5/8 mile race

[JT]

I really liked the 5/8ths mile dashes on a 5/8ths mile track. One time around, lots of action.

Delaware occasionally..onc e or twice during jug week do a half mile race. One lap sprint. I think it's entertaining

[pocketrocketwinner]

Delaware occasionally..onc e or twice during jug week do a half mile race. One lap sprint. I think it's entertaining

Curious, entertaining AND appealing enough for you to bet more on the race than if it was the standard distance? Cause they what the meadowlands is thinking here.

I like that they acknowledged safety. My question is did anyone in that race office watch logical contender Sargeant Sonny into turn 1 last week? I'd love to hear from a horseman more knowledgeable than me to look at that gait anr say that it is safe for that particular horse to be sprinting into the turn tonight. I sincerely hope everyone stays safe out there.

[Mohawk mac]

Back in the 1960s when I first started going to the harness races, Washington Park in the Chicago area carded 5.5f sprints regularly.  Mostly for cheap claimers but occasionally for higher class horses.  The fields were mostly comprised of horses who showed speed at a mile but stopped like a cheap watch.

Obviously only one horse was going to get the lead so it was a mad scramble up the backstretch.  I would say 80% of the winners were 5th or worse turning for home.  Speed didn't often hold up down that quarter mile stretch.

Most races were timed between 1:22 and 1:25 depending on class and track condition.  I clearly remember seeing a Bob Farrington horse named Safe Return win a higher class conditioned race in 1:19 one night.

[Papillon]

Delaware occasionally..onc e or twice during jug week do a half mile race. One lap sprint. I think it's entertaining

Liberty Bell did a 5/8ths race about once a month back in the late70s/early 80s

fans weren't crazy about it

[JT]

Curious, entertaining AND appealing enough for you to bet more on the race than if it was the standard distance? Cause they what the meadowlands is thinking here.

I like that they acknowledged safety. My question is did anyone in that race office watch logical contender Sargeant Sonny into turn 1 last week? I'd love to hear from a horseman more knowledgeable than me to look at that gait anr say that it is safe for that particular horse to be sprinting into the turn tonight. I sincerely hope everyone stays safe out there.

No didn't bet any more or less.. I pretty much bet the same amount just about every race

[PineHurstPacer]

I'd prefer to see 1 5/8 mile race

[Papillon]

I'd prefer to see 1 5/8 mile race

bettors get flustered when you change the distance from one mile

staring at final times and final quarters will do that to you

I recall Yonkers did the 1 and 1/16th mile races--confused most bettors as they couldn't extrapolate the times

Gural tried the 1 and 1/8th mile for some stakes races--it failed miserably

[Scooteroo]

The 1 1/8-mile stake races at that distance at Meadowlands were only when there were more than 11 horses in the race, think they were 12 horse fields each time.

[Here they come]

I Always thought of a Sprint race on mile track. Car comes off turn and gate opens on straightaway. be around 1/4 mile. no strategy. just Rock n roll off gate. 4 Claimers could be grouped with all classes as there are lots of horses who are just as fast for short distance. I think would be cool to see and wager on. lots of blanket finishes. Like to see Big M give it a shot. Purses could be good and give the cheap horses a chance be more valuable if there a good sprinter

[Stan durbread]

About 10 years ago Georgian Downs did an extreme night for a couple years. All different distances from 1/8 sprint to 2 miles. And an another race that went jog way. It was a great night. The longer races had around 16 in them. Unfortunately they quit for some unknown reason

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

About 10 years ago Georgian Downs did an extreme night for a couple years. All different distances from 1/8 sprint to 2 miles. And an another race that went jog way. It was a great night. The longer races had around 16 in them. Unfortunately they quit for some unknown reason

Tioga raced clockwise a few times.

[SAW]

Didn't Pompano Park run some 5/8 mile long races?

[Meadow Ford]

Several years ago Maywood Park held some mile and a quarter races.
On a regular mile race the starting gate would sit at the guarter pole to pick up the horses.
On a mile and quarter race the starting gate would sit at the finish wire to pick up the horses.
So we are scoring down and getting ready to go to the gate.
Maywood's leading HOF driver drives over to me and says "Why is the starting gate over there?"
I say "We are going a mile and a quarter".
He says "No Shit! You are kidding ? Aren't you?"
To this day I wish I had told him we were only going three quarters.

[JT]

Several years ago Maywood Park held some mile and a quarter races.
On a regular mile race the starting gate would sit at the guarter pole to pick the horses.
On a mile and quarter race the starting gate would sit at the finish wire to pick up the horses.
So we are scoring down and getting ready to go to the gate.
Maywood's leading HOF driver drives over to me and says "Why is the starting gate over there?"
I say "We are going a mile and a quarter".
He says "No Shit! You are kidding ? Aren't you?"
To this day I wish I had told him we were only going three quarters.

Great story

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

Several years ago Maywood Park held some mile and a quarter races.
On a regular mile race the starting gate would sit at the guarter pole to pick up the horses.
On a mile and quarter race the starting gate would sit at the finish wire to pick up the horses.
So we are scoring down and getting ready to go to the gate.
Maywood's leading HOF driver drives over to me and says "Why is the starting gate over there?"
I say "We are going a mile and a quarter".
He says "No Shit! You are kidding ? Aren't you?"
To this day I wish I had told him we were only going three quarters.

Must have been Dave Magee