They Need To THINK BIG In Vermont!

[Thomas Roulston]

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/local/...ncert-is-spark

I've been to the long-defunct Green Mountain Racetrack in Vermont - in 1976, the year of its last thoroughbred meet.

And I say if it can be revived, it should be revived on a grand scale. This is what I have in mind:

A super-sized new track, 1 3/8 miles in circumference (the original was 6 1/2 furlongs), making it the second-largest dirt track in North America, trailing only Belmont Park (1 1/2 miles) and ahead of Colonial Downs (1 1/4 miles), with a unique, "double far turn" turf course (as Hawthorne Race Course very briefly had in the late '80s), measuring 1 1/8 miles using the long far turn (1,320 feet from the finish line, as the dirt track will be, as at Hawthorne) and 1 mile using the short far turn (length of stretch: 990 feet, making the latter identical to Ellis Park's turf course). Distance from the finish line to the clubhouse turn: 560 feet on the main track, 330 feet on the turf - allowing for a Belmont-like chute for 7 and 7 1/2 furlongs (much as 1 mile and 1 1/16 miles are run on the latter's Widener Turf Course). The main track is also to be equipped with a 3-furlong "Nursery Course," a Keeneland-esque 5-furlong diagonal chute, and a (formerly) Laurel-inspired diagonal chute (out of which Spectacular Bid won the 1978 Laurel Futurity) going out to 1 1/4 miles (with a conventional 1 1/16-mile backstretch chute). The turns on the main track would be 1,750 feet - 8 feet longer than that of the new Gulfstream, and second only to Belmont's 2,020-foot turns - with widths of 120 feet (same as the Derby Start at Churchill Downs) on the main track, and approximately 115.57 feet on the turf course, providing for 16-horse fields at most distances, and up to 20-horse fields at some distances! (Woodbine has toyed with the idea of 20-horse fields at various times on its E.P. Taylor Turf Course, but has not run any as yet).

But wait, it only gets even more grand: Install a retractable roof over the track, so that there will never be a race taken off the turf, and turf racing can be conducted year-round.

Why should American horsemen have to go to Dubai to enjoy Dubai-worthy splendor?

[andtheyreoff]

There's a better chance of a track using unicorns instead of thoroughbreds than of a track that big ever using a retractable roof. Do you have any idea how big that roof would have to be?

[elhelmete]

You think riders get confused at Los Al? This sounds like a bowl of spaghetti.

Someone on this board sketched out a similar mega-track one time and posted it here.

It was a massively confusing set of marker poles, starting lines, odd chutes, etc.

[QuarterCrack]

I remember that other one that was posted; I sketched this one out quickly based on the description in the original post... Layoutwise, it's not as complex as it first sounds. I attached the picture below.

[johnhannibalsmith]

The article makes it seem pretty likely that the only possible thing racing there at any point will be snowmobiles.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by johnhannibalsmith

The article makes it seem pretty likely that the only possible thing racing there at any point will be snowmobiles.

What's the takeout on that?

[OTM Al]

They manage at Longchamp just fine

http://www.lescourseshippiques.com/c...hippodrome.jpg

[thespaah]

The problem is the location. Pownall. VT is the middle of nowhere.

[Zaf]

Originally Posted by thespaah

The problem is the location. Pownall. VT is the middle of nowhere.

YEP

[Zaf]

Been there once for dog racing. Nice experience. Vermont is such a beautiful state, so much to offer for tourists. Was there a few months ago, Flynn Theater in Burlington for a concert

[Thomas Roulston]

It was me who posted something very similar a while back - but now I would modify it to eliminate the separate Main Turf Course and Inner Turf Course, which would instead use the same track except at the far turn, as existed at Hawthorne very briefly in 1987-88.

And a beaucoup of thanks to Quarter Crack for posting it. You beat me to the punch - I was working on drawing up a diagram of my own and then posting it here.

Actually there would be a chute at the end of the backstretch on the turf course, fashioned by extending the outside fence - and also a 2 1/2 furlong diagonal chute on the turf course, having a 30-degree angle (the backstretch turf-course chute featuring a 22.5-degree angle), similar to the one Colonial Downs has. This would also - and perhaps more commonly - be used for 1 7/16 miles on turf; and yes, there would be one-turn, 1m70y races on the dirt, as there would be a full 50-foot run-up, while at 1 1/16 miles the run-up would be similar to that of the one-turn 1m races at Gulfstream.

[castaway01]

Well, everyone needs a hobby...

[LottaKash]

To QuarterCrack..
Please learn how to resize your photo's..

[burnsy]

Full Tilt Boogie baby! 8/22...ZZ Top and Friends!

http://www.masslive.com/entertainmen...ll_tilt_b.html

[Redbullsnation]

Boy oh boy. Looks like a wild fantasy. A track like that in Vermont?? HAHAHAHAHA