There is only one size of football or soccer field, and hockey rinks are all very similar. But Canadian harness racing takes place on three, very different sized ovals. Which one provides the best product? Half? Five eighths? Seven eighths? None of the above? By Dan Fisher
One simply has to look at
One simply has to look at the Meadowlands racing to determine that the 1 mile track is far and away the best distance to race at. Half mile tracks, and 5/8ths to a lesser extent provide some nice flow to racing. However horses starting on the outside have very little chance of winning. This is why I can never understand why a race like the Little Brown Jug (and some other stake races) are run on half milers. I understand the need to bring attention and racing to these communities but it does not do the race any justice. Horses starting from post 7 or 8 and even 6 have the odds greatly stacked against them.
7/8ths tracks are brutal because they simply promote very little flow to the races. The races begins way before the first turn and by the time the horses reach the first turn they are in single file parade mode and pretty much stay that way the rest of the way. There is very little movement and this makes it very tough to get good cover and for horses who are not in the top 3 or 4 spots turning for home to win.
The Meadowlands (or 1 mile tracks) are by far the best. The races begins close to the first turn and the horses from the outside who leave are forced to keep going or get hung out to dry. This in turn creates a lot of flow and multiple lead changes. You can go from 6th to 1st in a big hurry because of all the lead changes. This not only creates an exciting race for the fans but also gives every horse a shot at winning which is exactly what a gambler wants. Happy gamblers mean more gamblers and more gambling. Something this dying industry can certainly use.
I never understood why WEG decided to go to the 7/8 distance and not the 1 mile. If it did not have room for a one mile track then the next best would've been a 5/8 mile like the old Greenwood.
7/8 and 1/2 mile tracks are by far the worst size for harness racing.