Canterbury/ SPAM
 

How cool is this -

Canterbury officials card 'Battle of the Surfaces' on Extreme Race Day

Canterbury Park will feature an Extreme Race Day of live racing on July 22, with the highlight being the "Battle of the Surfaces." The 1 1/16-mile event will pit as many as 20 horses against each other on the dirt and turf simultaneously.

The two starting gates will be staggered for the race so the distance is the same for both the grass and dirt, and will open in unison with the horses racing around the main track and turf course and finishing at the same wire in front of the grandstand. Each horse will be an individual betting interest with win, place, show, exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagering offered. The order of finish will be determined by best finish position regardless of the surface the horse is racing upon.

"Everything is in place to make this work," said Eric Halstrom, Canterbury's vice president of racing who came up with the idea. "We have sufficient manpower in the starting gate and photofinish equipment capable of accurately determining the finish order. The 'Battle of the Surfaces' will make for an exciting race and a unique wagering opportunity that fits perfectly into our Extreme Race Day theme."

Other Extreme races scheduled for the day include "So You're Saying There's a Chance Challenge," for horses who have not finished in the top three during the meet; "Are We There Yet? Battle of Endurance," going 2 1/16 miles; "Blazing Saddles," sending Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses 770 yards; and "Battle of the Sexes," pitting five juvenile fillies and five juvenile colts against each other.

Non-parimutuel ostrich and camel racing will also be part of the Extreme Race Day program, which is sponsored by SPAM. The first 5,000 patrons will receive a complimentary SPAM t-shirt.

lol I knew about the ostrich racing, but not the others you speak of for that day... it's not April 1st so I'll actually believe you. Sounds kinda stupid, and it doesn't take those stunts to get people to come out to the track... But at the same time I'm intruiged to see it just once lol

Pete, its worth it for the SPAM T-shirt.

I like the race for horses that haven't finished in the money during the meet.

Because this sounds NOTHING like what Calder has done in the past. I guess if the winner is chosen regardles of the surface, then it is a little different, but still quite alot like what Calder has done.

But, I am reading this story off the internet, which Al Gore invented...