Q: Why is greyhound racing referred to as the "Sport of Queens?"
A: It refers to Queen Elizabeth I who developed coursing rules. In the 1700s revised rules prefigured modern greyhound racing.

Q: How many greyhounds are there in each race?
A: In most cases, eight greyhounds compete in each race. There are some tracks that offer nine dog races.

Q: How long has the greyhound been around?
A: The greyhound's origin sources date to 4,000 years ago to ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. Greyhounds were pets used for sporting events and its quarry was the hare. From earliest times, the greyhound has thrilled its observers with its speed and grace.

Q: When did the greyhound arrive in the United States?
A: In the late 1800s, greyhounds were brought here from the British Isles to control jack rabbits, pests who were destroying crops in the Midwest. Farmers often bragged their dog was the fastest and competitive events were erected in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

Q: How did Greyhound racing begin?
A: Greyhounds have been racing since at least 500 B.C. in Greece. Chasing after a hare released at a distance far enough ahead of the greyhound, called coursing, was the beginning of modern racing when mechanical lures replaced the live hare. The English codified the rules of the sport in the 1700s. In 1776, the Earl of Oxford established the first coursing club at Swaffham in Norfolk, where stakes races ran a number of greyhounds rather than a succession of individual matches. The same trend took place in horse racing.

Q: How fast does a greyhound run?
A: Greyhounds were "born to run" and can reach speeds up to 45 miles per hour when competing in a    5/16th mile run.

Q: What is the length of the race track?
A: The length is about 440 yards. Different race lengths can be established by locating the starting box at various points on the track. At Derby Lane the 5/16th (1,650 feet) and the 3/8th (1,980 feet) distances are run. Other distances offered around the country are 1/4 mile and 7/16th mile distances.