News und Ankündigungen » the Grade 3, $400,000 Delta Downs Princess.

The decision to downgrade the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes and Wood Memorial to Grade 2 status in 2017, which was announced Friday by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, has elicited a visceral reaction in some quarters.Right here, I think its important to note that these adjustments, and the downgrading of the Mother Goose from Grade 1 to Grade 2 and the upgrading of the Pennsylvania Derby from Grade 2 to Grade 1, are not part of a larger reset by the AGSC. There will be 464 graded stakes races in 2017, the same number as this year. And the 107 Grade 1 races in 2017 represent a net loss of only two.Clearly, these Grade 1 stakes adjustments for 2017 were the result of a judgment call on the part of the AGSC.I understand the inclination to rail against authority. I am part of a generation that made an art form of it. So while Im naturally predisposed to protest moves like this, in the case of the downgrading of the Blue Grass and Wood Memorial, I cant. I agree with these races being downgraded.When you consider that the main function of the Blue Grass and Wood Memorial is to serve as prep races for the Kentucky Derby, it is impossible to avoid this fact: These two races have significantly underperformed over an extended period of time in comparison with the other major final Kentucky Derby preps -- the Florida, Santa Anita, and Arkansas Derbies -- which were left untouched by the UGSC.Street Sense (2007), Thunder Gulch (1995), and Sea Hero (1993) emerged from losses in the Blue Grass to win the Kentucky Derby. However, the last actual winner of the Blue Grass to win the Derby was Strike the Gold all the way back in 1991. Moreover, the last winner of the Blue Grass to win any Triple Crown race was Prairie Bayou, winner of the Preakness back in 1993.The Wood Memorial has performed only slightly better than the Blue Grass. While Funny Cide (2003) and Monarchos (2001) emerged from losses in the Wood to win the Derby (Funny Cide, of course, also won the Preakness), the last actual winner of the Wood to win the Derby was Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000. And the last winner of the Wood to win any Triple Crown race was Empire Maker, who won the 2003 Belmont Stakes.So to be crystal clear here, the last winner of the Blue Grass to win the Derby came 25 years ago, and the last winner of the Wood to win the Derby came 16 years ago. Thats simply too long when you see how the other major final Kentucky Derby preps have performed.Two Arkansas Derby winners who went on to do more than just win the Kentucky Derby -- American Pharoah (2015) and Smarty Jones (2004) -- won the Kentucky Derby since the last winner of the Wood also won the Derby, or since the last winner of the Blue Grass won the Derby. Also, Super Saver (2010) emerged from a loss in the Arkansas Derby to win the Kentucky Derby.Two of the last five Santa Anita Derby winners went on to win the Kentucky Derby -- California Chrome in 2014 and Ill Have Another in 2012 (they both also went on to win the Preakness) -- and Giacomo (2005) won the Kentucky Derby after a loss in the Santa Anita Derby.Four of the last 11 Florida Derby winners won the Kentucky Derby -- Nyquist (this year), Orb (2013), Big Brown (2008), and Barbaro (2006).To put it another way, between the Wood and Blue Grass, the Wood was the last of the two to produce a winner in the Kentucky Derby. Since that Wood-Kentucky Derby winner, the Florida, Santa Anita, and Arkansas Derbies have had a combined eight winners go on to win the Kentucky Derby.There isnt much room for debate here. The Blue Grass and Wood Memorial are races with histories, but when compared with analogous races such as the Florida Derby, Santa Anita Derby, and Arkansas Derby, they have not kept step for many years. It might hurt proponents of the Blue Grass and Wood, but these downgrades make sense.So does the upgrade of the Pennsylvania Derby. It is important here to understand the distinction between a race like the Pennsylvania Derby, and races like the Blue Grass and Wood. The Blue Grass and Wood are out-and-out prep races, and their worth can really only be measured by how their winners go on to perform in the race (the Kentucky Derby) they serve.The Pennsylvania Derby is much more of a standalone event. Sure, its a serviceable springboard to the Breeders Cup Classic. A cynic would also say its a means for horsemen to avoid meeting older horses with their 3-year-olds for one more time. But the Pennsylvania Derby is in no way a pure prep in the sense the Blue Grass and Wood are. And with such horses as Will Take Charge, Bayern, California Chrome, and Frosted (a winner of the Wood, by the way) having competed in it in recent years, and with the first two finishers this year (Connect and Gun Runner) having very recently won Grade 1 races over older horses, it would have been an injustice if the Pennsylvania Derby was not elevated to Grade 1 status.The ironic thing about the agonizing over the downgrading of the Blue Grass and Wood is that hardly a word has been mentioned about the downgrading of the Mother Goose, which, in my view, was totally unwarranted, and a complete mistake.Not that anything can be done about it now, but heres why I forcefully oppose the downgrading of the Mother Goose: Counting Songbird as champion 3-year-old filly this year (daring, I know), three of the last 12 3-year-old filly champions won the Mother Goose -- Smuggler in 2005, Rachel Alexandra in 2009, and Untapable only two years ago!The Mother Goose has operated at a high level for not only a long time, but also, as noted, in very recent years, too. Lowering it to a Grade 2 appears arbitrary, capricious, and I frankly see no justification for it.Vin Baker Bucks Jersey . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Ray Allen Bucks Jersey . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. https://www.bucksrookiesshop.com/Robin-Lopez-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Eric Bledsoe Jersey . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. Jason Smith Bucks Jersey . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night.Delta Downs has been something of a hot spot for trainer Mark Casse through the years. Tepin won the first stakes race of her career in the tracks Grade 3 Princess in 2013, and Turf War dead-heated for the win in its signature event, the Grade 3, $1 million Jackpot, in 2007.There have been other Delta stakes wins for the barn, too, and Casse will attempt to add to his numbers Saturday when he sends out Thirstforlife and Our Stormin Norman in the Jackpot.The 1-1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds will anchor a card of eight stakes worth $2.3 million. The program is the richest of the season at Delta, which is located just across the border from Texas in the small town of Vinton, La.They always kind of lure me in, Casse said of Delta. Its a nice place. They give away a lot of money. Whats the old story? If you build it, they will come. If they put the money up, they will come.Thirstforlife enters the Jackpot off a wire-to-wire win in a first-level allowance Oct. 20 at Keeneland.Last race, we werent planning on being on the lead, but he was on the lead and he showed a lot of gameness, Casse said.The race is better than it looks on paper.Thirstforlife earned a modest Beyer Speed Figure of 69, but Casse noted that the runner-up, Just Move On, returned in his next start to win a first-level allowance at Churchill Downs with a Beyer of 81.We thought he deserved a chance, Casse ssaid of targeting the Jackpot with Thirstforlife.dddddddddddd.Thirstforlife, who is by the stallion Stay Thirsty, has long been well regarded by Casse.Hes a horse with a huge pedigree, said Casse. Hes a half to Cavorting.Cavorting, a multiple Grade 1 winner, has compiled career earnings of more than $2 million.Our Stormin Norman enters the Jackpot off a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 88, earned for his wire-to-wire win in a maiden special weight at seven furlongs Oct. 23 at Keeneland. Its the best Beyer Figure in the Jackpot.Our Stormin Norman will be looking for his first two-turn win on Saturday.His last race was huge, Casse said. Were hoping his speed will carry down there. We know speed normally is pretty important [at Delta].Julien Leparoux has the mount on Our Stormin Norman, while Florent Geroux will be aboard Thirstforlife.The Jackpot will be a final leg of an all-stakes pick four that runs on races 4-7. There will be a minimum guaranteed pool of $200,000. Other races making up the sequence are the Delta Mile, the Sams Town, and the Grade 3, $400,000 Delta Downs Princess. There will be a reduced takeout of 12 percent on the pick four. Deltas card will start at 1:45 p.m. Central and the program will be streamed live at DRF.com. ' ' '