We want a match race!!! Those were the days, when the whole track was crowded to see two gallant horses battle it out. We need more match ups like the great Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral race, where fans outside of racing can be drawn in. Curlin vs. Big Brown? Great idea, but it didn't fall through.

I'm afraid it isn't going to happen, not with a horse, anyway.

Why not?

Because they aren't raced often enough for the public to even know they exist.  Unfortunately, individual horses only reach the attention of the public when they break down on national tv.

It wasn't always like this.

Not only was racing on tv more often, but the horses raced more often.  I don't think Kentucky Derby fields of 20 or so are good for the sport when half of them are still unknown quantities--nobody knows if they "belong" or not, and another quarter may have only one good race behind them.  Watching these Derbies one all too often gets the impression the outcome is random, which is not the stuff heroes are made of.

We would all like to see a Triple Crown winner, but it is so grueling for these young horses who aren't even fully grown yet. They are babies...big ones, but babies.  You can tell with each race how they have improved in strength and matured more.  I just pray that they all stay safe and sound with no injuries.  As for which one I am pulling...gotta wait it out awhile...I do seem to go for the ones that have not raced or have been lightly raced at age two and all of a sudden show up on the scene blasting away.  Waiting gives them a chance to grow and let those four slim legs get stronger.  What beautiful animals!  Yes, we need to show the world...this is it....Horse racing!  

Well, we had Curlin. He didn't win the Triple Crown, but he became North America's richest horse and horse racing did virtually nothing to advertise him.

I think we should bring Curlin out of retirement and do a Curlin vs. Zenyatta match!!  (-:

The fact that horses are retired just as they are coming into their own is a huge problem. As soon as the public starts to become even a little familiar with a horse, it's retired. Provided their horses are sound, owners should stop taking the greedy route and start letting their horses run for several years. Otherwise, the general public will have no familiarity with them and no reason to care. Owners and breeders are essentially shooting themselves in the feet because although they might be making money now, they won't be able to make any in the future when the industry folds. Also, the lack of unity within the industry as a whole pushes the horseplayer away.

Munick's right....er, sort of. Match races can be spectacularly good. (i.e. Seabiscuit and War Admiral) Especially with those two names, underdog vs big money.  It holds the public's imagination in thrall like no other. Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex near disaster turned triumph, Big Brown.  I'm not even going to get started on Secretariat and Forego as that's a generation of folks who are not at the track anymore.

Then we have poor Ruffian to recall. Those people remember with sadness their time's single greatest tragedy in the history of racing.  Until Barbaro's doomed Preakness and Eight Belle's courageous battle to the literal death.

Match race?  I say it needs to be something like an AllStar event, (A Breeder's Classic race strictly for 4 year olds perhaps for a $5 million purse.  That will keep a few of 'em out of the breeding shed for at least a few months more so than some gimmicky thing like Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Although, if Stardom Bound notches another W against the boys it could happen along those lines. Half the population pitted against the other has proven to be bankable.

Well, that, or just put the damn slots in already. Otherwise.......

I'm currently torn between Fresian Fire and POTN, but Stardom Bound certainly has all the ingredients to capture the nation's imagination and heart. A triple crown winner would be huge press, but a filly doing it would be unparalleled. I'm not too fond of her connections though.

I agree whole-heartedly!!! After watching the reality television show (Jockey) on Animal Planet, it dawned on me that Horse Racing needs what Major League Baseball

has, a "Global" racing competition.

I saw on ESPN where Major League Baseball is promoting the "World Baseball Classic" March 5-23.

What is stopping our sport from doing the same?  Maybe featuring either horse, jockey, or trainer!

Could be a fun promotion that would capture a world-wide audience and actually breathe life into our sport.

P.S. Just a thought!    

SOMETIMES WE HAVE HEROES AND WE DON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE THEM...MANILA WOW, WHAT A HORSE,THE BEST GRASS HORSE THIS PAST CENTURY. I WAS GLAD TO BE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. THE SPORT NEEDS HORSES LIKE THIS AND WE NEED TO PROMOTE THEM WHEN WE HAVE THEM.

Hey I am all up for The Pamplemousse! heh But I do agree... we need something... What about a filly or mare? Zenyatta! Maybe if she continues her domination people will take notice!

The second we're close to getting that 'Great American Equine Hero," the owner strikes a big money deal to retire the horse as a stallion.  Can't really fault them for that -- it's business after all.  In my opinion, unless a super gelding emerges in the near future, we're never going to get that equine hero we've all been waiting for.  As for jockeys, it is unfortunate that they do not capture the horse racing public's imagination as much as a horse would. Maybe because they have more losing races than winning ones? So, are there any super geldings out there? ThisonesforPhil? Maybe not.

The horses you have cited i.e., Old Fashioned, The Pamplemousse, Pioneerof the Nile and Chocolate Candy have not displayed the potential to be the next great American Hero.

If the next American Hero it is going to be a horse, why not Mr. Fantasy or Russell Road? In the case of Mr. Fantasy he won his first two races by 191/2 lengths and is certainly off to a hero's start. His pedigree suggests he can sprint 10 furlongs. His sire E Dubai was one of the fastest sons of Mr. Prospector. His broodmare sire once held the WR for 10 furlongs on dirt 1:57 4/5. Most Americans live in a fantasy world and he clearly has the speed, pedigree and name to capture their fantasies.

In the case of Russell Road he has won five of six. In his only loss he was the runner-up. His pedigree does not warrant a second look, yet he outruns it. He could be a super freak. While he does not have a catchy name, he too could capture the attention of a nation.

m palmer calm down on Mr. Fantasy until he beats someone other than New York breds.  I had to listen to how great Taqarub was until he stepped out of New York and got crushed.  Someday soon Mr. Fantasy is going to step on to a new track.  What will he do then ?  You want to make racing a real sport than how about promoting its athletes and I am not talking about the horses I am talking about the jockeys.  The other thing that would help is to stop retiring horses at 3.  Let them race and Kathryn is 100% right bring back match races.  Its a great family sport that has no marketing.  Who is the promotional team for horse racing ?

I think this is where Barbaro would have been. He would have done it. But we DO not a horse hero, but horses are not like humans athletes. They can't fiddle with drugs and lie to the public because their animals. We need a Triple Crown winner, and I still stand beside Old Fashioned until he proves me wrong.

Brian A,

    I would love to see Curlin be brought out of retirement. To have a Zen/Curlin faceoff would be so fantastic. Both have simalar styles of running, normally both she and Curlin come running around horses with a big sweeping move on the turn, so it wouldn't be unfair, as it would be w/BB since you'd be putting them up against a speedster who'd have no pace pressure in a match. Another thing, both horses would finally have another their own size to run against, lol. Also, a little to late for both, but i would've loved to see either one of them go to Dubai. Curlin would've been the only horse to ever win it twice, and if Zen won she'd be the first and only filly, right? Curlin could also have a second chance at the classic, and if i were his trainer i'd have him training and racing on that track for most of the year. Then maybe we could have that Zen/Curlin match in the Classic. Won't you listen to me dream, lol, well it's a free country, so i guess i can.

I think if our media would just start publishing all the great stories instead of all the negative it would make a big difference.A hero to me is someone who never gives up like Barbaro and Eight Belles even when the results do not turn out like we want them too.

First of all Billy Wright - hold it with the Secretariat / Forego generation who are not at the track anymore. Obviously you don't go to the track very often or you would know that is that exact generation that is still the basic customer. Tracks have a difficult time attracting the younger generation to the game - check the marketing figures on the average age of regular racetrack patrons.

Ruffian316 hit the nail on the head. The best horses we produce are pointed to the big money races. Most have a light two year old campaign, if at all, run at three for the big dollars, and then are gobbled up by the breeder's - in short here are no more heroes for people to root for. Good Heavens Curlin actually made some headlines for running as a four year old. That trend virtually started with the syndication of Secretariat, when the money talked he was off the the breeding shed at four, and has continued ever since. It's a shame but it's the reality of the sport today. The syndicates rule the game and they are in the business for quick turnover profit, not the health of the sport.

The general public and media only focus on horse racing from the Derby in May through the Belmont in June, and then only if we are fortunate enough to run into a potential Triple Crown winner.

The industry itself has done little to help with a lack of marketing, television coverage, and betting takeouts that make the gambling aspect less and less attractive each year.

Sorry to say so, but at this stage, slots are only way the game stays afloat. What a sad commentary on a great sport.  

The closest the industry has come to having a true superstar, goes back to CIGAR...When you look at most GREAT racehorses, the majority have on thing in common.  They products of breeding/racing operations.  That aspect has been diminished greatly due to the rise of the "commercial" market, where the main motivation is quick PROFITS...This quest for a easy monetary turnover has led to the demise of great RACING.  Yes their are still some great "stables' out there, but they are smaller and disappearing. As long as this industry is run soley on profit motives...there will likely never be another GREAT horse.

Be careful what you wish for. I think golf has proven that. When Tiger Woods was out, ratings for some events tumbled 50% or more, and most of whatever news was seen about golf was about Tiger's progress in recovery. It would be wonderful to pull racing back to its glory days, but I believe that the US is too suburban to have that happen. People will follow sports that they or their kids are involved in somehow, and far more are playing baseball/basketball/football than are riding horses.

No horse is going to be able to save horse racing. Only people can do that. Even when the next Triple Crown winner comes along, that horse's impact on the public relations aspects of the sport will only be temporary. The sport's problems are deep, systemic and long-standing. They won't be cured overnight by this or the next generation's super horse.

Can't get behind a match race because it usually turns out one of the horses never races again, or if they do, they are just a shell of their former selves.  Match races just seem to take away a heart.

As to the $5mil race for a full field of "older" horses, I would love to see that! So hard to call a 4yr old "older". Some of our horses race until they are 12 and some even get clearance for 13.  We aren't racing for a million every Saturday which probably helps the longevity, but I find it hard to believe the "big" horses can't stick around until 5 at least!  Too bad money talks and carries a big stick as well.

Match race, did you say? Thirty-four years ago in the aftermath of Ruffian's death, the sport made a wise decision to discourage match races. Last summer I was flabbergasted when there were calls for a match race between Curlin and Big Brown, just weeks after the tragedy of Eight Belles. There's an old saying that Thoroughbreds look for ways to commit suicide on a regular basis. Is our sport doing the same thing?      

I don't think the blame rests necessarily with the lack of a triple crown winner or some other super horse for bringing racing back into the spotlight.  I think a good deal of blame can be place on a less than stellar corps of turf writers who simply have evolved away from covering horses.  Do we need a "super horse?"  Wouldn't hurt, but look at the horse population of any racetrack.  If 1500 horses are stabled at a track, then there lies 1500 horse stories, many of them more inspirational than the lives of Curlin or Big Brown. When Vinnie Peronne wrote for the Washington Post, he was a master of turning $5000 claimers such as Rollodka, Learned Jake, and Dr. Ichabod into folk heros.  Too bad turfwriters don't look into the past of horses such as Run With the Lark, a hard trying NY bred who became a stakes winner at age six.  Not too many people know that he was near death at age two from a bout of colitis.  Instead, today's turfwriters have adopted the attitude of the disgraceful Andy Beyer, who has unfortunately rendered the beauty, grace, athleticism, and courage of a thoroughbred into a very subjective number, better known as his namesake "speed figure."  Not alot there to inspire the general public, is it?  So my advice is for the turfwriters to get off their duffs, forget speed figures/pick fours/or accusing trainers who beat your picks as being cheaters, and report on the HORSES.

Oh! people even THINKING that a match race would be good for Horse Racing OBVIOUSLY do NOT recall that it was the Match race between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure that caused Americans stop following racing! What the sport needs are more horses staying in training, and out of the breeding shed so that we can have a horse to cheer on and follow for more than two years.          

LDP-

I'm all with you, if Curlin had returned to the races this year it would have been a remarkable chance for racing!!  I'm sure he could have repeated in the world cup, and probably would have faced Zenyatta at some point, and who knows, gone for another Horse Of The Year title?  Too bad he is retired, I'd give anything to replace the horsemen (real sportsmen) from the older days with the ones we've got today.

Draynay

They are promoting the Jockeys.  They have a show about them once a week.

My biggest hope was a small horse with a big heart.  It was 2005 and Afleet Alex was the man.  He did not disappoint but showed his grit, determination and will to win.  Reminded me of Seabiscuit - small, not much to look at, but what a horse.  I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but I don't expect to see another Triple Crown winner in my lifetime.  Yes, it does take a special horse but it is also about being in the right place at the right time at the right moment.  Horses always ran on dirt and grass.  Now there is synthetic surfaces to help curtail the breakdowns.  If we are breeding them that delicate, then we need to rethink the future of the Thoroughbred race horse.

There are so many excellent thoughts and ideas expressed here already.  At the base of everything to bring the Sport of Kings back to the forefront, someone (THE MEDIA)has got to start focusing on the horses.  Sure a Triple Crown Winner would be a big boost and people would love to cheer for such a huge winner, but there are so many stories, so many wonderful horses that those people who don't follow racing would really respond to hearing.  Focusing on only one horse is not the answer - if there were just one story per day on the national sports reports between now and through the Belmont, I bet the number of people attending and watching racing post Belmont would rise significantly.  The jockey series is wonderful - advertise-advertise-advertise!! If the Sunday sports pages would put just one racing story in paper every Sunday between now and the Derby - I bet the numbers watching would be much higher.  There are lots of interesting horses this year - follow them all, tell their stories, their owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, and grooms stories.  People need to feel connected and there's nothing better for that than a horse.

Thanks for all of the great comments and enthusiasm!

Regarding all of the match race comments, I don't think that was what was what Ernie intended.  He was stating that what would be cool is a major race featuring those two (and the remainder of the very best) to showcase the sport!

a good start would be to move on from blogging about Barbaro's brother.  with all of the available topics in horse racing today, space is constantly being taken by a horse that in all honestly is stealing press from hundreds of horses, and topics, that could serve the horse racing industry better than him.  it is time to move on, please.

mg/I do go to the races, and that is exactly my point about the Secretariat/Forego generation. It has obviously dwindled due to the math terminus called life. The old time gamblers have gone the way of floating dice games, blue haze smoke-filled men only bowling leagues, backroom poker games and running numbers.  I hate to break it to you but Damon Runyon is indeed dead. Along with the Algonquin Round Table and the Rat Pack.  I personally loathe these facts but I'm astute enough to grasp the reality of such things as they apply to this industry. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig aren't coming to my beloved Derby Lane dogtrack anymore either and I have to accept that today's discretionary outlay is being pounded by the lottery, the Hard Rock Casino, online Poker and a litany of other ways to "entertain" ourselves. I say we need some "pop", "pizazz" and a whole lot of "sizzle" to turn this thing around for the yutes.

I remember the days of Dr. Fager, Damascus, Buckpasser, etc. They didn't disappear to the breeding shed right after the Spring Classics. They kept racing and met several times over the span of, I believe, a couple of years. Miss those boys.

I remember the match between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure. I was one of the crazy people with a "Her" badge. It was horrible, and I ran away from things for a year or so (back in time to see Slew, Affirmed, GR, etc.)Yes, it shredded me for a long time. However, I would not have minded a match between BB and Curlin, just to watch Curlin nail his hide! And the only match we can expect between Curlin and Zenyetta (would have been a great idea!) will be in the breeding shed.

Ruffian was exceptional, showed on the lead every single call (including the first call of the match) and never knew what it was to be headed. That was part of the problem, she couldn't slow down and take a breather with FP right next to her. She had the biggest heart of any horse, with the possible exception of Kelso, that I could remember into the mid 70s.

All things said, I think I have to agree with lcm and mg. Oh, and I AM part of the Secretariat/Forego generation. Still around.

Do match races have higher incidences of injury I'm unaware of? Ruffian vs. Foolish Pleasure was unfortunate, but because the Discovery blew up so many years ago, does that mean we should scrap space exploration altogether. Go to youtube and check out Valiant Pete and the Quarter Horse Griswold in a match race. It's one of the most exciting races I've ever seen. I'm 23, and Curlin vs. Big Brown would've been like War Admiral vs. Seabiscuit.

Brian A,

    JJ is a good horseman. I just wish he'd kept curlin around a little longer. Ppl who are so dead set against match races. They are not that bad. Horse used to run just fine and come back just fine for years. It was ONLY because of what happened to ruffian and how bad that breakdown was that they haven't had one. Today, because of how weak the breed has become, yes. The reason why is because if you have two classic horse, both speedsters, then you have two horses sprinting all out 1 1/4. If it was a sprint, or two stalkers or closers, i'd feel differently.

We need a Gates or a Trump or a Mark Cuban---we need to turn those guys on---to finance huge events to keep horses in training for their four- and five-year-old years. Half-time of the Lions game on Thanksgiving, halftime of Knicks game on Christmas, a bonus for running in both, a HUGE bonus for winning both.

Unrelated. The Better Than Honour should be run on Mother 's Day. This year, the Unbridled's Song should be held on Father's Day. Casual Friday: Jockeys of any weight can ride. Troubled Thursday: A race for me.

The solution is simple and has been stated many times on this post and in articles uncountable in the past--STOP RETIRING HORSES AT THE AGE OF 3.  Think about it--the only horses to become even remotely known outside of the racing world (and that had nothing to do with the triple crown) were older horses...Cigar, Curlin (who wasn't known for winning the Preakness), Azeri, and even now Zenyatta.  It can be done, the above are proof of that.  The breeders and greedy owners are the problem.

Barbaro would have been "the one"

I know it can never be "true" in any sense, but I believed then and

believe now he would have won the

Triple Crown. I think he would have

killed in the Belmont, given his

abilities. But we lost Barbaro..and

what do we have now? The best of the lot recently was Curlin but outside of horse racing who knew about him? The only way to have a horse become a "hero" is to have a Triple Crown winner...people need that kind of excitement to embrace a horse.

I was just a little girl then, but I am old enough to remember Ruffian's last race, and I cringe every time I hear the words "match race".  Her tragic end may have been coincidental or inevitable or whatever, but "match race" is what stands out most in my mind from that horrible day.  I hope I never see match races come back to the racing world.

Good News: I agree with you..the only reason Barbaro's and Eight Belles's memories live on is because their tragedies happened on Live National TV,and All of these Animal Lovers came out of the woodwork.Where are they when a $10k claimer suffers the same fate?.It also doesn't help our sport when certain people comment on why it's wrong to race 2/3 y.o's because of their "fragile" bones.Funny thing is those comments usually come from females who are involved with other breeds,i.e..Equestrians,show jumping,etc.(no offense ladies)..Negativity seems to kill the enthusiasm in any sport.We need more die-hard Horseracing fans involved as opposed to "animal lovers".

Who out there remembers the sports program "Wide World of Sports" with the late Jim Mckay?..It seems like that show had a few races showcased every weekend along with other sports like Downhill skiing,bowling,etc..I think if the Industry really wants to survive/compete with others,they should televise a few Stakes races every weekend on National TV and NOT solely on these cable/satellite affiliated channels,(TVG/HRTV)..from then on,more and more people will get the chance to maybe follow a "favorite" horse of their choice and BOOM!! a Hero is born.

I'm afraid it a case of mismanagement and myosis, sprinkled with greed and stupidity. Take the case of Curlin, what a story was setting there and all the attention he garnished worldwide was a drop in the bucket compared to what it could have been. Helen Pitts and her barn nursed that horse to health, when no one wanted him, what if the new owners had left him with Helen? A woman trainer with a horse like Curlin gets attention everywhere. Good and bad, but attention. The Jockey show has highlighted how talented Chantal Sutherland is to a lot of people who never heard her. Some owner should put her on a really good horse ad sit back and bask in the attention. It's news, it's something that would play back and forth in the press and she's not just a pretty face. To get people interested in racing, racing has to be interesting. Some one suggested more stories about character horses. You bet! There's a ton of stories out there and most of all people want to be entertained. Use Barbaros' legacy, show the improvements that have been made in the equine health and welfare. Not in a matter of fact, look at us type of stories but real human interest stories of horses that have lived because of the attention and awareness that Barbaro brought to life. If the industry wants to survive, they need to learn some new survival skills and/or go back and look at the old timers and take a good look at how it was back then and get some pointers. Get the drugs, the crooks and the cheaters out of racing might be a  good start.  Racing past three is a big issue and I don't know the answer. How do you handle it when you have a valuable stallion and don't want to take a chance with him? Maybe dna testing and artificial inseminations time has come. Match racing, no. If another horse went down in a match race, that would seal the deal, period. Racing needs to think outside the box.  

Slew.em.All--EXACTLY!!

the only way to make any athlete 'a house hold name' is to show them competing on national television.  It really is a 'No Duh!" situation--no one will be brought into a sport if they have no clue about those who are competing.  If stakes were televised every weekend, the average Joe could get to know horses in a far more personal way--and thus would get behind them in both routing and betting!

And a note: obviously, most people don't have TVG/HRTV so other stations need to become involved.

Today's horse's are soft, over protected by owners and trainers to protect their investment.The day of the really great race horses is gone forever unless we get a once decade  super gelding.It's a breeding business and for the real racing fan that sucks.The super wealthy owners like Goldophin and Coolmore want the best stallions. This sheikh buys and retires horses so fast[rarely past 3] that money is the only driving force in his life[besides winning the Derby].The mighty buck always wins out. It's ashame  racing fans don't get to see these horses run as 4 year olds and up when they really could reach their potential.As i stated before the trainers of yester year knew how to have the horses ready to race a full year up to 10 to 12 races , nowadays forget about it, horses have to have at least 6 weeks unless its a triple crown contender.As for Curlin after Dubai last year he wasn't the same horse as his last few races showed. Conditioning is not the same and neither are the goals.You'll never see any of today's horses race with over 130 lbs the trainers refuse and the sport has lost its luster.Barbaro if he had lived would have been retired right after the Breeders cup if he ran.I don't want to hear the safety issue for decades horses ran more then this business angle took over and soft training.As for match races and breakdowns , they happen just like car accidents. that's life nobody human or animal gets out alive.

Great idea about having stakes races televised every weekend. Why don't you contact the television executives and suggest it. I'm sure they'll jump at the opportunity.

Like I said, put racing on the sports news, TV and newpaper and online news.  Don't just show the derby prep races but for the entire week before the race showcase the horses, the jockeys, the human interest stories.  Make people interested in the race before it's run.  Talk about the great horses of the past, show their stories and connect them to racing today. And, yes, it would be really great if a horse that has just caught the public's imagination didn't disappear a few months later into the breeding shed.

I seem to recall that we did get a lot more horse racing on the usual network channels until the take off of the cable "premium" channels. And, yes, Wide World of Sports did showcase several races, outside of the big 3, during the year. That's how I managed to keep track of boys I mentioned before. Not long after our track, here in Denver, shut down in the early 80s, both of our newspapers pretty much dropped any coverage of horse racing with the exception of the Derby, Preakness and Belmont. I have had a running argument with them every since. It isn't doing any good.

Racing past the usual, as it has become, two seasons is also part of it.

My problem with several of the racing sites, which is the only way I can stay connected, are geared, seemingly, to the bettor. Sorry, I haven't bet since the Triple in 73, when I lost all three. Bet for Sham. What can I say? That turns most of the people I've known off.

Yep, have to agree with Dona on what to get rid of. A negative image is part of the problem, too. Unfortunately, it has been part of racing since it's beginning in Great Britain.

Also, have to agree with 2 Time, too. Sounds like most of us are on the same page. Now what? Preaching to the choir doesn't do much.

How can we have hero's in horse racing when there is exposure to the sport. Oh sure we have TVG and HRTV but other than the Triple Crown races and the Breeder's Cup what races are covered by national television? Next weekend we have 4 major Kentucky Derby Preps. How many of them will be televised on national television? I bet none.

So how can we have hero's when there is no exposure to the greatest sport in the world?

Well, Gomez could very well ride Dunkirk. (that's what I'm holding out for if he turns out to be a winner in the Florida Derby) There's just something about Pioneerof the Nile I can't get into.

I think the Jockeys show will bring more fans, and will actually benefit the Triple Crown season.

Every year I hope for a Triple Crown winner, but for some reason, the quality of this year's crop is making me think we're going to have a repeat of 2007, with a different winner with each classic. No matter what happens, it will be a fun time.

I have to disagree with the statement about Sheikh Mohammed and Coolmore rarely keeping horses in training after the age of 3.  Sheikh Mohammed restarted the trend of keeping top class colts in training for longer: Daylami, Diktat, Doyen, Dubai Destination, Dubai Millennium, Fantastic Light, Grandera, Halling, Kayf Tara, Marienbard, Moon Ballad, Sakhee, Street Cry all stayed in training at 4 (some also 5 and 6) before being retired to stud.

We're also looking at how to improve the popularity of racing in Europe - National Hunt (jumps) racing has a big following because people can follow the same horses for years, year after year.  Flat racing needs the same.

We've had some big stars of the Flat in recent years - Persian Punch, Sargeant Cecil and now Yeats (look them up if you need to) and the two things they all had in common were that they are geldings and all raced over longer distances - stayers.

Perhaps American racing should look to introduce more long-distance races as a way of encouraging horses to stay in training and gather a following.

Pay attention to Royal Ascot this year - if Yeats wins a record 4th Ascot Gold Cup (a G1 race over 2.5miles - yes 2.5 miles!) the crowd will bring the house down!

Spot the deliberate mistake!  Of course Yeats is not a gelding!

LyndaP,

Some of us had all the Curlin we could take. He was overexposed if anything to many who follow horse racing. He was good not great. He showed no real personality like Secretariat or John Henry did. Richest horse? Half of that came from Dubai.

The timing is right for a horse hero and I hope we get one. I hope he/she doesn't break down and stays safe. Horse racing cannot have another high profile breakdown and survive.

I can assure everyone that there are no Secretariats, Affirmeds or Seattle Slews in this years crop of 3 year olds. Keep dreaming.  Breeders aren't interested in breeding a triple crown winner,  only sprinters and turf/synthetic track specialists. Besides, the breeding formula is lone gone for those kinds of racehorses,  they don't exist anymore. Let the so called experts tell you whatever they want,  truth of the matter is there will NEVER be another triple crown winner. Next year at this time,  more of the same.

Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say NEVER.  So long as the three Triple Crown races are run there will always be a chance.  If I were going to use the word NEVER, I'd say that there will never be another Triple Crown like Secretariat's Triple Crown.  

Slew.em.All - I do remember Jim Mackay's Wide World of Sports and you are right that they would show one or two horse races including some from overseas. That's our problem now that the only time we have nationally televised horse racing is when it is the Triple Crown races or the Breeders Cup, without the 3 year old prep races being televised the average joe out there does not know what is going on with racing so they have not had the chance to latch onto a horse that for whatever reason has captured their heart. They say that Native Dancer was the first truly big TV star, well it can happen again if we could just get the television people to jump on the bandwagon but before they do we have to get advertising to do the same. And we need to focus on the older horses that are still out there racing like Einstein and Magnum. Right now we also have the up and comers Cowboy Cal and Colonel John running today in the Santa Anita Handicap. Wouldn't it be nice if that grand race was being televised on a local station. We need the big farms to start negotiating with television. And maybe some trainers too, I remember that for awhile there they were calling Bob Baffert Mr. Hollywood. With the new show Jockeys airing maybe they could do one on trainers. The possiblities are out there, the horse racing industry just needs to get off their behinds and do something.

Dan,

   First off, tell me how 3mil is half of 10.5 mil. To do what he did in the amount of time he did it was amazing. Last year he went from maiden to BCC winner in what 8-9 months, name any other horse who has done that. He also won those races against one of the best three year old crops of recent memory. He also beat in his first start against older horses the top handicap horse Lawyer Ron who was a monster as a 4yr old. Then in the next year he goes and wins two races in Dubia, one was the WC and by almost 8 lengths, the most since Dubai Millenium. Then he comes back and wins by four over Einstien, which as you know won the clark, was third in this years donn and just won this years Big Cap. He won five consecutive dirt races, and any time he raced on dirt in 08 he won. In his first try on turf against G1 winners he ran second on a rock hard turf course. Then in his only off the board finish he lost by 2 3/4 lengths in forth. Let you know when Cigar went for his second consecutive Classic he got third. Curlin was not that far off, only a head. He has the record for most earnings for any NA based horse, won two consecutive JCGC's, and HOY titles. He also is the first horse since Skip Away to earn top 3yr old and handicap horse in consecutive years. If anything he was not pulicized enough. We should've capitalized on his accomplishments, built him up to the outside public. The reason nobody got to see any of the personality is because nobody ever covered that, no person ever tried to get to know Curlin and his connections, or just Curlin. Maybe if we'd tried to put him out to the public, it would've helped.

Cheryl, most of the horses you site are turf specialist which don't produce dirt horses. what happened to street sense and Hard spun-retired.The great Sadler's Wells produced the prolific turf horses but no notable dirt horses. Sheikh wants the derby so bad he'll spend whatever it takes to get the best talent but racing them in Dubai is a mistake.

 I hope it will be Dunkirk,who can ever forget the great

World War 11 story when it looked like thousands of soldiers would perish at Dunkirk when suddenly the winds changed and they were rescued.May the racehorse by the name

of Dunkirk go on to win the Triple Crown and become a great

champion and rescue the wonderful sport that horse racing is.

John T,

    If Dunkirk did go on to win the Triple crown he will have to go down as one of the greatest horses to ever set foot on a track, seeing as how he'd be what only the third horse to win the derby as his third start, preakness and belmont and his fifth and six, would be just unthinkable. Not only that but he'd be the second unbeaten TC winner, the only other being Seatle Slew, who is considered one of the racing immortals. If Dunkirk wins the TC he will have to be one of the greatest to ever set foot on a race track.