Scotch and water

When I was growing up the measure of the man was what he drank and you were not worth a damn if it wasn't Johnnie Walker Black. Fill a glass with ice, three fingers of scotch, top off with water, drink and repeat.

Two or three at lunch, another one after work and then things got serious.

It was a good drink as far as it went but I could never get past the idea of pouring water into the bloody thing. I mean, why would you dilute a damn good scotch?

This year's Breeders' Cup schedule is eerily reminiscent of those licentious days.

In theory, the Classic is a better race. An open race, by definition, lends itself to better competition and a contested event. All the BC races in which males are running are, again, in theory, better races because they are open races. The Distaff division is welcome to take on the boys at any time.

I think they would win more than their fair share if they did just that.

The rest of the world has no reservation about running the fillies against the boys and they are proven correct with more than their fair share of winners. This year, if nothing else, puts that point in stark relief: Zarkava, Zenyatta, Stardom Bound, Eight Belles, Ginger Punch, Music Note, Proud Spell. The first three, in my opinion, would win their respective open divisions.

The Distaff division warrants its showcase Juvenile, Turf and Classic races but it deserves to run them on Saturday. The Filly and Mare Classic should not be used as a reason to get people to watch the opening act. It is its own main event and deserves better.

I understand that the BC is trying to broaden the appeal of the sport but if you're not watching on Saturday, you're not going to watch on Friday. If you can't see the beauty of the game in the Classic, including the Filly and Mare, or the Sprint, then the turf sprint for two year old non winners of four on a Tuesday is not going to do much for you.

The Breeders' Cup purports to put the best that horse racing has to offer on display. A championship day is cheapened by diversification and the message is confusing to the novice as well as the experienced player. Abandon the two day format, lose most of the new races and bring the Filly and Mare Classic back to Saturday.

Like any Scotch worth its peat, the Breeders' Cup is best taken neat.