Yonkers series finals bolsters the case for added distance races
by Brett Sturman
Coming as a newer development to many, last Friday’s (May 8) MGM Borgata Pacing Series and MGM Ursula McIntyre Series finals were raced at the added distance of 1¼ miles. The change in distance deviated from all preliminary legs throughout both series which were held at the traditional one mile, as has been the case with the two series finals historically.
A growing — and, in my opinion, positive — trend at Yonkers has been to include more added distance races, particularly for series finals. Though this was the first time the Borgata and Ursula McIntyre were held at 1¼ miles, the track has thrown in the extra quarter-of-a-mile in different races throughout the year.
For the larger 10-horse fields such as the Yonkers International, the Aria Invitational Pace and the Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot the 1¼ distance has become the go to. Even with the normal eight-horse fields as were the series finals last Friday, Yonkers has dabbled with going 1¼ miles there in the past also. Last year’s John Brennan trotting series final was raced at the added distance, although this year’s Brennan final was back at one mile.
If the case for added distance races sounds familiar, I spoke about the distance topic in this eloquently written January 2024 column here. Many of the points made in that column are even more so applicable now, and it’s even more relevant as not only Yonkers but also tracks like The Meadowlands are continuing to stage certain graded stakes races at distances of more than one mile.
It can’t be said for sure if the extra quarter mile in last Friday’s Ursula McIntyre final is solely what did in the 1-9 favored Louies Girl N who never really looked the part of her favoritism much throughout the latter part of the race, but one thing for sure is that the distance did make it more difficult for her to last. In the end, the race was won by the surging 25-1 longshot Tarapasta in what turned out to be an exciting finish and a relatively exciting race.
The extra quarter-of-a-mile wasn’t an issue for Borgata champion Captain Albano, but then again after making the lead past an opening quarter of :28.4 he could have gone four miles and it might not have mattered. But the extra distance perhaps did allow time for Huntinthelastdolar to mount a late charge of his own, go from fifth to second and was narrowing the gap late.
To put it most simply, what it comes down to is this: the breed has outgrown and outlasted the traditional one-mile standard. Adding an extra quarter mile is the best and most efficient way to counteract it.
A one-mile distance made sense 100 years ago when horses were trotting in 2:20, and it was even fine up until the 2:00 barrier was a thing. But when you have $6,000 claimers today going through fractions of :26 and :54 and going wire-to-wire easily – it seems like something has gone wrong. Added distance races would introduce more skill and strategy, moving beyond one-dimensional speed as the primary driver as to how races are run and won.
Golf comes to mind as another sport with a similar problem. Just like in harness racing with modern equipment and other modernizations, the distances of golf courses too, are too short to contain the modern advancements in that sport for the elite athletes. But unlike golf where it’s not so easy to begin reconstructing courses, you could simply have horses in harness racing go one more turn around the track, and it all works out.
It doesn’t have to be a sudden change where every race is now at a different distance and it throws havoc into the way standardbreds are raced and bred, but rather continuing to have more selected races at an extra distance of at least a quarter mile. Doing so makes the races unique compared to how almost all other races are run, but it could also provide greater importance for the winner of those races.
Allow me one more comparison to another sport, and think of the above proposed changes and liken them to the Kentucky Derby or the Belmont Stakes in thoroughbred racing. These races are both career defining and breeding defining – and they are both raced at unique distances that those horses will never race at again. But it’s the ability to prove themselves at distances other than the normal ones and against the very best horses that make those wins so valuable.
For harness racing here in North America, it could be a way to have some delineation between sires who may be able to specialize more at farther distances. In this sense, classic races at longer distances could further strengthen the breed.
The column referred to and linked earlier made the case that current breeding shouldn’t be a reason to not have more added distance races. Breeding has become globalized, and horses with the same breeding have no issues racing at one mile here in North America or at distances closer to two miles in France, Sweden, or anywhere else in Europe or Australia. Further, horses who have spent their careers trained to race longer distances in Europe have come to North America and have been just as successful at the rolled back one mile. The same holds true with horses who began their careers here and then have gone onto longer distances overseas.
Races at Yonkers prove that the longer distance races have merit. And this comes at a track where more circles around the Yonkers turns shouldn’t necessarily equal a better race – but for the most part, it has. Others should take note.
