QH timing

[jasperson]

Does the QH timing start with the gate opening or is it a few step after that?

[johnhannibalsmith]

At the gate open. Plunger starter uses to open gates is generally what also starts timer.

[dilanesp]

That's why quarter horses running 440 yards will run times that "look" slower than the fastest thoroughbred fractions in sprints. You see a quarter horse running 21.52 seconds and you think "that's nothing, some speedball at Santa Anita can run faster than that". But if you actually put the thoroughbred up against the quarter horse at that distance, the quarter horse would win easily.

[woodbinepmi]

Wish they would get rid of run ups on thoroughbred races, pet the gate at the pole and let them go and start the timer there.

[cj]

Wish they would get rid of run ups on thoroughbred races, pet the gate at the pole and let them go and start the timer there.

Amen!

http://timeformusblog.com/2013/12/17/run-up-and-its-effect-on-final-time/

[gillenr]

The problem with keeping the gate in the same place all the time is compaction of the soil which would become a likely hazard to the next runners. Why this is not a problem for quarters should be better explained by someone who follows them.

[cj]

The problem with keeping the gate in the same place all the time is compaction of the soil which would become a likely hazard to the next runners. Why this is not a problem for quarters should be better explained by someone who follows them.

I can see it being a problem on turf, but not really on dirt. The answer on turf is to move the gate, just time the exact distance run and give us that.