Lost with the Inner:
 

Two-turn races.

Yesterday at AQ besides the Tom Fool there were 3 stakes races, all run as one-turn miles: The Heavenly Prize, The Stymie, and The Gotham. Last year on the inner these races were contested around two turns at either a mile & a sixteenth, or a mile and an eighth.

Too bad. Two-turn races are just innately more interesting and visually appealing. The one-turn miles by contrast seem to be more of a drag-strip. Oh well...Progress, I guess.

Big A distances
 

A mile is about as far as horses (or trainers?) Seem to want to go these days.

BUT

Aqueduct races are still run at 9 furlongs - if they wanted to the trackcould have scheduled at least one of those races yeerday for that distance.

That said, I've felt for years that they should add a second finish line at the 1/16 pole (like Keeneland, and another track I don't like to mention) to enable the running of 1-1/16-mile races.
(This could be worked into a better 3-yo early season series for the TC preps.)

This would require some imagination from the people running NYRA.

I greatly prefer two turn route races vs one turn routes, as well. A two-turn race is more interesting, requires more stamina, athleticism, and jockey strategy and skill is more pronounced.

I don't see the problem with running 1 1/16 mile races now in a 1 1/8 mile track. Gulfstream does it and so far so good for them

The deciding factor is where the finish is placed.

The problem with running 1 1/16 mile races there is they would finish in front of the casino far away from any spectators.

Tinkering with the finish line also tends to produce races that are very tilted to speed horses. There is generally a much too short run to the first turn like Laurel has, or the stretch is shortened by a sixteenth of a mile. Post position and running style often dictate results.

Also the riders hate it. When HOL had 2 finish lines, riders misjudged all the time.

You mean imagination as in running 7 1/2-furlong turf races?

The shortening of races continues...

looking at the card for "Wood Day", the Excelsior was run last year at the classic distance of 10 furlongs--this year it's 9 furlongs. At least they're still running it around two turns, but still disappointed at the shrinkage of races run at the classic distance.

They have hardly run any 9 furlong races this winter.
I seriously doubt many horse at the Big A could make it around.

At least Laurel is picking up the slack with some shippers today.

Hardly any 7 furlong races either. Even the Carter is a shell of it's former self - an interesting betting race today, but hardly a memorable one, or even an important one. Grade 3 or 4 at best.

Has Dubai made the Carter obsolete?