Sad.
I agree with spreading the three races out.
I am not much of a horse racing fan. I am interested to see if a horse can win all three races. I watch the Kentucky Derby, but don’t watch the remaining two if the winner doesn’t race in the Preakness.
Not interested in a six race series.
The six race series with races every 3-6 weeks creates a different schedule for horses that is based on the 1941 and 2015 definition of “the majors”. Whirlaway (1941) won the original Four Majors (Travers). American Pharoah (2015) won the modern Four Majors (Classic).
Derby, Belmont, Winn, Jim Dandy, Travers, and a Championship Race. The three NYRA races are well known (Jim Dandy was last week but few horses were in it this year; it makes the prep race for the Travers a championship points race).
Maybe put the Winn and Championship on turf where the horses must race on BOTH grass and turf.
The Travers will host Golden Tempo where Cherie Deveaux could win her third major of the season headed to the Breeders’ Cup Classic for a shot at four majors of the five. It is known as the Graveyard of Favorites because top winners are often defeated there. As horse racing has created the Dubai World Cup and the Saudi Cup that has attracted the best horses in the world, the championship points finale at Churchill Downs could also be restricted to the top 12 horses in points at the end of the year. Imagine where the Travers horses are battling not just for the win but to qualify for the Championship. $10 million to win all six races, $3 million to win the points title, and if a jockey, owner, or trainer wins all six with different horses, of course pay a big cash prize.
The gamblers want the six race series since they can bet on the same horses. The jockeys and trainers knowing they are watching a showdown over six rounds is watching a horse racing tour where every win is points. A horse points system, a jockey points system, an owner points system, and a trainer points system. The battle will be “Can Renegade finally beat Golden Tempo in Round Three?”