Most harness races at Colonial Downs over the last 13 years have been contested at the one-mile distance, but the track has been experimenting with some shorter, sprint-type races this fall, with interesting results

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This weekend, the track will fully embrace these three-quarter-mile races by carding six of them Saturday, October 16 and another six on Sunday, October 17. Of the 22 races slated for this weekend, 12 will be at the abbreviated distance. So far this season, a total of 15 sprint races have been held and the average win payout has been an impressive $20.64. Thirteen different drivers have won a race at the three-quarters-of-a-mile distance.

As part of Sunday’s card, Colonial Downs will also host a one-and-a-quarter-mile race along with its biggest race of the season, the $40,000 Patriot Invitational Pace. A total of nine pacers have been entered. Colonial has held a Patriot Invitational Trot the last four years, but the track's director of racing, Craig Andow, switched the format to pacers this year in hopes of attracting a larger field.

Headlining the field is Vlos, whose 1:48.2 October 8 win time equalled Pocono Downs' all-age track mark. The six-year-old Dragon Again horse has nine wins from 24 starts this year. Tom Jackson will steer Vlos from Post 9 on Sunday.

Both Schoolkids and Real Celebration sport 1:49.3 win times this season over Chester Downs, while Barber Pole’s best 2010 clocking is one tick more, 1:49.4, also recorded over Chester.

Roy Orbisong, Robinmeblind, ML Jackhammer, Tattlers Jet and Honey Is That You will round out the Patriot field.

First-race post time on Saturday is 5:00 p.m. Sunday’s first post is 1:00 p.m.

(With files from Colonial)