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Those under a certain age might not realize that once upon a time, many of the big fall stakes in New York were the sports championship-defining events. And then the Breeders Cup was born, and everything changed.This is not a knock on the Breeders Cup. Its a great event, even with its few flaws. But it is to say no racing circuit in America sacrificed more for the benefit of the Breeders Cup than the New York Racing Association, and no circuit has seen so many of its major races so devalued as a result.Its not even remotely close. On either count.Well before the Breeders Cup existed, New Yorks Jockey Club Gold Cup was for decades the de facto Breeders Cup Classic. The same was true of the Beldame, which was the forerunner to the Breeders Cup Distaff; the Champagne, which was as comparably title-defining as the Breeders Cup Juvenile, more so than any other fall 2-year-old stakes of the time; and the Frizette was the same before the advent of the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies.That is why it is painful for people who well remember what these big fall stakes events at Belmont Park once were to see what has become of them. Saturdays Jockey Club Gold Cup, Champagne, and Frizette each drew fields of only six. And last Saturdays Beldame lured a field of only seven. That in itself wouldnt be bad if they were the right six or seven horses in each race. But with other tracks running their big Breeders Cup preps in the same time frame, getting the right six or seven in one stakes this time of year just cant happen.The Champagne did attract an interesting field, and it is possible a couple of its entrants might go on to be title contenders, but the Frizette drew a less inspiring field. More troubling were the fields the Beldame and Gold Cup lured. Not a single entrant in either one of those once mighty events can be considered a prime contender for a divisional Eclipse Award, let alone Horse of the Year honors.So what can be done about the alarming decline of major fall racing in New York? It seems to me there are three courses of action:** One thing is to do nothing. Just recognize that things never stay the same, and accept that New York racing in the fall will never again be what it once was. Personally, I think this would be tragic, allowing stakes of this magnitude to wither without event attempting to restore them.** Another path would be to be pro-active, and stop allowing New Yorks best fall stakes races to be subservient to a Breeders Cup that doesnt appear to care much about New York racing.The last time the Breeders Cup was held in New York was in 2005, when it was run at Belmont Park. And the earliest the Breeders Cup could return to New York is 2019, because after it is run this year at Santa Anita, it is promised to Del Mar in 2017, and to Churchill Downs in 2018. This will be the sixth Breeders Cup at Santa Anita alone since there was a Breeders Cup in New York. The 2018 Cup will be the fourth at Churchill Downs alone since a New York Breeders Cup.This is just plain wrong, and there is plenty of blame to go around. Unpredictable and untenable management situations at the NYRA had a lot to do with it, as did heavy-handed state government oversight, and simple inertia. The desire on the part of a past Breeders Cup administration to make Santa Anita the permanent host site was a major factor, too.Whatever, two unmistakable, and not coincidental, outcomes of this freeze out have been the marginalization of New Yorks fall stakes program, and how Belmont Park itself seems an unpopular prep locale for bigger events run elsewhere because of the unique configuration of the track.Belmonts main track is 1-1/2 miles in circumference, the largest in the nation. And that means the Beldame, Champagne, and Frizette are run around one turn, and the Gold Cup is run around 1-1/2 turns with an awkward starting gate placement. Horsemen have demonstrated that despite the history and prestige of the big New York fall stakes, when it comes to two turn Breeders Cup races, true two turn preps at tracks other than Belmont are simply more appealing.This has eroded participation in these New York events, and will continue to do so the longer Belmont Park goes without a Breeders Cup.A way to be pro-active in protecting Belmonts big fall stakes would, in the absence of the hope the Breeders Cup will ever return to New York, require the bold decision of no longer casting these races in as Breeders Cup preps, and finding a way to make them stand alone events they once were.Whether that means putting them in direct competition with the Breeders Cup (which, admittedly, would make them consolation prizes in the initial years), or, say, moving them to Thanksgiving weekend at Aqueduct along with the Cigar Mile and afford horses who competed in the Breeders Cup another opportunity to make or enhance their championship credentials, taking races like the Gold Cup out of subservient roles might revitalize them.** The third, and far more preferable option would be to get the Breeders Cup back to Belmont as soon as possible. I understand that you can get crappy weather in the Northeast in late October and early November. I understand that you never have to roll the weather dice when Santa Anita is the host. I also understand that Santa Anita is a tremendous site for the Breeders Cup, and they do a tremendous job with it every time they host it. I love that track.But the Breeders Cup was intended at its origin to be a moveable event, so fans in various corners of the country would have the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle, and so that, over time, there would be no home court advantage for horsemen based in a specific geographical area. A Breeders Cup at Belmont Park would instantly make the Gold Cup, Beldame and other stakes THE most desirable preps that year. And I suspect it would have a positive carryover effect as well, re-emphasizing to new eyes how great these fall stakes races in New York were, and still might be. Cheap Nike Dunks For Sale . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. 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Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Chase Litton threw for four touchdowns, Anthony Anderson ran in another score to go with 109 yards rushing, and Marshall used a big second half to beat Middle Tennessee 42-17 Saturday night.Trailing 17-14 at the break, Marshall (3-7, 2-4 Conference USA) took the lead for good in the third quarter with Justin Hunts 28-yard touchdown grab and then poured in 21 more unanswered points in the final 13:23.Litton completed 21 of 37 passes for 246 yards, connecting with Hunt for two TDs, and tossing one each to Hyleck Foster and Josh Knight.dddddddddddd Foster also had a 3-yard touchdown run.Middle Tennessee (6-4, 3-3) took a 10-7 lead in the first quarter on Dennis Andrews 7-yard touchdown catch and edged back on top again just before halftime with a 1-yard TD run by ITavius Mathers.Richie James had 122 yards on 12 catches for the Blue Raiders. ' ' '