THIS IS UNBEEEEEEEEEEELIEVABLE

[NY BRED]

as Trevor stated watching Zenyatta storm down the stretch, I just
watched one of my best daily double wheels go down in flames
as the tractor that moves the gate at AQU break down,
with no replacement unit!!

I guess when the parking and admission fees are raised NYRA
will be able to afford a replacement/used unit.
:ThmbDown: :ThmbDown: :ThmbDown: :

:bang: :bang: :bang:

[wiffleball whizz]

as Trevor stated watching Zenyatta storm down the stretch, I just
watched one of my best daily double wheels go down in flames
as the tractor that moves the gate at AQU break down,
with no replacement unit!!

I guess when the parking and admission fees are raised NYRA
will be able to afford a replacement/used unit.
:ThmbDown: :ThmbDown: :ThmbDown: :

:bang: :bang: :bang:

Aqueduct and nyra should be embarrassed

[Shemp Howard]

Di Blasio had the gas tank drained and the fuel given to an illegal alien.

[rgustafson]

They didn't even have to move the gate. All they had to do was get the thing off the track. Should have called every employee they had available and pushed the thing off :bang:

[davew]

It wasn't the tractor hooked up to the gate.
I am not sure why they couldn't pull it off with a pick-up, unless the axle was busted/brakes locked some other reason that moving it would be very bad for tractor.

[Racetrack Playa]

wow Thats cool

I think nothing of this . My truck breaks down sometimes, I usually walk home and forget about it. You know ,get some dinner, I was hoping, the
:4: 0r:1:
would win the 9th, But that is horse racing ,come on guys give 'em a break. They all are winners.I actually find this very believable, it was getting late.

[tanner12oz]

But the pick 6 pays out and carries...wtf

[duncan04]

State law prevents races from being run after sunset, which today was 4:43pm, per @DRFGrening on twitter

[Teach]

On a scale of life this is not the end of the world. These things do happen, sometimes most unexpectedly, plus you were running up against diminishing daylight on one of the shorter days of the year.

Yet, having said all that, allow me to offer some thoughts:

1) This is New York, baby! Not some second-tier, East Podunk, out in "the sticks" fair or bull-ring track. NYRA is one of the top racing management operations in the country.

2) Is there a Plan B? As a former teacher, we always had contingency plans. Let's say we were showing a film or film-strip; well, the bulb burns out. For one, we usually had a spare in our desks, or we had what was called "Plan B". We often had a quick lesson that we had prepared for situations like this that would keep students occupied, either until we got another bulb, or got another projector. I realize that school-teaching and operating heavy machinery at a racetrack may be perceived as "apples and oranges," but...

3) Is there a maintenance protocol that could have been put in place that addresses this problem?

4) I saw the distressed tractor and maintenance personnel working on it. As I suggested on "The Selections" forum, could the tractor have been moved? I saw exhaust fumes coming from the tail pipe. Unless an axle was broken, is there any reason that the tractor could have been put in neutral and moved by another piece of heavy equipment. I admit it is hard to be judgmental here because I do not know the exact problem the tractor was faced with. One final point: my son used to work for a heavy equipment and excavating company; he would tell me that maintenance crews would double-check the vehicles before they left the yard.

5) Finally, this has nothing to do with the tractor; yet, I'm curious as to what the protocol is with regard to payouts? Is this the way that matters like this are handled? Is this a make-up-the-rules-as-you-go-along decision (I would hope not), or is this approach mandated by the New York State racing commission? As I understand it, the folks who held "five out of five" tickets going into the 9th race, final leg of the Pick 6, would split 3/4ths of the money wagered in today's, 1/5/14 Pick-6 pool. If you had four out five going into the final leg, you split 1/4 of the pool. As I understand it, the money that had carried over to todays pool will remain intact and will be carried over to the next racing day's Pick-6.

Any thoughts?

[lamboguy]

i thought that this was handled perfectly. they absolutely got the pick 6 right. a pick six carryover only pays out to 6 winners. there must have been some unhappy people, but it was 100% the right call.

[wiffleball whizz]

State law prevents races from being run after sunset, which today was 4:43pm, per @DRFGrening on twitter


I've seen races run at tracks with no lights that started in almost complete darkness

Maryland millions day the last race went off is darkness u couldn't see the top of the lane turning for home

These state laws gotta losen up a little bit.........no racing on Good Friday is the comedy show when the slots are in full swing 75 feet away

[Fingal]

I hear there may be a couple tractors coming available at the upcoming auction of the former Hollywood Park equipment.

If NYRA plays it's cards right & doesn't get in a bidding war they may come away with a sweetheart deal.

[Exotic1]

Trainer change to Jacobson. Tractor will be running great after that.

[jldonah]

I saw the initial tweets about the delay. I should have changed the feed, because I might have learned something useful.

I am guessing they decided to work on it instead of pull it off. If it were a betting proposition, I'm sure I would have gone that way too, because lately, the horses zig when I think they'll zag, so why should a broke-down tractor in a walkover be different?

[OTM Al]

5) Finally, this has nothing to do with the tractor; yet, I'm curious as to what the protocol is with regard to payouts? Is this the way that matters like this are handled? Is this a make-up-the-rules-as-you-go-along decision (I would hope not), or is this approach mandated by the New York State racing commission? As I understand it, the folks who held "five out of five" tickets going into the 9th race, final leg of the Pick 6, would split 3/4ths of the money wagered in today's, 1/5/14 Pick-6 pool. If you had four out five going into the final leg, you split 1/4 of the pool. As I understand it, the money that had carried over to todays pool will remain intact and will be carried over to the next racing day's Pick-6.

Any thoughts?

State law mandates that carryovers can only be paid out on multi race bets if all races run. Thus they paid out everything wagered today but had to carry the amount that carried over into today. So some 90K was paid out, 75% to 6 of 6, 25% to 5 of 6 as normal. They just couldn't pay the 25K that carried from yesterday. The rules are pretty thorough on payouts and there is no make it up as you go here. More info about what happened to the tractor is here

http://www.drf.com/news/aqueduct-race-canceled-refunds-issued-after-tractor-breaks-down

[Brogan]

The tractor's best days were behind it. Even though it was still operating perfectly up until today, it should have been retired.

[Racetrack Playa]

payouts on posted by Nyra :Aqueduct Website under Race8

$2 Pick 3 (RACES 7-9) 1-6-ALL (3 correct) $109.50 $2 Pick 3 7-1-6 (3 correct) $499.00 $2 Pick 4 (RACES 6-9) 4/7/9-1-6-ALL (4 correct) $367.00 $2 Pick 6 (RACES 4-9) 10-2/5-4/7/9-1-6-A (5 correct) $64.00 $2 Pick 6 (RACES 4-9) 10-2/5-4/7/9-1-6-A (6 correct) $7,697.0

[Ocala Mike]

Tractor being shipped to Old Friends racehorse retirement farm in upstate NY.

[Redboard]

I'm sure well see Tractor Breakdown running in a NYRA race sometime soon.

[goatchaser]

Should go back to the Clydesales pulling the gate like the good old days at Santa Anita.

[Tom]

People have been calling for that tractor to be retired for along time now, before something like this happened. No one listened.

[elhelmete]

Trainer D. Jacobsen claimed the tractor, it'll be fine tomorrow.

[RXB]

I told everybody: that's a turf tractor. But NYRA insisted on running it on the dirt, and look what happened.

[davew]

People have been calling for that tractor to be retired for along time now, before something like this happened. No one listened.

It is only a 10 year old tractor and usually likes going to workouts in the morning, has always had a good appetite for diesel, and never had any catastrophic breakdowns. Possibly the exercise driver needed more training (but maybe one of the best exercise drivers on the course was on top and it was an unpredictable and unforseeable event).

[iceknight]

That's odd.. when did they ship him to AQU from PEN?

http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=8604907&registry=T

[elhelmete]

This would never happen in SoCal.

Baffert has the tractor contract and if one craps out there are 4 others available in that race to take over.

[taxicab]

Breaking News !!!
Carl O' Callaghan has set up a Pay Pal account to accept donations for the tractor repair.
On a side note.......he is planning on claiming three horses out of Wednesday's card at Aqueduct.
No word yet if he will be claiming any away from Maggi Moss. :eek:

[goatchaser]

I hear there may be a couple tractors coming available at the upcoming auction of the former Hollywood Park equipment.

If NYRA plays it's cards right & doesn't get in a bidding war they may come away with a sweetheart deal.

There's a stumbling block on this deal. You have to take Vic Stauffer also.

J/K VIC!!!

[NY BRED]

[http://www.drf.com/news/aqueduct-race-canceled-refunds-issued-after-tractor-breacurrent schedules-down[/QUOTE]

Al/and all

If you read the fan commentary below the DRF report, an interesting point
is made on the NYRA curfew .

This law effectively negates running the latter Breeders Cup races in NY
(such as the Classic) . I do remember when the BC was held at AQU
don't have the time at the moment to see if the space between races
was shorter in NY than current schedules at SA/ HP/ GP/CD/MTH.

BTW, I'm uncertain if this curfew was written to avoid competition
with the standardbred tracks.

Perhaps NYRA should consider the installation of lighting
at all their tracks INCLUDING the training tracks if they intend to
host the BC and/or lessen, to a degree, injury to horses and
humans.

[JustRalph]

Great thread......... :lol:

[jk3521]

Trainer D. Jacobsen claimed the tractor, it'll be fine tomorrow.
And entered in the 3RD race on wednesday! :lol (tractor race that is!)

[jasperson]

as Trevor stated watching Zenyatta storm down the stretch, I just
watched one of my best daily double wheels go down in flames
as the tractor that moves the gate at AQU break down,
with no replacement unit!!

I guess when the parking and admission fees are raised NYRA
will be able to afford a replacement/used unit.
:ThmbDown: :ThmbDown: :ThmbDown: :

:bang: :bang: :bang:

Mabe they should have Clydedales pulling the gate all the time. They don't breakdown.

[jballscalls]

After Jacobson claimed the tractor, it did test positive for an overage of emissions.

:bang:

[elhelmete]

Was it a John Deere? Well duh, I never back Illinois-breds.

[Tom]

After Jacobson claimed the tractor, it did test positive for an overage of emissions.

:bang:

He is shipping it to Watkins Glen.

[PhantomOnTour]

Before NY allowed Lasix they had huge problem with this.
Seemed like every tractor from out of state was stalling all over the track...usually in the stretch.

[098poi]

Tractor was declared a "non-starter".

[jk3521]

I guess you can call that "a Harrowing experience "! :D

[Ocala Mike]

This thread, like the aforemantioned tractor, should now be laid to rest.

[jk3521]

Any more jokes ? Well then, may it ever rest in peace. Amen.

[VeryOldMan]

This thread, like the aforementioned tractor, should now be laid to rest.

True, but it was fun :) I very much appreciate how seriously people take the game on this board, but a little levity sure is nice on occasion.

[goatchaser]

A Race Track Tractor is like a man......They hear...Oh John Dear... And they don't move.