Dump the Preakness
And sub in the Travers for a new Triple Crown, writes John Williams in Slate: “The Triple Crown might be a grand exalted tradition, but it’s not helping the sport of kings. Busting up the sport’s precious jewels is the easiest and most logical solution to the problems that beset modern horse racing. So listen up, horse folk: Dump the Preakness and call the Travers Stakes up to the big leagues.”
A brilliant idea, heretical as it seems. As Williams points out, the casual racing fan can be counted on to be pay attention for five weeks a year. Stretch the Triple Crown races from the first Saturday in May to the end of August and you have their attention for three months. An added benefit: Making such a change might stop the flight of stars, such as Smarty Jones, from the track to the breeding shed so early in the year. Of course, it’s not so simple. How willing would Magna be to lose a Triple Crown race to NYRA? Perhaps very — if the company thinks it has a chance to take over the New York franchise in a few years.
