Your dream racetrack · 7.07.10
Imagine if you had the resources and the opportunity to build your ideal racetrack. What would it look like? Describe the track, the location, the facilities, the races, whatever — let your racing fantasies run free.
To start the discussion, here’s what I have in mind:
- My dream track would have three separate courses: a 1 1/2 mile outer dirt course, a 1 1/4 mile turf course inside it, and a second turf course, 1 mile in circumference, inside that.
- The main course would have a long chute extending from the top of the stretch, allowing for straight sprints of up to 6 furlongs; another chute would extend from the backstretch for 1 1/4 mile dirt races.
- The turf courses would have movable railings, allowing the track layouts to be altered so as to save wear-and-tear on the grass.
- The infield would be kept clear — i.e. no ponds, gardens, or other decorative features — and the tote board would be designed to be dismantled and removed at the end of the racing season; these features, with the removable railings, would allow the infield to be easily configured for other events during the off-season (e.g. show-jumping, polo, outdoor concerts).
- Vancouver racing lore has it that the two old suburban tracks, Minoru/Brighouse and Lansdowne, were located on top of peat bogs; the bouncy surfaces were easy on horses’ legs, and resulted in more than a fair share of Canadian speed records being set at those two tracks back in the day; if practical, my dream track would be located on a peat bog.
- A variety of races could be scheduled — sprints, miles, “classic” distances, stayers’ races — on both dirt and turf; having two turf courses would allow more races on grass than at most other tracks.
- “Open” stakes races — i.e. open to 3-year-olds and older — would feature one of two unique conditions: either the winning horse could be automatically entered in the same race the following year with all entry fees waived, or if the winner would be eligible for a substantial purse bonus if it comes back and wins the same race the following year; this would encourage horses to be kept in training longer, rather than sent to the breeding shed.
Describe your dream racetrack, using the comment form below.
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What do you think?
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Now if you name was Maktoum you could do all of these things and more.Good stuff
— Dr. T. Yatcak · Jul 9, 12:12 PM · #
Great ideas, but watching polo or jumping from three race track widths away from the action won’t work. On the other hand the thought of bulldozing half of Richmond into the ‘chuck’ to make room for this ‘New Track’ does put a smile on my face. Lets do it !!!
— E.Clarke · Jul 10, 11:16 AM · #
The same family that owns Grouse Mountain also owns a large chunk of Burns Bog. They attempted to have track built there around 20 years ago, but received no support from the local HBPA as well as generating lot’s of resistance from local environmentalists.
— DC · Jul 13, 04:15 PM · #