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I've often wished that we could just have a moratorium for one year and then all current two year old races would be run by three year olds, three year old races by four year olds, etc...Unfortunately, I'm not naive enough to believe that that can ever happen...there is too much money tied up in the horses to ask for people to wait another year for some return on their investment...

I am not an owner of a horse but from what I have heard from other owners and trainers of horses, it may be smart to limit the two year old races to start either late in the year or avoid racing at two so their bones, muscles and shins can develop well. Curlin and Big Brown can make the debate better as Curlin did not race in his two year old career and he won the Preakness and horse of the year. If Big Brown wins, he only had one race on the turf in his career. It pays to hold onto distance horses four years old and up. Look at the races, Donn Handicap, Dubai World Cup, Pimlico Special, Oaklawn Handicap, Woodward, Whitney, Breeders Cup. They are racing horses into stud and charging outrageous fees for what they think the offspring will do. $100,000 live foal for Smarty Jones, Ghostzapper, Bernardini seems too much. Other than Ghostzapper, the others were retired at three. This sport needs horses to race to five and six years old. People can remember Kelso, Damascus, Swaps. People need to see these horses run year after year. I am very glad Curlin is running at four years old. That is my humble opinion.

sept.seems soon enough...use your common sense...

Seabiscuit (b. 1933) debuted Jan. 19, 1935, at Hialeah, racing 3 furlongs and finishing fourth. He ran back on Jan. 22 -- three days later -- and took second going 3 furlongs. ... That's *January* of his 2-year-old season. He went on to race 89 times. ... Worth noting.

For every Seabiscuit, how many horses today never reach their full racing potential because they are ruined at two?  (Besides, you're talking about a different era and in many respects a breed different from today's Thoroughbred.)  At the other end of the argument, running horses at 4, 5, and beyond not only increases options to market the sport (how many times I read about Kelso in this sort of conversation!), but also separates those horses that have stamina and soundness worth passing on from those that would never be selected if improvement of the breed were the goal.

If a top class horse is sound physically and mentally at the end of its three-year-old season it should be allowed to stay in training for at least one more year to see if it can build on its already exalted reputation. I understand that economics play a major factor in retiring top class/champion three-year-old colts at the end of their classic season but how many of these will go on to  become top class sires! Hardly any. As a worldwide racing fan I'd like  to see these top class racehorses fulfill their potential or not as older horses in training. Retiring horses like Bernardini and Authorized (could name others) to stud was a real shame. Hats off to Coolmore for keeping Dylan Thomas in training last year. Let's hope Curlin starts a new healthy trend.

Most of Dynaformer's Offspring don't race until they are at least 3 & most go on to race until they are 5, or older. Many owners stop because they want to bred them. An exception was Barbaro who had his 1st Race, in real terms at 1 yr & 6 Months old & his 2nd race at 1 yr & 7 months old. He was just 3 yrs old in real terms when he won the Kentucky Derby with ease. He had just had his 3rd Birthday in real terms, when he broke down in the Preakness, 2 weeks later. Many-many 2 yr old thoroughbreds break down training up to their 1st race as a 2yr old. Because of the inbreeding,the last 3 decades Owners & Trainers, IMHO, start to train their horses 6 months too early, Let them mature first...

Clearwater Charlie