Finland's main racetrack
Vermo, located in Leppävaara, Espoo, is Finland's main racetrack, with about 40 race days per year. We have put together a short introduction to the fascinating world of harness racing to make it easier for first-time trotting enthusiasts to get the hang of trotting events.
About six thousand trotting horses are seen annually on the racetrack. In addition, there are many other important personalities behind all the competitors. The drivers, trainers and groomers do everything they can to ensure that the horse feels well and performs at its best. Trotting horses are serviced like other top athletes. The well-being of the horse and its promotion are among the key values of harness racing.
RACETRACK
The Vermo racetrack, was renovated in 2020. In connection with the renovation, the ground floors of the racetrack were renewed and the curves were sloped back to the original 15% inclination. The racetrack is 1000 meters long in circumference.
RACETRACK PROFILE
track length 1000 m
width 24 m, starting areas 26 m
marked length of the final straight 200 m
absolute lengths of straight lines 175 m, curve relotoids at both ends of the measure
curve radius 85 m
Cornering inclinations 15 %
RACETRACK RECORDS
Warm-blooded horses
Cokstile 09,6a/1620 m (1.5.2022)
Cold-blooded horses
Madman 20,1a/1609 m (3.9.2016)
HORSES
Two different races compete in the harness racing events in their own starts: cold-blooded and warm-blooded. Both breeds have been bred to be trotters and trotting is their natural way of going. Horses most often compete in only one start on race day.
DRIVERS AND TRAINERS
The horses are driven by both amateur drivers and professionals. In the race program, you can find the name of each horse's driver and his or her riding colors, i.e. the colors of the driving outfit and helmet, making it easier to identify the sled even from a distance from the stands.
Vermo drivers are part of the Finnish elite and are highly regarded professionals in Europe. Similarly, Finnish trainers and horse groomers are respected around the world, and those who have settled elsewhere are among the top names in these countries.
RACE EVENTS
On the race day, there are usually 9-11 starts. In all races, there is competition not only for victory and glory, but also for money prizes. The prizes awarded in the outputs are displayed under the heading of each race.
The same heading, i.e. the series definition, shows what kind and level of horses the start is intended for. The start in which a horse participates is mainly determined by the money it has won in its racing career, i.e. the amount won. Horses can also be divided into races by age, gender or record. Horses entered and accepted for the start will be drawn to their starting lanes.
In Finland the distances that run in races are usually 1609, 2100, 2600 or 3100 meters. The horses run the track counterclockwise and start the 2100 and 3100 meters from the front straight and the 1609 and 2600 meters from the back straight. At the Vermo racetrack distances are usually 1620, 2120, 2620 or 3120 meters.
The start takes place either behind the gate of the starting car (car or group start) or as a handicap race (volt start), where the horses spin in a circle at the starting point and start with the start commands: ready, one, two, drive!
OUTPUT COLORS AND NUMBERS
Between races, horses from several races are warmed up on the track at the same time. In order for the audience to distinguish between the horses running on the track, number signs, i.e. butter logs, are attached to the harness of the horses. On the sign you can see the number of horse and by the color of the sign you can distinguish at which start each sled is running (e.g. yellow is the horse of start 1, blue is the horse of start 2, etc.). The colors of the outputs can be found in the program under the race number.
The horses from the races will be presented to the audience approximately 5 minutes before the start of the race. After the demonstration, only horses participating in that start are allowed to run on the track.
TOTE BETTING
At the racetrack betting requires prior identification and identity verification.
There are several different bet types that can be played by anyone over the age of 18. In Vermo's races, Veikkaus' number one product is the Toto65 bet held on Wednesdays, where you need to pick the winner of six consecutive starts (normally races 4-9). This bet is made on a Toto65 ticket.
On Saturday races, the main bet type is Toto75, where you need to pick the winner of seven consecutive starts (normally races 5-11).
The Toto4 bet is created on a Toto4 ticket. To all of the above you can also participate with Quick Pick. Just choose the bet type and the price of the game you want. The intelligent system selects the horses for you.
With a Tote ticket you can bet Win, Show and Quinella for each race, and Trifecta and Daily Double for separately marked races. Simpler bet types can also be purchased orally from the teller. Inform the teller of the bet type, the number of the horse(s) and the amount of your bet.
