3/8ths of a Mile Greyhound Races

3/8ths of a mile greyhound races have long been a favorite of the pari-mutuel bettor and fans of the Sport of Queens. The 3/8ths of a mile distance is long enough to be a good gauge of a greyhound's stamina but not so long that some strong sprinters can't make a go of it. The American record for the 1,980 foot 3/8ths of a mile was set by a greyhound named Okie Lynda in 2004, when she ran the course in 36.28 seconds. Virtually every track runs at least one 3/8ths race each performance, with some having a much larger number of these events on their schedules.

Just because a greyhound can show a late closing kick on the shorter 5/16ths of a mile does not automatically mean that this quality will translate into the 3/8ths of a mile contest. The starting box is located about halfway down the backstretch of the oval, midway on the upper side if you were looking at it from the track's grandstands, so the dogs will be breaking out of it and running immediately into a turn. This bend is the far turn for the sprinters but it is the all important first turn for the routers running a 3/8ths. More 3/8ths races are won and lost in this first sixteenth of a mile than anywhere else on the racing surface due to the fact that there is much bumping and crowding happening here as the dogs try to negotiate the turn.

This makes the dog's breaking ability important, especially if it relies on its early foot to carry them to the front ahead of possible trouble. A dog that is leading entering the first turn in a 3/8ths of a mile greyhound race has a huge advantage over the pack, as some of them are jostled back, and out of contention, unless they possess a great deal of late running ability. More often than not the dog that is chasing the leader as they now head down the front stretch is also one that shows early speed; these dogs, unless they catch the one in front right away, are usually unable to muster the necessary strength to win the race.