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What's in a Name?
By Bill Finley
Special to ESPN.com


Racing needs to put someone in charge of naming all stakes races. There are a lot of big races that need to be renamed, a lot of horses that need to be honored and a lot of existing names that are just plain stupid. As Executive Director of the Committee to Get it Right When it Comes to Naming Races, here is what I would do on Day One:

Name a major New York race after Seattle Slew. How is it that a Triple Crown winner who was based in New York throughout his career does not have a graded stakes race named in his honor? The Wood Memorial (who exactly is Wood and why is it that we are memorializing him?) will be renamed the Seattle Slew. Slew won the Wood in 1977. Right now, the only races in the country named after Seattle Slew are minor stakes at Emerald Downs and Fonner Park. Oh, boy.

Change the name of the Man o'War. Man o'War never ran on the turf, so why is a race named in his honor a grass race? Man o'War won the Dwyer, so the Dwyer will become the Man o'War and the Man o'War will be named something else. I'll worry about that on Day Two.

Rename the Derby Trial, which isn't a trial for the Derby. It will be renamed the Creme Fraiche because Creme Fraiche was a cool old horse who should have a race named after him and he won the Derby Trial in 1985.

Let's honor another cool old horse and rename the Aqueduct Handicap after King's Swan. He won the race once and was disqualified one other time after crossing the wire first. He was the last of a dying breed, a horse who carried weight (as much as 133 pounds), made every dance and lasted for seven years.

Stop pretending that the Fall Highweight is some sort of special race for horses who carry huge weight packages. The winner this year carried 126 pounds and the starting highweight was assigned 127. Scrap the name, the whole outdated idea and rename the race the Eddie Arcaro. He won it five times and New York racing has never honored maybe the greatest rider in its history with a race named in his honor.

Change the name of the Leonard Richards at Delaware Park to the Spectacular Bid. I have no idea who Leonard Richards was and neither, apparently, does anyone else. Spectacular Bid raced twice at Delaware and was arguably the best horse over to run over that track. They ought to name a race after him, especially one that is gaining some prestige.

Rename the Poker Handicap because Poker is hot and racing is not and racing should be jealous.

Fix the problem of having too many races named San something or other. There are 19 graded stakes races run in Southern California that begin with "San." That's just way too confusing. Does anyone really know the difference between the San Luis Rey and the San Luis Obispo? Take at least six or seven of then and name them something else. Pick any name you want. I don't care.

Rename the Senator Ken Maddy. I have no idea who Sen. Ken Maddy is, but he, evidently, was a politician so I know I don't like him.

Pick a race in Southern California and name it after Laffit Pincay Jr. The guy is only the leading rider in history and one of the most remarkable athletes ever. Certainly, he should have a race named in his honor. Change the name of one of the "San" races and call it the Laffit Pincay Jr.

Ask someone to explain to me why a big race run in Saratoga Springs, NY is called the Alabama. If I don't get a satisfactory answer I would change the name of the race to the something a little more appropriate.

Rename the Monmouth Oaks the Regret. The name "Monmouth Oaks" is boring and Regret, the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby, was bred in New Jersey. There is a minor race at Monmouth named the Regret, but they need to do better. Where better to name a race after her than at Jersey's most important track, Monmouth Park? I'd also consider naming races at Monmouth after Bruce Springsteen, Tony Soprano and Jimmy Hoffa.

Name something at River Downs after Pete Rose. Maybe even call it the Pete Rose Belongs in the Hall of Fame Stakes. The guy is a Cincinnati icon, loves the racetrack and absolutely belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Pete Rose Belongs in the Hall of Fame Stakes would be a huge PR coup for River Downs.

Get rid of the name "The Canadian Turf Handicap." The last time I checked, it was run at Gulfstream Park which is, the last time I checked, not in Canada. How about the Florida Turf Handicap? Or does that make too much sense?

Tell someone to get over their butts and name a big race in New York after Woody Stephens.