New tented paddock for Tioga Downs

A tent has nearly doubled the capacity of the racing paddock at Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y., according to Harnesslink. The original paddock had enough space for five full races with a few stalls left over, but the new configuration with a 60-by-90-foot tent means the Tioga paddock can now hold nine full races.

The tent holds 30 temporary stalls and offers equestrians the ability to keep all their horses together in the paddock. “Last year, guys who brought three or four horses to race had a hard time getting their horses to and from the paddock from the ship-in barn, which is located at the opposite end of the track,” said Guy Howard, president of the Southern Tier Harness Horsemen’s Association (STHHA). “Now horsemen will be able to have all their horses right in the paddock. With the improvements to the track surface and the increase in the size of the paddock, it should really make racing at Tioga even better than last year.”