Two mile race?

[FantasticDan]

I've only been following racing for a few yrs, and I don't think I've ever seen one of these.. a horse I follow is entered in a two mile race at Presque Isle on 8/20.

Even the Breeder's Cup Marathon isn't this long, so I was a bit taken aback. Obviously this distance isn't seen often, but how rare is it?

I feel bad for my horse - in 18 starts, he's never been beyond a mile and 1/16. I can only imagine what he must be thinking.. probably something like, "Where the %$#@'s the finish line?!?"

[sonnyp]

Originally Posted by FantasticDan

I've only been following racing for a few yrs, and I don't think I've ever seen one of these.. a horse I follow is entered in a two mile race at Presque Isle on 8/20.

Even the Breeder's Cup Marathon isn't this long, so I was a bit taken aback. Obviously this distance isn't seen often, but how rare is it?

I feel bad for my horse - in 18 starts, he's never been beyond a mile and 1/16. I can only imagine what he must be thinking.. probably something like, "Where the %$#@'s the finish line?!?"

i know there's a marathon turf stake at turf paradise that's about that distance. a couple years ago the jock on the front runner was whipping and driving to the wire by 10-12 lengths and stood up in the irons waving his stick in triumph. the field went flying bye as ge realized there was another lap to go.

[Idrivetrotters]

I love those gimmick races, makes for interesting handicapping and fantastic training down for 2 miles.

I love sprinters, but man do I love a good distance race, longer the better. There should be more 1 1 /2 races and 2 mile races, would definitely put some endurance back in the breed.

[nearco]

Stateside it is uncommon, though not entirely rare. Some tracks have a marathon series for claimers that starts at 1m1/16 and increases the distance with each race up to a final race at 2m1/8 or so. Aqueduct has a Stakes race at 2m1/4. Some famous American races were run at 2m+, the best known example being the Jockey Club Gold Cup which was run at 2m up until to the mid 70's, when it was cut to 1m1/2, then cut again to 10f in the late 80's.

Of course overseas 2m races are a common everyday occurance. One of the richest races in the world, the $4m Melbourne Cup is a 2m affair. The centerpiece for the Royal meeting at Ascot is the Gold Cup G1 at two and a half miles. The Tenno Sho G1, attracts Japan's best runnners, is over 2m with a purse of $2.5m odd.

[Robert Fischer]

i'm a big fan of 9F+ races

I can appreciate the highest classes at pretty much any distance, and those are the times I enjoy the sprints or the miles, but I specialize 9f+

[nearco]

Originally Posted by Idrivetrotters

I love those gimmick races, makes for interesting handicapping and fantastic training down for 2 miles.

I love sprinters, but man do I love a good distance race, longer the better. There should be more 1 1 /2 races and 2 mile races, would definitely put some endurance back in the breed.

Horses could run those races if the would just card them. It isn't lack of breeding. The winner of the Melbourne Cup last year was an American bred, indeed the stakes record for that race is held by an American bred son of Secratariat.

[jorcus]

Originally Posted by FantasticDan

I've only been following racing for a few yrs, and I don't think I've ever seen one of these.. a horse I follow is entered in a two mile race at Presque Isle on 8/20.

Even the Breeder's Cup Marathon isn't this long, so I was a bit taken aback. Obviously this distance isn't seen often, but how rare is it?

I feel bad for my horse - in 18 starts, he's never been beyond a mile and 1/16. I can only imagine what he must be thinking.. probably something like, "Where the %$#@'s the finish line?!?"

It used to be more common before late 1980's but people just would not enter horses in them. It's tough enough to get a field for a mile and 1/8th at Saratoga. It's not so bad for the horses as long as the early pace stays slow enough. Sometimes the pace goes too fast and the horses get very strung out at the end which is not very exciting. I like variety and would like to see more of these races but it's probably not going to happen.

[showbet]

2 mile races are definitely rare these days, but there was one at Mountaineer the other day. The 3rd race on August 14 was originally scheduled at 1 7/8 miles on the turf, but rain forced the race to the main track.

Originally Posted by jorcus

Sometimes the pace goes too fast and the horses get very strung out at the end which is not very exciting.

The margins (in lengths) between the first five finishers in the Mountaineer race: 6.5, 6, 17, 14. The 6th horse was distanced, "but did complete the course", and the 7th horse was eased.

The favorite in the race got some bridge jumper money in the show pool, and he finished 4th.

[therussmeister]

Canterbury runs a race at 2 1/16 each year. The first three finishers were surprisingly full of run; they looked like they wanted to go another lap, although I note they finished more than eight seconds slower then the track record.

[ArlJim78]

The Melbourne Cup is one of my favorite races each year. Giant purse, huge field going a flat 2 miles. Often there are horses in it who ran only days prior to the race.

[gordo]

Beulah Park used to have a "Pepsi Distance Series." I think it ran until sometime in the last 3-5 years. It was a series of progressively longer races with points assigned for wins, 2nds, etc. I don't exactly remember the details, but I think the 2nd last race was 1 3/4 miles. The final used to be on Derby day and was 2 or 2 1/4 miles if I am remembering correctly.

Of course the horses were crap.

[tbwinner]

One thing about these longer distance races (1 1/2 mi+) is that people tend to overbet (as usual) deep closers. But you get a lone speed that is proven or is bred to handle the distance watch it take it wire to wire at a price.

[sandpit]

Churchill Downs used to have a three-race starter allowance series that went 1 1/4; 1 1/2 and 2 miles; had pretty good purses too.

And Ellis Park used to run the twice-around (2 1/4 miles) as the closing race of the meet on Labor Day, but the last time they ran it, it only had 3 horses and they were separated by about 80 lengths (no exaggeration).

[Tom]

The JCGC was run at 2 miles through 1975.

[keithw84]

Agree with nearco. That ability to handle long distance is still in the blood. It's just not being tapped or cultivated. I wonder how many horses would excel at longer distances, but are never even tested beyond 9f so we never find out...