Distance - The Dirty Little Word in American Racing

Distance. The word itself doesn’t sound so bad. So why has it become a nasty little four letter word when used in the context of American Racing? Distance in other countries is a concept revered. A high percentage of the best races in Europe are run over 12 furlongs. The race that stops a nation down under, The Melbourne Cup, is a two mile jaunt. Meanwhile in America we breed for speed. Microwave ovens and drive-thru fast food, we want things fast. Is that why we do not want to wait to develop our horses and have them run a distance of ground? Do we need to see our investments return money sooner than other cultures? Or perhaps watching a race for 2 ½ minutes or more is simply too long for our instant gratification needs. Whatever the reason, in America we breed for speed. The result has steadily produced a more fragile animal than what we see in places like Europe and Australia. It wasn’t always this way. The prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup, now a comparative 10 furlong sprint, used to be run at two miles. It was contested at this distance for more than fifty years, and it was far from the only long distance race in our nation. Now the closing leg of our coveted Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, at 1 ½ miles, has become a bit of a dinosaur. It is a race in which the main story is the distance rather than the horses that run. It is not too late to change this disturbing trend. Certainly a change in breeding philosophy is vital. The Breeder’s Cup Marathon is a step in the right direction. We also need to value the distance races we still have. Today’s closing feature at Santa Anita Park is the San Juan Capistrano Handicap, and I will be watching. I remember the days when the San Juan Capistrano was won by stalwarts such as Exceller, Tiller, John Henry, Lemhi Gold, and Erin’s Isle, and that was only in a six year stretch. Nearly thirty years have passed since the glory days of the longest graded stakes race in America. In step with the speed trend our nation’s breeders have created, the San Juan Capistrano has slowly and steadily become a less important race in our racing schedule. It has lost its grade 1 status, and the now grade 2 race does not attract the kind of horses it used to. In the late 80’s we had Great Communicator and in the 90’s, we saw top horses like Kotashan, and Bien Bien win the 1 ¾ turf race, but it has been a steady decline of talent since then. I am somewhat hopeful that the favorite of this year’s edition, Bourbon Bay, may be the real deal, and actually be a threat when the Breeders’ Cup Turf rolls around. Or who knows, maybe a trip to Australia for the Melbourne Cup may be in his future. Only time will tell. Even more than today’s entrants though, I root for the race itself. Let’s stop the speed trend, and strengthen the breed. At 14 furlongs, the San Juan Capistrano is clearly a throwback. If we want to get back to breeding a stronger American Thoroughbred, I certainly hope races like the San Juan Capistrano never become a throw-away.