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Commentary: Summer of discontent bleeds over into fall championship season

Posted: Friday, October 01, 2010 12:49 PM

by Chris Rossi

As the last round of Breeders’ Cup prep races get under way this weekend, fans and players are being offered a lineup of more of what ailed a rather dull summer season—connections of the top horses choosing the path of least resistance in the hopes of attaining end of season awards more by attrition than competition.

There seems to be little upside to be gained for some of the main Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) competitors as Lookin at Lucky, Blame, and Zenyatta take to the track as the prohibitive favorites for their last Breeders’ Cup tune-ups.

Win, as they should, and they keep their championship claims intact. Lose, and any would suffer a blow to their reputations.

It's a reflexive tightrope that connections have chosen for their horses that has left fans twiddling their thumbs all summer, waiting for a fleeting fall moment at the Breeders' Cup to decide it all. It sure is a comedown from the optimistic dawn of the season that promised exciting times ahead.

This tightrope has left little margin for error as connections try to weave their horses toward just one day.

Obviously, Rachel Alexandra is an example of what can be lost by taking the low road—no upside path of pointing for just one race.

What struck this fan watching Rachel Alexandra cross the wire on a brutally scorching hot summer afternoon at Monmouth Park was not her victory, the quality of competition, or the arguments about whether or not the reigning Horse of the Year had lost a step from last year's brilliant form. What really stuck out was that her connections put Rachel Alexandra in a spot where she had so much to lose and so little to gain. Win, and so what? Lose, and where exactly can she go from there?

Contrast this with the summer's high racing moment in the Whitney Handicap (G1).

Let’s not forget what delivered Blame to be in a position to stamp himself as one of the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. By taking on and narrowly defeating the division leader in Quality Road in the Whitney, Blame built upon a solid base by beating the best on a particular day.

The exciting conclusion to the Whitney left both Quality Road and Blame with viable claims to a championship down the road.

Then there is the Zenyatta phenomenon.

There is little to say about her accomplishments on the track that has not already been said. She is unbeaten. That’s as good as a horse can do and there should be nothing but praise for the masterful handling by her connections to that end.

I can’t help but recall, however, the excitement at the announcement preceding the Eclipse Awards by Jerry Moss that Zenyatta, coming out of retirement, was to be showcased for the people. That’s certainly been left wanting for the people who were implied to be targets of such showcases.

All this serves as a reminder that as much as the industry tries to market concoctions that will appease both hardcore fans and new fans who want some sort of coherency to the season before the Breeders’ Cup, it is easier said than done when it comes to the reality of owners rightfully keeping their horses close to the vest and on target for just one race of any meaning.

The sad thing is that this trend will continue with the news last week that the British Horseracing Authority will follow in the footsteps of the Breeders' Cup with another attempt to manufacture a season of races that culminate in one championship race day.

These marketing innovations have not delivered on the promise of more competitive top-level racing.

Take for instance the addition of the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (G3) to the World Championships lineup. It is an added novelty race for a division that largely does not exist during a season that a Breeders' Cup championship race is supposed to decide.

No one is going to confuse the winner of the Marathon with the winner of the Classic, yet now they are packaged as part of the same championship program.

It is a free market for the tracks operating in the United States to make big splashes with sweetened purse incentives to attract the top horses away from each other in the hopes of boosting their own bottom lines. They also rightfully are under no obligation to do what is best for the collective whole of the industry.

The solution is not million-dollar races at every track or grand “Win and You’re In” marketing schemes. It is less racing options at the top level so a funnel can create the excitement that was witnessed during this year’s running of the Whitney.

Chris Rossi lives in New Jersey and is a contributing editor for helloracefans. Follow him on Twitter