words, if a few million dollars had been spent promoting a match race and one horse spikes a slight fever or has a bit of heat in a leg, would an owner and trainer be strong enough to scratch?

YEP, you are right.

Not so fast...

...it would be unthinkable (and Unacceptable) to expect a Match Race to run if an entrant was "a sick horse" (hemphill's words), or simply not right. That's NON-negotiable...PERIOD.

That said...I might suggest that such a possibility (of a scratch/cancellation) can be dealt with (in any number of ways). For starters...

...one way to deal with the possibility of a scratch and/or cancellation of a Match Race (and the ramifications related to disappointed viewers and/or network programmers and/or advertisers etc) is to schedule the Match Race on the same card as another important/huge race or two. Imagine if (for example) a Match Race between Rags to Riches and Curlin was scheduled on the same card as next year's Kentucky Derby...or maybe the Belmont; after all, it was in the Belmont that Rags defeated Curlin. The list of possibilities is long.

One thing that I am extremely confident of, is that a well-marketed/advertised Rags v Curlin Match Race would draw a HUUUUUGE viewing audience...HUGE.

Respectfully

[Tucumcari]

We already had that match race. It was called te Belmont.

[bdw0617]

Frank was on pens and needles with Ruffian her entire career. yet this is the filly that we use as the case to shut down match races. it makes no sense to me. I wasn't there, i wasn't even thought about being born at that time, but it seems to me she was very unsound. I might be wrong but I've read other people's thoughts who said the same.

IF that is the case, Frank gave in to pressure to run her and in that case you can't blame him. once his owner made up his mind to run her, the only question was, am I going to be the trainer or not. at the end of the day the owner is the boss.

We already had that match race. It was called te Belmont.

tuc,

First of all,t he belmont is a mile and a half race. no one in their right mind would write a mile and a half match race.

secondly, the only duel this year between rags and curlin lasted all of 2 ish furlongs not a mile. that was a RACE in which two horses had more kick at the end of the race.

[Tucumcari]

tuc,

First of all,t he belmont is a mile and a half race. no one in their right mind would write a mile and a half match race.

secondly, the only duel this year between rags and curlin lasted all of 2 ish furlongs not a mile. that was a RACE in which two horses had more kick at the end of the race.[/quote]

what? Now you are writing the condition book? Wouldn't a match race be a distance be the best distance for the individual matchup? I wouldn't turn on the tv to watch Rags and Curlin go 3/4. Think about what you type befor tou type it. And MAYBE the duel lasted 2 ish furlongs, but it was the last two furlongs. Two horses bred to go a route of ground one is tactical/closer and the other fell on her face and didn't make the lead.