HORSEPLOP.COM

General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: Jack R. Braden on November 21, 2025, 08:04:58 AM

Title: Distance Variety?
Post by: Jack R. Braden on November 21, 2025, 08:04:58 AM

Plainridge Park hosted 1.25-mile races last year, and Hoosier Park had a 5/8 mile race last night.

Why don't more tracks write more races with a variety of distances?

Seems like it would be better for bettors since there would be additional handicapping angles to consider, and it would provide connections with more options for their pacers and trotters.

A Cumberland card featuring a variety of 0.5-mile, 1-mile, and 1.5-mile races, for example, would probably provide a more interesting racing product than the status quo.

Title: Re: Distance Variety?
Post by: Calhoun on November 21, 2025, 09:07:46 AM

I don't know about Cumberland but in general I don't think shorter races on a 1/2 mile track are a good idea. 3 turns and 1.5 miles... ok but what's the point?

I suppose at Hoosier and Mohawk you could run 1 1/16 races or a 3 turn 1.5 mile.

The one that make sense to me is to run 1.25 mile races on 5/8 tracks... Two full laps and an in front of the  grandstand start.

my useless 2c