The (no longer racing) Northampton Fair had a 1 5/8 mile race at one time, and they still have one called the Humboldt County Marathon at Ferndale, CA. This is quite demanding for lower level "fair" quality horses. Both tracks are 1/2 mile ovals, so the race ends at the 4th passing of the finish line. I have heard stories that in order to keep track of the number of laps completed, some jockeys would place small objects in their mouths, then spit them out one by one each time they passed the finish line.
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