High-tech times are here

[karlskorner]

From the Courier Journal (10/17/04). Excerpts from the article headed High-Tech time here for horse racing.

Since its 1990 inception as racing's offical data collector, Equibase Co. has pursued the technology that will provide much greater precision for a sport where a fraction of a second can mean the difference between winning and losing - or how you analyze a past race to bet a future one.

In its latest exploration. Equibase on Thursday began testing a British data collection system know as TurfTrax at Keeneland to see whether it is the high-tech answer that allows American racing to build a better mousetrap. It will change the way people learn about racing in so many fundamental ways that those of us who are old-timers can barely begin to fathom.

The TurfTrax technology uses tramsmitters in each horse's saddle towel and dozens of antennas around the track to compute each hores's speed at any given moment and his precise location on the track - whether he was on the rail or to the outside, thereby causing him to run a longer distance.

That's a far cry from today's system, which calculates only the time of the leader at various points of races and which relies on humans keeping track of multiple horses to time morning workouts.

Officials are reserved in their comments on the current system, but they agree that the uses for such technology are limited only by imagination. It could give stewars far more insight to determine whether an infraction took place, where now their field of vision is limited to the naked eye and whats provided by several camera angels. It also could lead to more accurate and complete workout data, long a sore point among handicappers.

On broadcasts of races, horse's names could appear in green if they're accelerating and in red the split-second they slow. The key moment of the race you'll be able to document that the horse got beat by a head and yet he ran 87 1/2 feet farther.
..........................

It goes on, but thats about it in a nutshell.

I can see all the computer programmers out there salivating on how to put this information into their "new" and dynamic whiz bang, can't lose programs. Who will be the first to tap the market ?

[andicap]

One problem.
Sounds like a LOT of money to install and the racetracks do not exactly have a history of spending a ton of bucks to embrace new technology.

One way the tracks would do this: If they could see a direct return on their investment from this.

[CryingForTheHorses]

Im sure it will prove usefull, No more "hiding" horses in the morn works,It will also give you as a better some comfort knowing why you horse got beat..I myself feel time isnt important when you win.The only thing I feel this will do is cost money.Why do we really care how fast the 3rd or 4th horse ran.The old way of timing horses via stopwatches and teletimer seems ok to me.

[CryingForTheHorses]

Originally posted by McSchell_Racing
Im sure it will prove usefull, No more "hiding" horses in the morn works,It will also give you as a better some comfort knowing why you horse got beat..I myself feel time isnt important when you win.The only thing I feel this will do is cost money.Why do we really care how fast the 3rd or 4th horse ran.The old way of timing horses via stopwatches and teletimer seems ok to me.Also may make Andy Beyer change his theary.

[kenwoodallpromos]

The thing it does not mention is how tracks currently get all entrants' time to the hundredth in 2 yr old futurity division races- whether it is by stopwatches or by electronic timing; and why all entrants' finish times in all races are not now timed.

[Storm Cadet]

Why go through all this hi tech stuff when all they have to do is put a timer on the screen of the video tape machine...and run the replay slowly and see the actual time of each horse to the hundreths of a second.

I was speaking to the crew at Thorograph about this very topic 2 weeks ago. They as all sheet players are concerned that they get the actual time right as well as ground loss and beaten lengths. I explained this way of timing races and it was like talking to somebody who thought the world waqs flat. It's not ROCKET SCIENCE...NASCAR already uses video tape to record the EXACT thing...you can stop the tape at each 1/4 pole and get the EXACT time of each horse as they run past the pole. The NCAA uses the same thing at all swimming and track, Cross Country championships where there are individuals that need to be timed.

Why T Graph and Bris and all the rest still use beaten length stats from track chartcallers is beyond my thinking. I thought we were in the 21st century?:confused:

[breakage]

We are in the 21st century. It's just the people that run the racing world don't feel the need to be unless it's a new way to make money for themselves.

[osophy_junkie]

Originally posted by Storm Cadet
Why go through all this hi tech stuff when all they have to do is put a timer on the screen of the video tape machine...and run the replay slowly and see the actual time of each horse to the hundreths of a second.

Usually not all horses can be seen in the video footage.

I was speaking to the crew at Thorograph about this very topic 2 weeks ago. They as all sheet players are concerned that they get the actual time right as well as ground loss and beaten lengths. I explained this way of timing races and it was like talking to somebody who thought the world waqs flat. It's not ROCKET SCIENCE...NASCAR already uses video tape to record the EXACT thing...you can stop the tape at each 1/4 pole and get the EXACT time of each horse as they run past the pole. The NCAA uses the same thing at all swimming and track, Cross Country championships where there are individuals that need to be timed.

I'm currently doing something like this. It is more difficult that it seems, the camera is not in a fixed position which requires a large amount of math and some specific knowledge of the race track. Actual distance traveled is also fairly hard, maybe impossible to get accurate. using this technique.

Why T Graph and Bris and all the rest still use beaten length stats from track chartcallers is beyond my thinking. I thought we were in the 21st century?:confused:

I have no problem with it, gives me an advantage over the people using them :)


Ed

[kenwoodallpromos]

Sam Houston Race Park - October 16th, 2004 - Race 1
Claiming - For Quarter Horse Three Year Old and Upward Five Hundred And Fifty Yards On The Dirt
Purse: $3,800
Value of Race: $3,800 1st $2,280, 2nd $760, 3rd $418, 4th $228, 5th $114
Wind Speed: 12 MPH Wind Direction: Head
Weather: Clear Track: Fast
Off at: 7:01 Start: Good for all Timer Type: Electronic

Pgm HorseName (Jockey) Wgt M/E PP SP str 1 Str Fin Ind. **********Time Sp. Index Odds
6 Great Example (Ramirez, J.R.) 122 L bf 5 1 1-1 1/2 1-2 1-1 1/2 28.092 84 1.00*
2 Mr Sky Eye (Lavergne, D.J.) 120 bf 2 4 2-1/2 2-1 2-Head 28.338 79 4.00
7 Runaways Dasher (Swan, T.J.) 127 L b 6 5 5-1 3-1/2 3-1 3/4 28.352 79 8.60
4 Eye Plenty Ruff (Vega, J.) 122 b 3 6 6 6 4-Nose 28.636 74 11.30
5 Zedevilish (Brooks, M.) 122 L b 4 2 4-Head 4-Head 5-Neck 28.638 74 25.20
1 What a Task (Hamilton, J.) 125 L bf 1 3 3-Head 5-1 6 28.688 73 2.10

[Hammerhead]

Why not put gps in every saddle?

[BillW]

Originally posted by Hammerhead
Why not put gps in every saddle?

GPS is nowhere near fast enough. Accuracy would be an issue also (depending on your expectations).

[Hammerhead]

Do you unders stand GPS

[BillW]

Originally posted by Hammerhead
Do you unders stand GPS

Vaguely. I am An EE, but have never worked professionally with GPS.

BTW, this system is similar to GPS but the "satellites" are right at the track rather than in orbit.

Bill

[BillW]

Hammerhead,

Here's something for you to chew on ...

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gps.htm

Bill

[Hammerhead]

Hi Bill W
I tried to post a edit to my post but was cut off because it took to long and I ran out of time. GPS is a relation from satalite between Longtatude and Lattitude. Giving a almost perfect relationship between a object at any given time to its position on earth at a given position. Loran had a time responsive delay for positioning depending your distance from the transmitter. Measured in milliseconds left you with in 10 meters of your actual positon.

Today we use gps basically same thing but instead of being 100,s or 1000's of miles to a signal source we are literaly miles away and with technolegly can recieve a signal basicaly instantly anywhere instead of only at sea. to show us our exact position in relation to time at a exact position. Hence deadly bombings where the hell is my Caddy to pick me at my house if the proper address is known.

[Hammerhead]

Thanks Bill I got 3 Popups

[BillW]

Originally posted by Hammerhead
Thanks Bill I got 3 Popups

I don't understand why is that significant?

[Hammerhead]

The signal recieved back in micro seconds is if I am correct is 100 times more accurate then millie seconds. Havent been to sea since loran when at times I would estimate the delay in time to approch a inlet in bad weather or dense fog. Always needed the extra time to plot destination time and look at charts which all were in loran bearings or way offshore Lattitude and longatude They all represent positon and time if plotted

[Hammerhead]

Hi Bill

You sent me to a site that believes in POP ups They got me.

[BillW]

Originally posted by Hammerhead
The signal recieved back in micro seconds is if I am correct is 100 times more accurate then millie seconds. Havent been to sea since loran when at times I would estimate the delay in time to approch a inlet in bad weather or dense fog. Always needed the extra time to plot destination time and look at charts which all were in loran bearings or way offshore Lattitude and longatude They all represent positon and time if plotted


Like I said, the system they are testing is just like GPS but is designed for error measured in feet rather than meters (as the present day commercial GPS receivers are) and allow measurements to be taken at an acceptable rate (20/sec.?) to track a moving object at the speed of a thoroughbred. One requirement of this system is that it has to be more accurate than the present system (chart callers estimating beaten lengths).

Sorry abt. the pop-ups, I turn them off in my browser and wasn't aware that they were there.

Bill

[Hammerhead]

Thats what I said 100 times better down to ft. or less. Still checking popups to see if BillW owns any of these companys.

[BillW]

Originally posted by Hammerhead
Thats what I said 100 times better down to ft. or less. Still checking popups to see if BillW owns any of these companys.

WTF? getting low on meds? :rolleyes:

[Hammerhead]

Naa Low on brews
What is WTH anyway I don't know most abbreviations that people use. Until a couple months ago finally figured out lol. I have been on the IN when it was 1st started. Never been to tired to type out the words no matter how bad I spell. The only thing I see in wth is what the hell. Just know everything I type is always in good humor and spirits unless profanity is implied.
Be a lot of screwups for a while, after yesterdays operation I am basically down to 1 hand.

[BillW]

Originally posted by Hammerhead
Naa Low on brews
What is WTH anyway I don't know most abbreviations that people use. Until a couple months ago finally figured out lol. I have been on the IN when it was 1st started. Never been to tired to type out the words no matter how bad I spell. The only thing I see in wth is what the hell. Just know everything I type is always in good humor and spirits unless profanity is implied.
Be a lot of screwups for a while, after yesterdays operation I am basically down to 1 hand.

Sorry Hammer, didn't catch the intended humor.

Bill

[Hammerhead]

No problem Most every thing I do is always tounge in cheek. Very seldom ever have a bad thought. Go Jankees 6-1

[Tom]

Originally posted by Hammerhead
Hi Bill

You sent me to a site that believes in POP ups They got me.

I get pop ups here at PA!
I'd be happy to just get 3.:eek:

[PaceAdvantage]

Where do you get pop ups? There are no pop up ads here.

[Tom]

*groan*
I get pop ups EVERYWHERE! No kidding, everywhere. I even get them when I am in my email!
They are always the same 4-5 ads.
I know they are not yours - never got them here before.
Going to take CJ's lead and try out Firefox this weekend. IE is just plain bad.

[JustRalph]

If you are getting pop-ups on PA you have spyware producing them locally on your machine.