Classhandicapper: Your post reminded me of an expression one of my favorite colleagues, a wise & cynical curmudgeon, invariably used to describe a Chicago exec we both knew: "Never in doubt. Often in error." This is not the place for a long dissertation on what has happened & what is happening in equine ins. markets. Suffice it to say that you have no idea what you're talking about.


magicnight: My understanding, which was gained when the Japenese were more active than they are now, & could be wrong, is that a yearling purchased in the US & taken to Japan from the sale is eligible for Japanese races. I think, but am not sure, that their restrictions are designed to keep horses from other countries from shipping in to take a shot at their massive purses. My impression, for what it's worth, is that the current trend is to relax, & in certain big races, eliminate those restrictions. In any event, I don't think it changes the overall point I was trying to make.