--This is the longest distance that these horses will ever run: A whopping 1-1/2 miles! --Unlike the derby, post positions won't matter as much because it's a very long distance! --Will speed hold? Will an off-the-pace horse win? Or, will a closer win the race? (A closer is a horse that saves ground (by staying on the rail) and come out flying at the end. In the Derby, Rich Strike was a closet and ran EXACTLY like this! --Speed (a front-running horse) is very difficult to hold in a 1-1/2 mile race.