[philcski]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

Oddly enough, Hialeah, the empress of the Florida tracks, was a 9f circuit. It had a program of 3yo races to prepare them to go long, based on the assumption that the colts would have had a break of a couple months or more. For example, the schedule in 1970 was; 21 Jan Hibiscus S at 6f - 4 Feb Bahamas S at 7f - 18 Feb Everglades S at 9f - 3 March Flamingo S at 9f. Of course, it was assumed that these 3yos would go on to run in further 2-turn races before the Derby. For example, Arts and Letters, the champion 3yo of 1979, won the Evergaldes and Blue Grass, was second in the Flamingo, Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby. Went on to run close seconds in the Derby and Preakness, then win the Met Mile, Belmont, Travers, Woodward and JCGold Cup.

They also ran a mile and a sixteenth there quite frequently...
I remember because i'd asked my grandmother at a young age (who lived in hialeah back in the early '80's) "why do they start on the turn? isn't that not fair?"