The Breeder's Cup & NYRA

We mention last week that this year's Breeder's Cup World Championships would be at a new, different venue. For the first time since Monmouth Park in 2007, the two day event was being held somewhere else other than Santa Anita Park or Churchill Downs. It's the first time for Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington Kentucky and in 2017, the event will be held at Del Mar Racecourse in California. But, conspicuously by it's absence for over a decade is the event being held in New York.

The original rotation from 1984 to 1995, the Breeder's Cup was held at California, New York and Florida based tracks only. In 1996, it was held at the first new venue other than the three original states. Also, it was the first and only time held outside the Untied States at Woodbine Racetrack in Canada. During that next ten year span, courses like Arlington Park, Lone Star Park and Monmouth Park were added. But, it has been ten years since the two day festival of championship races has appeared at a NYRA based track.

There were five year internals where the Breeder's Cup was conducted in New York. The first was in year two of the event, at Aqueduct in 1985. Then five years later, the first time at Belmont Park in 1990. That was twenty five years ago this month and it was the first Breeder's Cup I attended. One word could sum up that day, COLD! It would be every five years after that (1995, 2001, 2005) with the exception of 2001 that the race would be on this rotation of sites. But since 2005 the last time it was here, the Breeder's Cup World Championships organization has ignored the NYRA racing venue.

There are two factors that stick out why the event is no longer conducted here in New York. The first is a lame excuse that has out lived it's usefulness, in my opinion. The upheaval within the racing organization the last several years This has been a excuse used by Breeder's Cup Ltd. in the past why they overlook having the event here in New York. It's gotten to the point in the last few years that NYRA hasn't even applied to be considered hosting the two day event. Whatever transpired a decade ago with NYRA is done and over with and the Breeder's Cup should give a shot having the event here in New York. But, the main and biggest reason that it's not here anymore is because of the weather.

It was a damp dreary day in 1985 with the temperature at 54 degrees when the event was held at Aqueduct on November 2nd in it's second running. Five years later in 1990, it was sunny with a brisk wind and a cold 43 degrees on October 27, a week early than 1985. In 1995, the post times were earlier because of a conflict with the NBC broadcast and Notre Dame football. It was 66 degrees that day, but it had rained the night before and there was moisture in the track. The 2001 edition was surreal because it was held only a few weeks removed from the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. It was a cool crisp 50 degrees that day and I spent most of it inside the Belmont Park grandstand with my father. The last time the event was held there in 2005, the weather conditions were the same as four years before; 46 degrees and windy. With Belmont Park being an open-air facility, weather conditions play a big factor the last weekend of October. This is the main reason the Breeder's Cup isn't held in New York anymore.

With all this said, the purpose of having this event was to showcase championship caliber thoroughbreds across the many racetracks in this country. I guess the Breeder's Cup World Championship seems fit that New York does not fall under that criteria anymore. To me, this has taken away the flavor and usefulness of their mantra, "World Championships".