Distance of the Preakness?

[Holland Hacker]

I was looking at the Derby Preps on The Bloodhorse's Triple Crown Mania website http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/derby_preps.asp and noticed that the distance of the Preakness is wrong for the third year in a row. Last year I sent an e-mail to Steve Haskins and he corrected the distance. I just don't want to pester Mr. Haskins with this again, so I figured I would post it here.

Below is a excerpt from the list of races:

Withers Stakes (gr. III) 4-28 Aqu $150g 8
Derby Trial 4-28 CD $100a 7.5
Kentucky Derby Presented
by Yum! Brands (gr. I) 5-5 CD $2,000g 10
Lone Star Derby (gr. III) 5-12 LS $300g 8.5
Preakness Stakes (gr. I) 5-19 Pim $1,000g 9.75
Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) 5-20 Bel $200g 9
Belmont Stakes (gr. I) 6-9 Bel $1,000g 12

As you can see they have the race listed as being at 9.75 furlongs and unless this is some form of "new math" that makes the distance of the race 1 mile and 7/32s instead of the traditional 1 mile and 3/16ths. And I thought the BC Dirt mile being run at 1 mile and 70 years was wierd.

Me thinks someone wasn't really paying attention in math class.

8 furlongs = 1 mile

1 furlong = 1/8 = 2/16 = 4/32

1/2 furlong = 1/16 = 2/32

1/4 furlong = 1/32

Therefore:

9.5 furlongs = 1 mile and 3/16

9.75 furlongs = 1 mile and 7/32

Am I being a bit too anal here to let this bother me?