Canterbury Plans 'Extreme' Race Day July 22

(from Canterubry release)
Canterbury Park will feature several "extreme" races during its program July 22, including “The Battle of the Surfaces,” a pari-mutuel race that will feature as many as 20 horses competing against each other on the turf and the dirt simultaneously.

The two starting gates for the 1 1/16-mile event, staggered so that the race distance is the same for both the grass and the dirt, will open in unison with the horses racing around the main track and the turf course and finishing at the same finish line 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 on. It is possible to have an exacta payoff comprised of a horse racing on the turf and a horse racing on the dirt.

The brainchild of Eric Halstrom, Canterbury’s vice president of racing, “The Battle of the Surfaces” will be the first race of its kind. “Everything is in place to make this work,” said Halstrom. “We have sufficient manpower in the starting gate and photo-finish 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,” he said.

Other races to be included in the Extreme Day program include:

So You're Saying There's A Chance Challenge: Six furlongs for horses that have not finished in the top three during the meet.
Hundred In A Heartbeat: 100-Yard Dash for Quarter Horses. Shortest Race Ever at Canterbury.
Are We There Yet? Battle of Endurance: 2 1/16 miles. Longest Race Ever at Canterbury.
The Ultimate Cutback: 4 1/2 furlongs, for horses that have raced twice at one mile or over at the meet.
Blazing Saddles: A 3 1/2-furlong (770 yards) race for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.
Battle of the Sexes: Five furlongs on the turf for 2-year-old maidens. Five fillies and five colts.
The Dirty Dozen: For horses that have never won a race on the turf. One mile on the turf.

Non-parimutuel ostrich and camel racing will also be a part of the program.