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General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: Wildwood on January 11, 2021, 10:46:59 AM

Title: Harness racing distances
Post by: Wildwood on January 11, 2021, 10:46:59 AM
Why is it that harness racing basically run 1 mile races? I've been in the thoroughbreds most of my life, till Rockingham Park closed. I love watching and betting 5/8, 1, 1 1/6 &  1 1/4 races.  Also, why are there not more claiming races instead of nw of all the time.  Thanks in advance for comments
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: FirstUpFrom8Hole on January 11, 2021, 01:37:21 PM
Probably because us drivers would forget where how many times we're supposed to go around.
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: Jazzman on January 11, 2021, 05:18:49 PM
standardbreds by definition where named for going a mile by time standards overtime they became known as standardbreds thats why all races where run at a one mile distance
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: The Exporter on January 11, 2021, 05:41:58 PM
standardbreds by definition where named for going a mile by time standards overtime they became known as standardbreds thats why all races where run at a one mile distance
tmbz1
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: Hambletonian46 on January 11, 2021, 06:16:33 PM
I remember when Yonkers carded some 9/16 and 13/16 mile races.

And didn't one of the Canadian tracks until recently have a night where they only carded sprints?
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: Here they come on January 11, 2021, 06:20:12 PM
Always thought would be interesting for Standardbreds to run 1/4 mile sprints.  Of course, could only be run on mile tracks with long stretch. There’d be no real post advantage. The other interesting thing would be completely different class of horses could race against each other. Maybe a 10 claimer can sprint just as fast as a open horse for a 1/4 mile. Could change value of cheaper horses too who could be top sprinters.
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: EPM on January 11, 2021, 07:50:37 PM
What was that track that wasn't to far from reedew..think they only raced 3/4 mile races...pretty sure it started with a A
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: EPM on January 11, 2021, 07:52:42 PM
Pretty sure Vermin had 1/4 mile races..Remember Plano winning one with pretty sure horses name was Cat in the Hat
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: trottingstud on January 11, 2021, 08:06:49 PM
back when vernon had the chute start they had quarter mile dashes. no turns involved.
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: FirstUpFrom8Hole on January 11, 2021, 08:37:20 PM
back when vernon had the chute start they had quarter mile dashes. no turns involved.

How fast were the 1/4"s in those races? Ive never seen one. Ive driven some 1 1/8 but nothing under a mile. Like iceman alluded to, at todays speeds quarter mile sprints would be career ending to half the field
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: firhill on January 11, 2021, 10:12:13 PM
From 2007, Larry Lederman calls the 3 1/4 mile Extreme race at Georgian....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4c8bjsxAkM

Anyone recall who the driver was  that was celebrating the win...... one lap too soon?



Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: vinnie on January 11, 2021, 10:36:31 PM
From 2007, Larry Lederman calls the 3 1/4 mile Extreme race at Georgian....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4c8bjsxAkM

Anyone recall who the driver was  that was celebrating the win...... one lap too soon?
I looked it up . the horses name was S B Speedwell .
Driven and trained by Stephen Charlton.
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: Carnival People on January 12, 2021, 05:27:11 AM
From 2007, Larry Lederman calls the 3 1/4 mile Extreme race at Georgian....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4c8bjsxAkM

Anyone recall who the driver was  that was celebrating the win...... one lap too soon?

The race says its 3 1/8th mile but how could the race be in 4 minutes?  Even if every mile went in 2 minutes which is impossible it would still be 6 minutes.  The video itself is only 4 minutes and 45 seconds and much of that is behind the gate.  They must mean 3 times around ?????
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: Dave on January 12, 2021, 07:57:20 AM
I remember when Arlington Park raced 7/8 and 9/8 races.  The oddball distances did not go over too well, so they began racing 1 mile starting on a turn.   (This also did not go over well.)
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: Jazzman on January 12, 2021, 04:17:21 PM
i was there it was only 2 !/8 three times around 5/8 track they had all types of races that day sprints and even a counterclockwise unfortunatly nobody bet on it
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: Bobbo on January 12, 2021, 09:42:57 PM
Why is it that harness racing basically run 1 mile races? I've been in the thoroughbreds most of my life, till Rockingham Park closed. I love watching and betting 5/8, 1, 1 1/6 &  1 1/4 races.  Also, why are there not more claiming races instead of nw of all the time.  Thanks in advance for comments
In Quebec @ Blue Bonnets and Quebec City they occasionally had 5 mile races.  About a dozen horses would start and maybe 4 or 5 finish if they were lucky.
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: Village Idiot on January 12, 2021, 11:38:39 PM
I remember Raceway Park had a 3/8th race every Memorial Day
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: freelegged pacer on January 16, 2021, 03:33:20 PM
FYI for the math challenged. 3 times around is 15 eights 15/8 = 1 mile and 7/8. In other words 1/8 short of 2 miles.             tmbz1

Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: whiptherabbit on January 18, 2021, 11:33:29 AM
Charlton going crazy like he won the Hambo & there was still a lap to go was one of the funniest things in the history of harness racing.

Also when Scott Young fell off the bike leaving the paddock in Flamboro Downs

https://youtu.be/hhCwRG5Hrl4
Title: Re: Harness racing distances
Post by: Rabbi Of Racing on January 18, 2021, 04:17:35 PM
The distance for 97% of the drivers should be from the track to prison  91.jzail
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