I will defend the Messenger in a moment, but first the question of the three horses that entered the Matron race. What a crock that there is no race. For sure, you can't have the race as a betting event but what is this nonsense about splitting the purse three ways? Make them race in a non-wagering event and distribute the purse accordingly. The only reason not to race the event is so the Hambletonian Society (owner of the race) doesn't have to pay the $20,000 added money).

I have heard the complaint about the Messenger being too late. If there is blame on that, make the complaints to the Breeders Crown people for racing the Crown in October. The Messenger has traditionally been the last leg of the triple crown; this means it has to come after the Jug. So when do you want them to race the Messenger. After Delaware? Can't, you then go to Lexington for the two weeks of the Grand Circuit. Right after The Red Mile? Nope, you need to allow two weeks for the Breeders Crown (elims and finals). So you race it after the Crown. You need two weeks to race the Messenger under the current conditions, to allow for eliminations. So this year, the last day of the Red Mile meet was October 10. We then went to the Breeders Crown with elims on October 17 and the finals on the 24th. Last week, November 1 was set aside for the Messenger elims which brings us to the final this week (November 7).

What should be happening is the Breeders Crown should be raced after the Messenger but the Hambo Society doesn't want to race the Breeders Crown in November because it is too late (runs against the Breeders Cup?). The fact is there are too many three year old stakes races and too few weeks to race them. We certainly can decide to change tradition and move the Messenger before the Jug if we don't value tradition (let's see the runners move the Belmont Stakes before the Preakeness) but then when do we race the Messenger? The same weekend as the Battle of the Brandywine or what other major stakes race?

The logical thing would be to switch dates for the Breeders Crown so the Messenger runs first. However, don't expect the people at the Hambletonian Society to be so accommodating.

As a side note, I think it is a feather in the cap of Yonkers Raceway that the Breeders Crown champion is racing in tonight's Messenger stakes.