Wrong-Way Goes Okay
Neat — Woodbine tested a clockwise turf race on Monday:
“There were no major problems, and that was one of the key things,†[jockey Emma-Jayne] Wilson said. “That’s the biggest thing. We wanted to make sure that everything would go smoothly. This was as close to a race scenario as possible and everyone handled it well. There is still a learning curve to it. The horses that have never done it will take a second to say, ‘Ok, now I get it, I’ve got to take a right turn.’â€
Woodbine management will run as many as 40 clockwise turf races during the 2016 meet. The intent is to spice up the racing programs and to use a part of the turf course (the clubhouse turn) that is rarely run over since most normal races over Woodbine’s expansive grass course are run around one turn. The first clockwise pari-mutuel race is scheduled for June 10.
Sounds as though the “wrong-way” races could be dramatic:
“It’s a very short homestretch,†Ramsammy said. “You are looking for a horse that has a good spurt early, definitely a speed horse.â€
