Del Mar race 8 - did anybody actually see the photo?

[Dark Horse]

I couldn't tell for the life of me who won this race, the 5 or 8. Here's the best shot I could take:

http://thundergroundsamurai.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/5-holy-lute-loses-photo-finish-although-the-picture-was-never-shown.jpg?

It was decided in favor of the 8, but as far as I know they never showed the photo.

The Del Mar site doesn't help: https://www.dmtc.com/racinginfo/photofinishes/index

I do hope someone did see the official close up photo, and that I missed it. Because the alternative would be .... unattractive.

[Hoofless_Wonder]

I saw the photo - the :8: got up in time, winning by a long nose, much to my chagrin. I had the super if the :5: hangs on.

I'm not one to believe there's too much hanky panky going on with the photos, but in this day of digital images and cheap storage, it boggles the mind that racetracks don't post photos online.....

If you visit the Hong Kong web site, they post a cool panoramic shot of the stretch with the winner at the wire....

[Some_One]

I saw the photo - the :8: got up in time, winning by a long nose, much to my chagrin. I had the super if the :5: hangs on.

I'm not one to believe there's too much hanky panky going on with the photos, but in this day of digital images and cheap storage, it boggles the mind that racetracks don't post photos online.....

If you visit the Hong Kong web site, they post a cool panoramic shot of the stretch with the winner at the wire....

Also they show the shutter cam every race as the 2nd replay right after a race.

[Dark Horse]

I saw the photo - the :8: got up in time, winning by a long nose, much to my chagrin. I had the super if the :5: hangs on.

I'm not one to believe there's too much hanky panky going on with the photos, but in this day of digital images and cheap storage, it boggles the mind that racetracks don't post photos online.....

If you visit the Hong Kong web site, they post a cool panoramic shot of the stretch with the winner at the wire....

Thanks! Much appreciated.

[Hoofless_Wonder]

I'm pretty sure they showed the photo of that race after the replay, so it was about 10 mins after the race. Ironic the delay the photo for so long at Del Mar, yet have the semi-quick official results posted on payouts....

[Dark Horse]

Definitely strange, because they've been showing other photo finishes at normal intervals. But for the closest race of the meet so far they had nothing within the time span we could reasonably expect. As you say, the decision was made long before the photo was ever shown. This is the track that wanted, and got, a Breeders Cup. And they can't take the trouble to post photo finishes online. :ThmbDown:

[Dark Horse]

I do love this track, and if this happens once they get the benefit of the doubt. But at the same time they should understand that they can't expect people to trust them blindly when there's money on the line. Get that photo out as fast as possible. These are the photo shop days, and a thin vertical line is not difficult to move.

[PaceAdvantage]

I do love this track, and if this happens once they get the benefit of the doubt. But at the same time they should understand that they can't expect people to trust them blindly when there's money on the line. Get that photo out as fast as possible. These are the photo shop days, and a thin vertical line is not difficult to move.if they move the line, it wouldn't matter...the horse's noses would still be in the same spot, unless they tried to photoshop that, which would probably take quite a bit more time.

In any event, the line is something you or I or anyone could move...it's nothing more than a ruler to help aid in seeing which nose is ahead of the other...it's not the actual finish line...the photo itself IS the finish...

[Tom]

If that danged line were 1/2 inch more either way, I would be a rich man.

[dilanesp]

1 problem with Del Mar is that the video cameras are way off line. To me, that's not a very big deal, but I can see how this can confuse bettors because it sometimes looks like the other horse won.

They should probably figure out if there's some way to put the main pan shot video camera right on the finish line.

[Dark Horse]

if they move the line, it wouldn't matter...the horse's noses would still be in the same spot, unless they tried to photoshop that, which would probably take quite a bit more time.

In any event, the line is something you or I or anyone could move...it's nothing more than a ruler to help aid in seeing which nose is ahead of the other...it's not the actual finish line...the photo itself IS the finish...

Fair enough. I'm not going to suggest or back a photo finish conspiracy. That said, with modern technology it wouldn't be unimaginable. So it wouldn't hurt horse racing if the tracks could show the pictures immediately. No delay. Complete transparency.

[Dark Horse]

If that danged line were 1/2 inch more either way, I would be a rich man.

More likely 50/50.

Whatever the naked eye can't detect is perfectly clear in 50/50 hindsight.

[PaceAdvantage]

Fair enough. I'm not going to suggest or back a photo finish conspiracy. That said, with modern technology it wouldn't be unimaginable. So it wouldn't hurt horse racing if the tracks could show the pictures immediately. No delay. Complete transparency.I agree with you 100% on your last two sentences.