Del Mar Racetrack

"Where the Turf meets the Surf".. indeed, the beach is just some metres away from this North American oval dirt track (now synthetic) with an inner turf track.


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The data
Dirt Track: 1 mile
Backstetch chute: 7f
Stretch chute: 2f (good for 1 1/4 mile races)
This, as in most north american tracks, means that 7 1/2 dirt races are not run.

Turf track: Overall length 1450m
Length from the wire to the start of the inner chute: 385m (it is used only for 1 1/8 furlong races).

The set-up of the tracks implies that only some distances can be run.

In the turf track, only 5f (from the top of the backstretch), 7 1/2f, 8f, 8 1/2f (from the stretch), 9f (from the inner chute) and 11f (from the backstretch going around twice) are run.

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.

Hipodromo Dos Hermanas

This is located in Sevilla, in south Spain, and it is home to that country´s winter racing meetings. It has a main turf track measuring exactly 2000 metres, with a 1000m chute off the top of the straight, a 1600m opposite straight chute and a 90º chute for 1800m races in the clubhouse turn. It also has two inner dirt tracks (one measuring 1880m and the other 1600m) and an inner turf course. Notice how elongated the turns are!


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Ippodromo Capannelle

This is Rome´s main racetrack. Located south-east from Rome, it has a 2650m main turf track, with a 1200 straight course. The track has two different turns, the shortest one takes 500m from the overall length. It also has an opposite straight chute for 2300 m (1800 m. using the shortest turn). It also has a chute that opens up from the main track in the opposite straight (so horses have to turn left and then right) for 2400m races (using the longest turn). There is an inner All-Weather track and inside that one a steeplechase track (with an 8 configuration). Pretty interesting overall!

EDIT: Also, look to the south-east, that´s a BIG training track!


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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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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 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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