"....if they do not pass, I assume people don't release them?" It is unpredictable. (1) It probably was entered in more than one trial garden and probably did pass in at least one(2)Trial gardens evaluate only show potential and some flowers entered are just pretty flowers but not well formed. (3) For sales potential, "pretty" trumps "show potential" and trumps sometimes "poor form" too.
"Pretty" is a very powerful trait concerning dahlia sales and the "official" ADS position is that "pretty" is s not an evaluation criterion for show dahlias. We all know better and most of the time the really pretty flowers seem to just at least barely pass despite their questionable form. The judges propose the reason they pass poorly formed flowers that are pretty is that they are predicting whether the flower will get blue ribbons in the shows. The same happens in shows and "pretty" flowers of poor form often win a ribbon especially when there are few entries in that class.
So, will they be sold if they do not pass? Other factors are who entered the flower. A beginner breeder may just give up. A big time seller will declare it to be "just a cut" flower or some such thing and sell it and if it sells well , sell it the next year too. It has been proposed many times that there should be trial garden(s) for cut flowers. Sounds easy, peasy but it would be a much more involved operation than a show trial garden. Years ago, I read about some European cut flower trials and they were so complicated and time intensive and land intensive as to be unbelievable. I have more thoughts but my typing fingers are tired.
