Well, I did say it was "unexpectedly" fun.

I rarely bet all races on a card, but since it was the Breeders' Cup and I was there, I deviated and did throw some minimally researched $$ on Calvin Borel's mount in the Marathon. I lost, of course.

The infield did have some great open air bars so maybe next year I'll try to grab a bloody mary on the dash from the back stretch to the finish line.....

Seriously, the backstretch did have some unique photo ops as the horses passed by full of run the 2nd time around.

Call me in 10 years when I actually bet on this race.

That is if it's still around.

This week I received a vintage program from the race track I literally was cutting my teeth when I went to it for the first time.

Ascot Park, in the Akron-Cleveland area. I've typed about it a few times over the years.

Eddie DeBartolo of San Francisco 49'er ownership fame bought it when I was about 8 and closed it in 1966.

The program I just purchased and received featured the premier race of the meet......"The Gold Cup"


"The Gold Cup" was a full two mile race.

As I recall, the horses passed by the grandstand and finish line of the little track three times before the race ended.

I loved it as a kid.

Might be another reason I unexpectedly liked the Breeders' Cup Marathon.

All the big tracks had them, too - the Saratoga Cup, the Pimlico Cup, the Monmouth Cup, and the granddaddy of them all, the Jockey Club Gold Cup. 'Cup' races ARE long distance races, by definition, derived from the 2.25 mile Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. The Lawrence Realization used to be a 1.75 mile race for 3yos only in September and a major target for top 3yos - it was Kelso's first major win - but was turned into a generic turf race around 1970. Marathons were an integral part of the sport not that long ago; cutting them out and putting the emphasis on sprinters and milers has been a detriment to the sport. You hard-core bettors may not mind watching the same type of race over and over, but the new spectators and entertainment gamblers racing needs are more likely to be bored.

Ascot's is 2 and a half miles and even then, it still isnt the longest race of the week - the ones too slow for the Gold Cup go in the Queen Alexandra over 2miles 5 1/2f

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind long races as long as they have enough preps to have something to go on. I remember watching the Grands National and being able to smoke an entire cigarette during the race