Standings

It's been a while since I've written about standings. Point Standings are something I believe in very strongly. I've spent years working on a point system that works and I really believe that the benefits would be huge for racing.

Think about it. We could have a presence in daily newspapers again around the country. Not with the tedious printing of race results like in the past but with complete standings - Overall and by division. The average sports fan could easily make themselves aware of the most currently accomplished horses.

For those who are already ardent followers it would help to quantify what they see on the track and help generate more interest in clashes conducted outside the limelight.

If the point system was also used as a part of year end award consideration then it would not only aid the award process but it would in turn encourage top horses to run more often. Does anyone think that IEAH, hungry for success and recognition, would give a completely healthy Kip Deville just four starts if the championship rested on earning points? The focus would go back to running races instead of waiting just to run on ESPN.

Qualification for the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup could be decided by the same process.

It simply makes too much sense to ignore. I encourage you to take a look at how the TCR is calculated and also review how that system would have worked over the last 9 years and is working currently. It makes sense people. Racing really needs to get on board.