Breeders Cup Marathon Made 1 3/4 miles
 

Seems like another really swell idea. Where are horses going to prep for this? Five times around Charlestown?

http://www.breederscup.com/content.aspx?id=38307

I know I've talked with friends at BC and the discussion of why not make it 2 miles came up. Also though not as popular how about adding a steeplechase race?

there is a steeplechase race, just not where the bc is held.

Not since 2007. The BC ended the tie-in to the NSA.

As to the distance switch, 14f is much more appropriate as a 'Marathon' than 12f.

They should keep running all day.....it will give the neophytes something to do between races.

well, what do you know.
and yes, a marathon should be longer than 12f.

What difference does it make anyway?

1 1/2 or 1 3/4? Either way it is a strange distance for American horses. What will they do when they go to a regular dirt track with that race?

If the breeders cup comes up with a starter 5k going 1 3/4 I'll point Love Dubai there.

Considering it is the Marathon, 14f would be the minimum distance. Fair play to organisers..

Funny I heard Ralph Beckett say that last year's winner Muhannak probably wouldnt go it now as he wouldnt 'stay'.

Any relation to Josh Beckett?

:)

id have to check that up - Paddy Harrington is sorta related to some QB Joey Harrington though!!

In the 1 3/4 Polar Expedition at Arlington should be a perfect springboard. Nothing like a $50K overnight as your prep for the BC....

...which strangely enough is probably going to come up like a 5k starter.

handicapping should be pretty straightforward this year = look for the best european turf horse...

but when they switch back to real dirt - a 14furlongs BC race has a possibility of being a really great betting race for a handicapper, so long as there isn't a tiny field or just one obvious dominant runner.

Paddy and Joey are definitely related in one sense: Neither can play QB. Although I would at least give Paddy a chance throw a few quick slants before I could be certain my statement is totally acurate.

cousins

Malibu Moonshine can't get more then 1 5/8th's

I thought he died

In the last month?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...153/index.html

Just a related aside, but I was at the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita last year and the Marathon unexpectedly became one of my fave races of the day for viewing.

It was uniquely cool to be able to go all the way to the back of the infield to watch the horses load "up close and personal" on the backstretch. And then to stay on the backstretch fence to watch the pack come around again after a mile, with still another half mile to go.

And then dash to the infield side of the finish line to see the finish the 1/2 mile later.

I don't think I'll ever wager to much $$ on a marathon, but this fall at Santa Anita I'll definitely make certain to move to the infield again to watch the marathon in similar fashion.

Geesh the 1 3/4 marathon, I like it, has turned into a marathon for the fans in the infield. It would be cool to see a pack of fans join you in the infield event .

Only if there were snipers using rubber bullets.

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