Stayers' Watch: San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap · 21.04.09

It used to be that the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap was prestigious enough that a winning horse could be invited to race later that year in the Prix de la Arc de Triomphe. Nowadays the race — at “about” 1 3/4 miles the longest graded stakes in North America — has been reduced to a G2-level contest, with its purse reduced from $250,000 in 2008 to $200,000 this year.

This decline can be blamed on the declining importance in North America of stamina and durability in favour of speed and precocity, and the perception of some racing fans that stayers’ races are boring to watch. To prove their point, they would only have to present Sunday’s running of the San Juan Capistrano as “Exhibit A”. As the lone early horse in a field of closers, all Midships and jockey Victor Espinoza had to do was grab the lead, slow the race down to a crawl (a mile in 1:44.17?!?), and outrun Spring House and Obrigado to the wire. Midships, winner of the San Luis Rey Handicap earlier this year, finished 3/4 of a length ahead of Spring House in a time of 2:49.26 on the firm Santa Anita turf course.

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What do you think?

  1. When generations of horses can’t run past 4 furlongs, this same crowd (the one who think these are bring) will wonder what about the thoroughbred died.

    We know, but they will scratch their collective heads amidst the piercings and wonder why

    — Dr. Timothy Yatca,k · Apr 21, 05:08 PM · #

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