Derby Lane Greyhound Track
| Location | St. Petersburg, Florida |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 27°52′00″N 82°37′36″W / 27.8667°N 82.6267°WCoordinates: 27°52′00″N 82°37′36″W / 27.8667°N 82.6267°W |
| Owned by | Weaver family |
| Date opened | January 3, 1925 |
| Race type | Greyhound |
| Official website | |
Derby Lane Greyhound Track is a racino located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. Originally named the St. Petersburg Kennel Club, it is the oldest continuously operating greyhound track in the country.
T.L. Weaver, a lumber entrepreneur, sold the tract of land Derby Lane is sited on to a group of local businessmen, who constructed the track and held its grand inaugural race on January 3, 1925. Shortly thereafter, however, the investors ran into financial hardship and were no longer able to make payments on the land. Possession of the track reverted to Weaver's lumber company, and Weaver decided to keep it and operate it himself. Derby Lane was still owned by the Weaver family as of November 2012.
In 2006 and 2007, Derby Lane was the site of the richest greyhound race in history, the Derby Lane Million, a stakes race in which the winner took home a $500,000 purse (the other $500,000 was divided amongst the remainder of the field). Grey's Calibrator, the only female in the field, won in 2006 [1] and Flying Stanley won in 2007.[2]
Derby Lane offers races in two distances – 550 yards (5/16 of a mile) and 660 yards (3/8 of a mile). The track is 21 feet wide, features a straightaway of 243 feet and the length of the stretch is 458 feet. The track's surface contains regulated and maintained white sand. [3] (accessed November 2012, select Derby Lane from Submit list).
A fountain and small manmade lake can be found in the middle of the infield. A small island of 5 palm trees on sand is in the middle of the lake, connected by a narrow bridge the short distance back to the mainly grassy infield.
There is a path which weaves through the middle of the infield, but it is not used very often, most often it is the photoshoot location for winners of major stakes races. Behind the winners circle there is a small warehouse type of building used for toteboard, lure, and gate electronic operations.
The lure is a standard inside rail lure known as an Alldritt lure, named for its inventor, Roy H. Alldritt. It runs on electricity. Originally named the Wonder Lure, it revolutionized oval track greyhound racing in 1937 - it was both reliable and kept the dogs interested in chasing it. [4]
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