What distance does the number 8 pole represent on a horse race track?

Answer 1

An eighth pole is one of a series of vertical wooden markers located on the inside of the rail at horse racing tracks to tell jockeys how far they are from the finish line. The eighth pole is one-eighth of a mile (also called 1 furlong) approximately 220 yards, from the finish. Poles are placed at intervals of sixteenths of a mile. The number 8 pole is a mark of one mile (8 furlongs). Races are run at various distances. In thoroughbred racing in the United States, races can be run at two furlongs (two eighths) and up to 1 1/2 miles (12 furlongs).

Answer 2

The poles signify a distance. They are used as checkpoints, so to speak, around the track.