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FEW LONG DISTANCE RACES Majority of Contests in Last Three Years at Sprinting Distances. Average of Events at Stamina Testing Routes Are Surprisingly Low. The contention df a number of our most prominent breeders and turfmen, who hare always the best interests of the turf at heart, that there are entirely too ninny races at distances commonly called sprinting distances and too few at longer routes, the true stamina test for a race horse, is borne out by the following compilation of the number of races run over the various recognized race tracks of the United States. Canada, Mexico and Ciil during the past three years. It will be seen from these figures that three-quarters of si mile and five and a half furlongs are the popular distances for races on this side of the Atlantic. In 1910 there were 1.529 races at three-quarters of u mile and 1,019 at five and a half fur-lungs out of a total of ,r.9S races run at all dis-nneos. The figures for 1917 show 1.385 races at lliree-quarters and Sll at five and a half furlongs, while last year there were 904 at three-quarters and 5S4 at five-eighths. The decrease in races at those distances the last two years compared to 1910 was due to the more or less curtailment of racing on account of the Great War and not to an increase in races at other distances. There were a proportionally good number of races rim at one mile and from thereon up to and including a mile and a sixteenth. Then comes a decided drop. At one mile and an eighth the average number of races for the past three years was 143. while t a-jDjUa-jjji4..;a-,qiiarter..it. was.kfiixt.yce.ight and only,., sx nt a mHennrt n half. However, there has been a tendency of late to promote and encourage racing at longer distances than the so-called sprinting distances, with the result that racing associations now in many instances provide a program comprised of races at one mile or over exclusively. The Jockey Club last year toot a step in the right direction when it passed a rule making it obligatory for racing associations under its jurisdiction to include on its program a long distance race daily. The following tabulation shows the number of races at the various distances over the tracks of the Inited States, Canada, Mexico and Cuba during the past three years: 1J10. Main Course. Hist. Xo. of races. Dist. Xo. of races. 1-4 mile 3 1 mile 40 yds.. 13 3-8 mile 59 1 mile r0 yds. . 53 3 1-2 furlongs 20 1 mile 00 yds.. 3 1-2 mile 92 1 mile 70 yds.. 341 4 1-2 furlongs 94 1 l-lCmilcs 324 5-S mile 501 1 1-8 miles 174 5 1-2 furlongs 1.019 1 3-Hmiles 29 3-4 mile 1,529 1 1-4 miles 09 i 12 furlongs 37 1 3-8 miles 3 7-8 mile 218 11-2 miles 9 1 mile SOJi 1 3-4 miles S 1 mile 20 yds.. 120 2 1-4 miles .... 2 Straight Course. Dist. Xo. of races. Dist. Xo. of races. 1 1-2 furlongs 15 3-4 mile 8 r.-S mile -4 7-8 mile 1 5 1-2 furlongs 1- About Distances. Dist. Xo. of races. Dist. Xo. of races. 1-2 mile 1 1 mile 3 4 1-2 furlongs IS 1 l-10miles 1 r.-S mile 300 1 1-8 miles 4 5 1-2 furlongs 31 11-4 miles , ... 0 3-4 mile 41 1 3-8 miles 1 0 1-2 furlongs 1S3 1 1-2 miles ! 7-8 mile 27 2 miles 2 Steeplechases. Dist. Xo. of races. Dist. Xo. of races. 2 miles 25 About 2 1-4 miles . 4 2 1-4 miles 3 About 2 1-2 miles . 2i 2 1-2 miles 7 About 3 miles . 8 About 1 1-2 miles . 1 About 3 1-2 miles . .r About 2 miles . 147 Distance. Xo. of races. About 2 miles over brush course 1 Almiit 2 1-2 miles over brush course Alwuit 3 1-2 miles over iost and rails 3 About 4 miles over timber course 1 1 1-2 miles on the flat 1 Total - CC9S 1917. Main Course. Dist. Xo. of races. Dist. Xo. of races. 3-8 mile 31 1 mile 50 y ds.. 03 3 1-2 furlongs 21 1 mile 00 y ds. . 8 l.o lnjie r4 1 mile 70 yds.. 324 4 1-2 furlongs 82 1 1-lCniiles 021 3-8 mile 474 1 1-S mi es 354 5 1-2 furlongs 811 1 3-lOmiles JO 3-4 mile 1.380 1 1-4 m es 5J 0 1-2 furlongs 42 1 3-8 miles 1 7-8 mile 75 1 1-2 miles .. 1 mile 715 2 miles 2 1 mile 20 yds.. 117 2 1-4 miles 1 Straight Course. Dist. Xo. of races. , Dist. Xo. of races 4 1-2 furlongs 15 3-4 mile ......... S 5-8 mile 14 1 mile on turf. . 1 5 1-2 furlongs 1 1 1-16 miles on turf 1 Steeplechases. Dist. Xo. of races. Dist. Xo. of races, o mjles 20 About 2 1-4 miles.. 5 2 1-4 miles 4 About 2 1-2 miles.. 19 2 1-2 miles 6 About 4 1-2 miles.. 4 About 2 "miles.. 127 About Distances. Dist Xo. of races. Dist. Xo. of races, l.n n,jie 1 6 1-2 furlongs 211 3 1.2 furlongs 2 7-8 mile 41 4 1-2 furlongs 2 1 mi e , 5-8 mile 270 1 1-lCmiles 4 5 1-2 furlongs 14 - 3-4 mile 35 Total 5.S99 0 1-4 furlongs 22 Continued on second page. FEW LONG DISTANCE RACES Continued from first page. IMS. Main Course. Dist. No- of races. Dist. No. of races. 3-S mile 2 1 mile 70 yds. . 295 1-2 mile .., 53 1 1-liimiles 404 4 1-2 furlongs . 71. 1 1-8 miles 103 H-8 mile 3201 a-lfimilcs 21 5 12 furlongs . 584 1 1-4 miles 84 3-4 mile Ml; 1 r,-1mllK G 1-2 furlongs -10 1 3-8 m leu 7-8 mile 13 1 il 11 1 mile -1117 1 r.-S miles 3 1 mile 20 yds.. .! 1 3-4 miles 2 1 mile 50 yds. . 53 2 miles .... 4 1 mile CO yds.. 2 1-1 miles 1 About Distances. Dist. No. of races. Dist. No. of races. 3 1-2 furlongs 1 0 1-2 furlongs 29 4 1-2 furlongs li -8 m Je .50 5-S mile - - 1 mlIa 1 0 1-2 furlongs W 1 1-lCraiJes 2 3-4 mile 1- 1 1-- nuk-s - Steeplechases. Dist. No. of races. Dist. No. of races. 2 miles ... 18 About 2- miles.. S4 o i4 miles 3 About 2 1-4 miles.. 5 2 1-2-miIes ; :.5. About U lr2 .uiHes... About 1 1-2 miles.. 1 Altout. 3 miles.. Straight Course. Dist. No. of races. Dist. No. of race. 4 1-2 furlongs It 3-1 mile 1" 5-8 mile 10 7-8 mile 5 1-2 furlongs 10 Futurity Course .... 7 Total -...J.jua
