Seven-Eighths Mile Races At WEG

Is this answer?? Probably not, but it's something different... The last 2 years, Georgian Downs has hosted the Extreme Horsepower event with success. I don't agree with the bigger 18 horse fields, but the changes in distance which shakes things up and makes things different. People complain about the slow quarter rules.. I can't remember the last time I've seen that rule enforced in Ontario, nevermind just Woodbine. As for scratching the horses that draw that outer posts, cry me a river, folks!!!! It's the luck of the draw that got your horse there and it's no different then drawing the 8 hole at Grand Bend or 7 hole at Western Fair, the death posts on a half mile track.

thanks woodbine management i was thinking of quiting betting your races and now i will forsure.You guys keep seeing your bet go down yearly and you still don't see the problem!!it's not the track and it's not the distance.theres a few reasons giving holes is one of them.the comments here cover most of them.the meadowlands is where my money will be heading until you address the real problems.i've bet alot of money on horse racing and never complain when i get a shot.but your racing needs a serious look at.the meadowlands really entertain the fans it's to bad at one time i would only bet woodbine and mohawk.changing the distance is just going to drive away more betters.thank you a really BIG HARNESS RACING FAN!!

What a show at the Big M last night! 6 of 13 winners were first, second or third at the 3/4's, 7 of 13 were anywhere from fourth to tenth. If you got away first, mid-pack, or last, you still had a chance to win. I was even lucky enough to hit the
Win-4, which paid $1669.00 at the Big M and $1475.00 in Canada. The Big M takes out 15% while WEG takes out 25%. And I thought they called it common pool wagering. So I looked up "common" in the dictionary. "Belonging EQUALLY to, or shared by, two or more or by all". While there, I looked up "common sense",... "ordinary good sense or sound practical judgement". I don't think anyone at WEG understands the meaning of the word common. But hey, I've got 7/8 mile races on Monday to look forward to instead of an extra $190.00 in my pocket. I'm think I'll go play cards.

A US racing judge friend of mine and I attended Woodbine for "entertainment". He was utterly disgusted. "By the end of the third race we would have fined every driver on the track!!!!" was his comment.

WEG has been "indulgent" with the "rule breakers" as far back as the 60s when the likes of Keith Waples, Ron Waples, Ron Feagan et al ruled the roost as they broke the rules of racing regularly. It was not a matter of handicapping the horses, it was determining what driver would be able to get away with what crime.

I can remember the announcer at Greenwood excitingly exlaiming "And that last half was in 58 seconds" . . . but he failed to mention that they got to the half in 1 minute and 3 seconds! I complained once to the "office" and was told that I was just a poor loser. Whereupon, I produced $200 in tickets on the winner and exclaimed that I shouldn't have to bet on crooked racing but I had no alternative!!!!! What has changed?

Thinking of make races shorter i think they should make them longer . Most races are over by the half mile mark where the back field of horses cannot catch up to the front end of the field. Sometimes see horses pulling out coming home and to little to late . If they made the races longer might help the back end horses.

As for the purses some of the horses racing for the money they are giving out now are not the kind of horses that should be getting that kind of purse money to complete for.

7/8 mile races on Mondays. So is WEG reducing their takeout % of the handle by 1/8 (12.5%) also? It only makes sense.

I am getting into the business of standard breds asa a trainer and amatuers harness driver...This is absurd to conduct 7/8 races instead of a mile, the mile has always been the standard. yonkers experimented with races more than a mile and it was a flop for the horsemen not to mention the bettors.... If this happens at woodbine I will not plan on shipping to woodbine then with my horses...too bad for the horsemen and bettors too. good luck figuring the races now.

I tell you what. I'm an owner, and if I draw the 7-10 hole, my horse will be scratched. If they all do this, then they will be racing only 6 horses per race. See if the bettors like this?

I was thinking that WEG could accomplish both things at once That would be to make the movement of horses more exciting and increase the betting as well. You ask how well here is my solution. On each race the better bets three times. The better picks a horse that will be first at the quarter pole, which horse will be first to the half and which horse will win the race. To assist the horseman the owner who's horse is first at the quarter pole would get 10% of the purse the horse that is first to the half would get 15% of the purse and the remaining 75% of the purse would be distributed as normal ie 50% 1st 25% 2nd etc.
There would be an incentive to reach these positions first. The better would have three chances to win in each race.
What do you think?
Herbie

The problem isnt the distance or the track, in my opinion its the horsemen!!! I've never understood why horses get out of the gate 7-10th and don't pull until the far turn. Forget about this "slow Quarter Rule" or fining drivers for going too slow..... if the other drivers actually put in an effort, the pace wouldn't be so slow.

Are you kidding me!you know theres a problem and this is your fix!!I've been a better for many years and i won't bet anything but a mile race!Tell me this when was the last time somebody got a fine for giving a hole at woodbine!Or for lack of effort!Try watching the meadowlands now that's racing!!!And that's where my betting money will go!!Please quit making excuses and address the real problems!!!!

This idea hurts the owners who will draw the outside posts and have no chance at all to make up ground. Our trainers will still bill us the same amount and will not discount it by 1/8th. Maybe WEG should pay the horses drawing the outside posts 1/8th of our bill on Mondays.

The answer is simple ...there should be a committee of bettors,small owners and people who care and understand racing advising WEG on how to make it better for everyone.

So we want to make woodbine racing more exciting to get more people out. Never happen. That track is too far away and the race flow is boring. Let's make it interesting. The average second quarter of each race is about 29/3, some faster some slower, this is an average people so hold on.

The other quarters average around 27/4 - 28/2. There is a rule that is seldom used and should be at WEG. It is the slow quarter rule. It is a little cynical but could be enforced instead as stated above, jamming on the brakes and letting somebody go, by the way isn't that considered letting a horse needlessly pass.

It really isn't so much the second quarter where the issue lies, it is the third eighth that is the slow down. If you think the first turn is too far away, start at the finish line and finish at the start pole, switch them. Two problems solved, easy isn't it. For those who think you can't make up ground around the last turn, WEG, put in a passing lane like the half miles, make it a double lane if you want and enforce the passing lane rule. This allows passing inside and out, should make it more interesting. Anybody got anything else? By the way, the horses are still too far away, go back to Mohawk.

I applaud WEG for getting its head out of the sand and at least trying something to improve racing. I do not know if it will work as I share similar concerns as other posters.

Why not try changing the purse payout such that those difficult post positions are rewarded with a greater share of the the win purse. For example a horse winning from post 7-10 would receive 60% of the win share. Post 5-7 55% etc.

This would encourage more aggressive participation and ultimately improve the flow of the race.I know many horseman would have difficulty with such a radical change but you must realize that harness racing is not about the horseman but rather about providing a product that people are willing to embrace. If you can win back the customers(gamblers!) or at the very least maintain the customer level you presently have then this will benefit all participants.

I know that many will respond in anger questioning my comment that horse racing is not about the horseman but that is simply a fact of life. Sadly,without gamblers horse racing would not exist as we know it. Horse racing is no longer the only game in town and you need to do whatever is necessary to stay competitive.

Here's an idea how about we tack them up like thoroughbreds put the drivers on their backs and load them in the gate. This is standardbred racing. All of the right people in all the right places know what the answers are to the problems with WEG racing. Really it's not that hard to figure out. Getting those folks to do their jobs and make the right decisions is a totally different problem in itself. Its not rocket science. Getting through the politics of the horseracing industry is the problem. End rant.

ENFORCE THE KEEP THE HOLE FILLED RULE, SLOW QUATER RULE AND SLOW HALF RULE AND YOU WILL HAVE FLOW TO YOUR RACES...WITH THIS "BRAIN WAVE" OF AN IDEA THE BETTOR IN THE END WILL GET SCREWED AGAIN...ITS HARD ENOUGH TO PICK A WINNER AT A MILE DISTANCE AND NOW THE BETTOR HAS GOT TO START FROM SCRATCH AGAIN...NOT ME I WILL NOT BET ON MONDAYS IN DECEMBER.

There are many stakeholders.
This industry has a lot of stakeholders who all have opinions and their opinions ALL matter. I am an owner and I do not bet, but the bettor has always been the one who drives the industry, and rightly so. They have needs, and those needs differ from the needs of horse owners, trainers and drivers, management, regulatory agents, and the list goes on...
WEG - you deserve a whole lot of credit for your actions. Lets try it, measure the impact, then make a decision. Your actions give me hope. With wagering down 8 percent this year and economic concerns on news headlines nightly, we need more WEG-minded people and less complainers and whiners to lead us out of this.
So, thank you, WEG, for your proactive stance and leadership. You deserve a sincere Merry Christmas wish and please keep up the great work. I used to have a plaque on my desk that read "The only man who never fails is the one who never tries." Again, keep up the great work and dedication. Recognize that there are several of us in the industry who notice and appreciate your untiring dedication to help us all. No complaints from me.

WEG what are you doing??? Its called standardbred racing for a reason. Its all a standard format of 1 MILE (not 7/8) only difference is a horse's gait(pace or trot). I dont believe this will improve the "flow" of races on the circuit. Im disappointed that WEG believes this is the solution to the flow problem. If this becomes a consistent distance on the circuit, I will not watch/bet races from the WEG circuit anymore. If you want to solve flow problem add a passing lane to the course.

WEG has correctly identified a problem with their racing product. They have done many things over the past few years to improve their product and they should be commended for that. This idea, however will not be one of them. The racing style at Woodbine has been an issue for a long time. Many years ago they changed the banking on the last turn in an attempt to make it easier on the horses in the outside flow as they come out of the turn. This was a good idea but it hasn't worked. The structure of the turn is such that horses fanning 3 and 4 wide lose far too much ground on the leader which is very difficult to make up on a leader that has had a soft middle half. The solution should first concentrate on the most obvious issue which is the country club atmosphere of the regular drivers. If you want movement and flow in races then do what they do at the Meadowlands and fine drivers for giving holes. As evidenced by the Meadowlands racing product , this will automatically create more second and third quarter flow and will create a more competitive perception of the racing product amongst racing fans. If that isn't enough then creating a passing lane should be the next step. Allowing more room for horses to move up the inside coming out of the last turn will mean that more horses in each race will not need to fan wide in the last turn and will as a result have a shorter route to the finish line.

I am a regular player on the WEG product through my HPI account. Monday's are one of my prime nights to play. I won't be playing in December. I assume that if this experiment actually works WEG will implement it across the board. If so I am done as a customer and will look to the Meadowlands as my track of choice.

I do believe with being a not for profit organization, WEG has to reinvest a large amount of capital back into its facility. We've all heard that moving the poles and finish line is costly especially since the judges' stand, photo finish and adjoining press box would all have to be moved. They want Meadowlands flow, huh? Well, they have the ability to put their money where their mouths are. But hey, jazzing up slot-related facilities on the main floor for the 42nd time helps standardbred handle a lot, doesn't it? Talk is cheap, change is not....well, in this case it is. See through the talk. The question is, how much does WEG really want it?

Those people who have identified the last turn as the biggest problem are bang on. Any outside flow there might be in a race just stops dead at that last turn. Horses trying to move up on the outside invariably lose ground. There has been much criticism of drivers, and some is warranted, but I expect drivers don't want to be caught on the outside around the last turn. If they are not on the lead, they know their best chance is to save ground inside and hope for a hole to shoot through in the stretch.
I'm a traditionalist; I prefer one mile races. I don't think the shorter distance will change anything much. Speed will still prevail.
Mohawk seems to have better flow and better racing than Woodbine. Besides, Mohawk is a harness track and Woodbine isn't. I know this ship has sailed, but harness racing should never have moved to Woodbine in the first place. Who goes out in the grandstand and watches harness races 'live' at Woodbine? They all watch on TV anyway; the races might as well be at Mohawk.

The problem with the woodbine oval when it comes to horses being gapped out all over the place has nothing to do with the drivers, it has to do with the length of track getting into the first turn, it is almost a full quarter mile and horses as a result get gapped out all over the place and the result is very little movement up the backstretch.

At the m'lands the first turn comes up very quickly and as a result horses stay closely bunched so you will get movement in the backstretch. Getting back to drivers we have had Luc Ouellette, the top driver at the mlands come to the ojc and he drives like m'lands drivers when he is at the big m and drives like ojc drivers when at woodbine so why does he do that, the answer is easy if you are gapped out all over the place there will be little to no movement.

Now as far as the ojc introducing 7/8 of a mile race this is a decision that goes way beyond stupid, it is both sad and pathetic. Is this what they have to resort to, to try and increase wager. I bet large dollar amounts on the ojc and i will not bet a race where the horse was in a mile race last week and this week is in a 7/8's mile race. Nor will i ever bet a horse that is in a 7/8's mile race and the following week changes to a different night and races in a mile race. The powers to be at the ojc just show one more time that they simply do not get it.

After reading these comments, it's obvious the trainers and owners on the WEG circuit have a lot more issues regarding the driving, judging, and classification of races, than they do about shortening the race course distance.

The WEG horsemen are truly frustrated. It must be a rather negative atmosphere to exist in? I actually feel sorry for some of you. You're really more to be pitied than laughed at.

I can't say as I've ever read such negativity from a group of people that all pay dues to the same association, for representation, to settle these obvious grievances they have.

You're racing at the most Prolific and recognizable Standardbred track in Canada or world wide for that matter, which is also the greatest financial provider for the entire standardbred horse racing industry in Canada.

Does this mean nothing to you at all? My goodness.

Most of you need some form of help or medication like Valium or something.

Woodbine is only going to remove an 1/8th of a mile from the overnights for one short month. That's it.

Let's wait and see what the results are before we tar and feather Wilmont, Murray and Martin shall we.

If you need more flow to the race then bring up the Meadowlands drivers. At Woodbine most races are completely boring in the middle half,then the track announcer gets all exited about the time of the last 1/4 mile.

It should be fast when they don't race between the first turn and the head of the stretch. We the racing public get bored watching a horse like Secrets Nephew make 1 million dollars in his career and probably races 1/16th of a mile every week.

People stop complaining. They are trying something different for one night of the week for one month. This isn't like they are changing all their races. People say the racing is boring, so WEG decides to try something different, then people without seeing how these races go say it is a bad idea.

I say we give WEG credit for trying something different. Lots of you say it is a bad idea yet I know you will tune in to watch the races. The race is 1/8th of a mile shorter ok, that is like 13 or 14 seconds, I mean this is going to add some action to these boring races and the drivers are going to actually need a strategy.

Finally, for the bettors out there, lots of you believe you're experts, well if you are experts, I'm sure after watching a few of these 7/8ths races or even a card if you need to, you will be able to come up with a strategy and be able to pick these races, once again a 1/8th of mile is all it is. This isn't like we adding a quarter or taking away a quarter.

Thank you WEG for trying something new and if you all hate it go watch some other tracks where the purses are way too high and half the horses should be racing at WEG.

Too many friends driving, too many holes given to outside horses, and their motto seems to be no one pulls, no one gets hurt. Presently the most boring racing in North America. Nothing wrong with 1 mile racing or the track.

The drivers need a little more aggression and less colaboration between friends.The only drivers who ever get parked are the small time guys from B tracks.

As someone who is no stranger to betting upwards of $1000 a night, all this change will do for me is keep my money in my pocket and home watching Monday Night Football. And i'm sure i won't be the only one doing this.

I BLAME the judges and management. They are supposed to protect the betters and be in charge! It's like somebody said there to buddy buddy except if you come in from another track then they get parked.

I've been going to the races for 40 years and love the sport but Woodbine Entertainment should make the drivers watch Meadowlands because they put on show.

As for changing distance i think that's crazy!!Start giving fines and suspending drivers for lack of trying and hit them hard!!I myself won't bet anything but a one mile race!

make mohawk a mile track, and let the standardbreds race on the mile track at woodbine

Its the drivers not the distance!!
It seems to me that when a Woodbine race contains 3+ Meadowland drivers there is flow to the races. The friendly holes don't just 'open up'??

These races are gonna be a joke so now all the horses that come a good last quarter better be out and going early or they will end up with jack in purse money.Races always been a mile leave them alone not one of your better ideas so leave it be.

I also feel like this change won't do much for the flow of racing, it will keep guys hung out a little longer and you might get a few more lead changes, but a shorter race only makes it that much tougher for horses to come from 8th, 9th and 10th.

I am in HUGE favour of putting in a passing lane to open things up down the stretch. Does anybody watch races from Dover and Chester. I've seen horses hemmed in third or fourth along the rail turning for home, and win the race. It provides for VERY exciting finishes, and gives others a chance even when the favourite gets to the front, shuts down the pace, and tries to sprint away. The biggest problem, other than the fact that the drivers give too many holes and don't challenge the lead in the middle half, is that horses having to swing wide at the top of the stretch lose SO much ground. It's like a slingshot for the horses sitting on the lead, only giving them more of an advantage. Put in a passing lane that is big enough for 2 horses. This would keep guys from having to pop out from third and fourth at the top of the lane and pushing the rest of the backfield 5 and 6 high. They need to make our racing more like the thoroughbreds, where everybody has a chance to win turning for home no matter where they are sitting. I truly believe we turn a lot of thoroughbred bettors away because they are sick of betting races where their horse gets no chance down the lane, also adding to the image that a horse in this case was "stiffed" because the driver never pulled him off the rail and tried him.

Lets change things up a little, but lets not break from the tradition of the mile race. I don't mind watching the odd shorter or longer distance race, but for the most part they tend to do nothing for the sport. Put in a passing lane!! The same can be said for 5/8ths racing at Georgian and Kawartha too. Why is it that only half mile tracks around here have passing lanes. There are more horses getting buried every night at Georgian and Woodbine then there are at Flamboro and Grand River IMO.

I for another do not like it. I watch from Western Canada on Monday nights and will probably not watch it anymore if they continue with this charade. There have been some brilliant suggestions above that they could look at before they go to this. It's just too bad!

Let's face it, racing at Woodbine can be a bit mundane and actually I'm in favour of the change. But I think they should use claimer's, horses who have been through the racing mill, not maidens and only pick certain races on the card, not dedicate an entire card of overnights to the initiative.

What I'd really like to see take place is, distance races at Woodbine. If WEG really wants to create flow in a race here's an idea.

Lets write a race where the distance is, 2 and 7/8th's miles. Lets send the horses past the grandstand four times in a single race.

Let's use $5000. claiming pacers, colts and geldings and $5000. claiming trotters, colts and geldings.

Let's put a purse of 18,000 bucks on the line, but lets change the way the purse is paid out to the winners and lets also change the way the public can bet the race.

For instance, we'll pay out a 1/3rd of the purse to the horse that is leading at the 2 mile mark of the race and we'll allow the public to bet, win, place and show exactor and triactor wagering at this junction of the race as well. Then 7/8th's of a mile later we'll allow the same wagering to take place again at the end of the race and pay out the remaining $12,000. to the participants of the race in the normal fashion.

By using lesser graded horses that usually race for substantially lower purse structure the horseman will give it their all because now the incentive to make money is two fold. The gambler will now have the opportunity to wager twice in a race, once at the 2 mile mark once at the finish. This should stimulate wagering.

Now here's the real zinger or change. Lets run the race with twenty horses in the field. Double rowed behind the starting gate. Think of it 20 horses in a race where the public get a double pay -off and the horsemen have a chance to win, twice in a race.

I like it. I think it's like eating ice cream for breakfast. Come on Woodbine where's your hootspa??

I dont think this will make racing any more exciting. If they are trying to speed up races why not race over a half mile (only kidding)! Instead of shortening races why not make some of the races longer, a mile and a quarter, mile and a half, mile and three quarters. This doesn't quicken up the horses but it allows for many tactical battles between the drivers and also caters for the many horses who are more comfortable racing longer didtances. This works well in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but was this exact same thing not tried at Woodbine a few years ago? If it didn't shake the world then, why would it now? After a few weeks drivers didn't blast off the gate as much and still found comfortable spots on the rail headed to and on the first turn. Seems like a calculated move by the folks at WEG. In essence they are acknowledging that there are flow issues and saying that they want things changed. The issues here are pace issues and hole issues, something that WEG does not have control over (the ORC and drivers ultimately have the call on those things, yes?). See this move for what it is. WEG wants change, bettors want change and the sport wants change. Is anyone listening? Admittedly there is nothing better than seeing a new world record for a 10-year-old roan gelding racing 7/8ths of a mile over a 7/8ths mile track.

Let's move all the races to Mohawk..keep the distance one mile or longer and save a bundle on two track maintenace only if the drivers,trainer and owners can agree to this. also hold a b-track night at the track once a week and some real action !!!

This is ridiculous! The divers asked are in favour, who controls the race? Obviously it’s the drivers. Why don’t you ask the owners? I’m sure they won’t be happen with this change. I know I wouldn’t like my horse starting from the outside. I might as well send my horses to the B tracks and gamble on post position? Leave the race at a mile!

The 7/8 mile race I do not believe will get more flow into the races
the speed will still hold up and the front end will still win.
Please look at the best racing as in North America - The Meadowlands.

They have lead changes up to 4 times per race.
Look at the drivers, Sears,Brennan, Gingras,Campbell, Miller.
just to name a few. Zeron he is very agressive but only at the beginning
of the races, usually same as Mark Macdonald, Luc Ouelette same thing.
It is almost like these guys don't want to go first over because they
are afraid to lose.

The Meadowland drivers don't have that mentality,
if they go first over they figure they will get the jump on their other
drivers and don't want to get boxed because they know generally they will
lose.

Luc and Jackie Mo should definetely know better as they were
both the top drivers at the Meadowlands. I agree with the previous comments that have been posted the 7/8 racing will probably do nothing the make things more
exciting, get the drivers to change or bring in some professional drivers
that could change the mindset of these guys or reconfigure the track
to accomodate proper racing flow.

I agree also with possibly moving everything to Mohawk as "The Standardbred" track and make it a mile track and a premier destination for racing.

This spells the beginning of the end of the sport in North America. This is a break with tradition that disturbs me. The sport needs promotion but with superstars like Somebeachsomewhere retiring at age 3 it is obvious to me that the owners themselves are destroying their own sport. Stop praising and rewarding those who destroy the sport. Somebeachsomewhere could have been the next Dan Patch but he will soon become a faded memory not known to the general public. Maybe the next superstar should be bought by WEG and then sold off in lots of $100 to the general public. Think of the fan interest that would be generated when a superstar races until age 6 or beyond.

NO 7/8 races please. I will bet on other tracks and you will loose my food and beverage expendatures. Please please enforce a slow quarter penalty or failed to race . i.e not pulling or leaving . Standardbred racing is at a mile. Whats next...race on 1 wheel..or maybe on saddle pacers like france. The biggest problem is the close knit follow the leader mentality going on at weg. Its tough to find out whose turn it is to win.

Hey guys leave the 1 mile alone. Lets start inforcing the slow quarter rule and fine these guys for putting the breaks on and not allowing the backfield a chance. Pull the right line and give your horse a shot, if you can't keep up then enter your horse at the b tracks.

gentlemen its about time you get caught up,woodbine and mohawk has the most boring racing one can find,no wonder the meadowland drivers find our racing easy pickins,just follow the leader and play the buddy game,thats why our drivers suck they would starve if they had to race at the meadowlands ,keep racing at a mile change the track configuration racing was never meant to be a parade like we see night after night (boring) get with it.

... and I just sold a trotter that was a champion - for 3/4's of a mile!!!

I don't think Standardbreds should be racing at Woodbine at all. A track needs constant, daily horse traffic in order to knit and evolve into a superior surface. Woodbine is a 'B-track' with an 'A-grandstand', and 'A-horses' racing far away from live patrons.

Why not build a MILE oval at Mohawk, where the horses train/qualify in the morning - and race at night? If you want the horses to go once around ... if that's better for the horses and the bettors - then make a once-around racetrack!

One TOP mile oval at Mohawk, where fans can reach out and touch the horses (almost)is the best alternative, from my vantage point.

The biggest problem that exists at woodbine is the final turn. That turn has to be changed to be comparable to the mohawk last turn. It is absolutely terrible now. It has to be changed when racing moves back to mohawk. WEG has to do whatever is necessary to fix this turn. The outside flow gets absolutely crippled when they come into that last turn. It really just wrecks races. The only horses that seem to have any chance are the ones that save all the ground on the last turn. I wouldn't pull a horse first up in woodbine to save my life. I aslo agree with the gentleman earlier that mentioned moving the start and finish poles. Make it more comparable to mohawk or the meadowlands where the horses have very little time before they are into the first turn. I'm not sure if this is possible, but if it is it would be a help in fixing the problem that exists now at woodbine. You can move this or move that but if you do not fix that half mile track turn on the last turn it does not matter what distances you run your races at, they will still favour the front enders cause of that last turn!!!! Thank you and i hope WEG listens and fixes that last turn for the next meet.

Why not simply move the start and finish lines so that there is a shorter distance to the first turn? Mohawk is also a 7/8 track, and that is the main dofference between the tracks. Horseman seem to favour the Mohawk track to Woodbine.

Also, moving the start line may prevent so many horses (especially young trotters) from going off stride before the race begins...they are forced to stay too close to the starting gate while going through that turn. It becomes a crap shoot when you know there are likely to be be horses going off stride before the beginning.

Personally, I favour keeping the races at one mile in length, keeps the time comparisons better when trying to handicap.

Fine drivers for opening holes up for there buddies in the first turn and that would create a race instead of a buddy parade!Just watch when a driver from outside the click drives their.

Let me first preface what i am about to say by saying this, "Weg has unoquivicolly done an absolutely amazing job with all facets of the industry that they've dabbled in!"

What they are trying to do is a start, however doing it at 7/8s of a mile may not accomplish it's purpose! What they are trying to accomplish is this, produce a product that is entertaining, and exciting to it's customer! In order to do this, races have to have more flow, and movement to create tighter and more competetive finishes!

Having said that, for 10 years, i personally have been trying to get anyone that would listen to move the poles so that the quarter pole would be further into the turn, thus creating more movement and flow!

Woodbine is the most speed biased big racetrack in North America! As it stands now, because of the quarter being an almost straight away, we see quarters in 25.2,25.3,25.4,26,26.1,26.2, almost every single race. Most horses have a difficult time keeping up in these fractions, and therefor need to settle before they can begin there assault on the leaders. At this point, the leaders have had there breather, and press on the accelerator, and wave goodby to the rest of the field!

Hoosier Park has the exact same 7/8s configuration as Woodbine, however there poles are situated differently, and, you need to be NIATROSS to take on the field there! The quarter pole is further into the turn, which means horses are still on the move creating more movement and flow!
To Weg management, let's have the BEST racing in North America instead of the Worst! I've been all over, and the comments are the same, "WOODBINE RACING STINKS!"

Spend the money,and move the start and finish poles down, the judges stand down, and whatever else it takes!

Let's have the BEST RACING in NORTH AMERICA!!!

Please take a look at entry conditions,too.Most races have 4 or 5 high double figure odds horses that finish the same way they are bet. Handicappers have to guess when these week after week 20-to-oners are going to go...Put them all in the same race!

The suggestion is admirable and should create new interest. I recall a similar experiment at Windsor that saw horses compete in half mile and 5/8 mile sprints. For the fan it was exciting as every horse showed competive action in the sprints. In the mile which I think is better for handicapping not all horses are competitve and the weaker ones receive higher odds. In the sprint they are all ago and the results unpredictable,fan based interest improved like all experiments it fell by the wayside.

I dont know if this will help the declining bet but it should make for better racing...no more sprinting of the gate and sprinting home. After watching the Meadowlands this past weekend it makes you realize how bad the racing is compared to there....this should make it more like mile track racing. Lets wait and see and hope it helps

Gentlemen,
Instead of changing the distance raced it would be more advantageous to look at refurbishing the track.I believe the Coons family accomplished this at the BIG M .
Remember gentleman this is standardbred racing and the standard is one mile.Please do not alter the sport; improve the track and remove the chemists with EPO etc.
In doing so you will restore the integrity of the sport for time is irrelevant to the bettor who only wants to see competitive fields that challenge his intellect and handicapping skills.
thank you.

As a bettor I can only say that I am cautiously in favour of this. Woodbine has finally caught on to what many bettors have been saying for a very long time. There is no flow to the races at Woodbine. Every race seems to be a follow the leader parade, unlike at the Meadowlands where the lead changes several times during a race.

I for one have been saying for a long time that this was in large part due to the track itself. Seven eigths tracks in this writers humble opinion are the worst thing to happen to harness racing. This is because the run to the first turn is so long that by the time the horses actually get there they are nicely settled into a single line where they then play follow the leader until the final turn into the home stretch.

This it not only extremely boring but provides no incentive for me as a bettor to want to bet Woodbine races. Why would I when I basically have no chance if I am sitting at the back half of a single file line when nobody is moving.There is no flow to the race, my horse gets no cover and this simply results in many more losing tickets then winning ones. I have always maintained that the only way harness racing, or any racing for that matter to survive is for it to maintain not only it's fan base but more importantly it's bettor's base.

I typically come to Woodbine with a couple of thousand dollars when I come. I have no interest in betting the B tracks because the odds simply fluctuate far too much for me to want to bet those tracks. A 4-1 shot that I bet when the horses are lining up behind the gate often ends up going off at 8-5. This is not worth me taking a chance on. Those tracks are simply for $2 bettors. Having said that it is obvious to see that there is far more movement and flow to a race on the 5/8 or 1/2 mile tracks because the drivers need to move much earlier if they want to get their horses in contention.

Were it not for the odds fluctating so much I would rather bet those tracks. This is why I bet the Meadowlamds races far more then any other track. Because the track is designed so that immediately after the gate swings open the horses are already into the first turn. This means a driver has to be on the move much earlier in order to be in contention which results in more flow, horses geting more live cover, and less single file parades. As a bettor, if i'm betting $50-$100 a race, this is what I want to see. I want to know that I actually have a shot at getting a trip. I find that the meadlowands races also usually involve much more tighter finishes then anything we ever see at Woodbine.

The only thing that bothers me about the 7/8 distance races is that the races themselves will actually be shorter which I am not fond of.I am a traditionalist and I like the one mile races. Woodbine has correctly identified a problem but I believe the solution would've been to either change the track to a 5/8 or a 1 mile track. Those two distances are the correct distnces in my opinion for harness tracks. I thought Greenwood was the perfect track and would never have changed from there personally. Seven eights mile tracks are not good for harness racing. Just look at Balmoral. BORING, just like Woodbine.

While I can understand that it would cost money to change the size of the track to a one mile or 5/8 mile track I beleive this would be an investment well worth making as it would result in far more exciting races and increased betting handles. Good for the fans and the bettors which in turn would be good for the long term outlook of harness racing in Ontario which anyone can see is a sport on the verge of extinction.

do not like , one mile better for calualating quarter times for handicapping.Would rather you change shape of track.Or try some half mile dashes.

Finally yo see the light! Races at Woodbine are "BORING" no movement . Sprint to the quarter, back off the 2-3 quarters, sprint the last quarter.
Take a lesson from Meadowlands, plenty of movement and lead changes1
it' about time.

Does anyone in management watch the races? If your not in the top 4 at the half you have no chance.The girst quarter in 26, the middle half in a minute and then sprint home. Start inforcing the rules insted of using gimmicks.

half mile track gives the best show