Belmont Thursday- R8 -- 12 FL

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

With all the discussion about the breeding for speed, speed, and more speed in the aftermath of the Derby, I think it's a good idea to offer money to and promote horses that can stay a distance of ground. This is sadly lacking from the overnight program - both on dirt and turf - at almost all tracks in this country. I don't know if it's a chicken or the egg situation; that is, is it that racing secretaries don't write such races or horsemen don't enter when they are written? Not that I'm advocating for a steady diet of races at what now would be considered odd distances (I'd start with a return of the more standard 11-13F turf races that we rarely see anymore, except at Keeneland), but my impression was that the 2 mile race that NYRA carded on Alabama Day last year, for example, was generally well received.

The problem with the BC "Marathon" (this would be a middle-distance race in Europe) this year is that, insofar as they have not been able to over time develop horses for these types of races, the only ones likely to compete in it this year are Grade III-types not able to compete at the highest level at 9-10F. That being said, I don't have a problem with giving $500K for such a race. We already do it with shorter races that draw similar fields such as the Hawthorne Gold Cup and Mass Cap.

I agree with you.