Club Hípico de Santiago

This is the main track in Chile´s capital city, Santiago. It is a big turf track with 2 turf tracks and 2 inner dirt tracks as well. The wire is at the upper right corner of the picture.


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Here is the data (chutes ennumerated counter-clockwise):

Main Turf Track
Length: around 2430m
First chute: 1200m
Second chute: 1300m
Backstretch chute: 2200m
90º backstretch chute: 2400m

Inner Turf Track
Length: around 1960m
First chute: 1200m
Second Chute: 1000m (YES! That is correct, the second chute is shorter thatn the first one, I do not know if they even use it, I´ll try to find a video).

Dirt Track
Length: around 1830m
From the top of the backstretch: 1560m

And then the inner track, in which I didn´t see a finish line even though it does have a backstretch chute... maybe some Chilean friend can shed some light on this.

Hipódromo do Cristal

It seems that in Brazil every time they look for a place to build a racetrack they look for a spot near a river (just kidding!).

This is Porto Alegre´s racetrack, inaugurated in 1959 it has a 1928m dirt oval with a 700m straight, a 1600m chute off the backstretch and a 1900m chute off the clubhouse turn. It also has an inner turf oval with two far turns, with the larger oval measuring 1780m.


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Hipodromo Los Comuneros

This is the local racetrack in Medellin, Colombia. It is a regular dirt oval with one chute in each turn, the one in the far turn for 1800m races and the one in the clubhouse turn for 1100m races. The total length of the oval is of 1280m, and curiously it doesn´t have an inner track.


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Cidade Jardim

This is the racetrack of the São Paulo Jockey Club. It´s main turf oval has a circumference of over 2100m, with a 1000m straight course and a 2000m backstretch chute. The inner dirt track has a circumference of just under 2000m, and it also has a shorter far turn. There is also an irregular oval inside dirt track which is used only for training.


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Also, here you can see a beautiful night shot of the racetrack.

Hipodromo de Las Piedras

This is my other hometown racetrack. Located in the border between Montevideo department and Canelones department (you can clearly see the river that marks the border passing through the track!) this is a triangular dirt track with a 700m chute (it almost is a straight course), a 1300m chute and a 1500m chute. The total circumference of the track is just a tick above 1500m. The stretch is in the upper part of the picture. It is a small racetrack, but it was the center of Uruguay´s racing world while the main racetrack (Maroñas) was closed between 1997 and 2003.


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Hipodromo de San Isidro

One of the finest racetracks in the world. This is in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. It has a main turf track and an inner dirt track with two far turns. The "smaller" dirt track measures 2240m around and the big one 2600m. The main turf track measures a whooping 2780m around. It has a straight course of 1000m, a 1400m chute and a 2400m chute on the backstretch. If you look to the west there is a training track almost as big as the racetrack itself.


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Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo

This is one of the two main tracks in Argentina. Located near the city centre in Buenos Aires, the nation´s capital, this is a dirt triangular track with a circumference of little less than 2400m, or 12 furlongs. It features a 1000m straight, and also 1800m and 2200m small chutes. The 2000m races start in the little straight to the right of the picture. A railroad track runs alongside the backstretch.


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This is a 2500m race run there, the Gran Premio Nacional G.I won by brazilian Eu Tamben.

If you look to the north, you´ll see there is an airport less than a kilometre away from the backstretch.

Hipodromo Independencia

This is a dirt oval located in Rosario, Argentina. It has an oval of around 1785m, with chutes for 1000m, 1600m, 1700m, and one that looks like it measures 2350m, so I guess they use it for 2300m races. It is interesting to see how the racetrack is the only park in the middle of a big city.


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Hipodromo Nacional de Maroñas

This is my hometown main racetrack. It is a large (2065 metres) oval, with four chutes, the one in the stretch is for 750m (3 3/4 furlong) races and for the big 2800m (14 furlong) Gran Premio de Honor G.II Stakes, which is run in the spring. Also there is a 1300m (6 1/2 furlong) chute along the far turn, a 1800m (9 furlong) chute along the backstretch and a 2000m (10 furlong) chute on the clubhouse turn. There is an inside dirt training track, and you can see the remains of the third track that was wiped out during the remodelation work that took place 6 years ago.

This track was closed from 1997 until 2003, when it was reopened. It is the main racing venue in Uruguay, and one of the most important in South America. Races are run every saturday and sunday throughout the year.

UPDATE: Maroñas added an inner Turf oval, measuring a little less than 2000m, with a 1600m inner chute on the backstretch.


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