Premier Turf Club
02-28-2007, 10:45 PM
From Beyer Article.
This is a terrific idea, It's easy to bash NYRA, its nice to see someone step-up and give them credit.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022702126.html
When horseplayers handicapped the maiden fillies in Monday's ninth race (at GP), most were looking either for runners with established turf form or ones who hadn't raced on grass but had the pedigree to do so. Their records on the dirt were of secondary importance. But when the race was taken off the grass, all of this handicapping logic was turned upside down.
However, bettors who played the pick four and pick six were stuck with the selections they had made for a turf race. The morning-line favorite, turf-loving Missy Moss, was scratched, and under the rules of these wagers, bettors got the post-time favorite in her place; the favorite finished second to Aphrodisiac. Horseplayers may calmly accept the fact that fate will usually be cruel, but they will be enraged by losing a bet this way, because there is an easy and fair way for tracks to deal with these last-minute turf-to-dirt switches.
The New York Racing Association last year adopted what ought to be a universal rule governing such situations. When a race is taken off the turf after betting has closed in a pick four or pick six, that race is treated as no contest for the purpose of these wagers. Every horse in the field is considered a winner. Under the NYRA rules, anyone who picked the first three winners in Gulfstream's pick four would have cashed a winning ticket.
"This is a fairness issue," said Bill Nader, chief operation officer of NYRA. "When a race comes off the turf, the whole complexion of the race changes. It's a different event. We did this to protect bettors and for the sake of integrity."
This is a terrific idea, It's easy to bash NYRA, its nice to see someone step-up and give them credit.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022702126.html
When horseplayers handicapped the maiden fillies in Monday's ninth race (at GP), most were looking either for runners with established turf form or ones who hadn't raced on grass but had the pedigree to do so. Their records on the dirt were of secondary importance. But when the race was taken off the grass, all of this handicapping logic was turned upside down.
However, bettors who played the pick four and pick six were stuck with the selections they had made for a turf race. The morning-line favorite, turf-loving Missy Moss, was scratched, and under the rules of these wagers, bettors got the post-time favorite in her place; the favorite finished second to Aphrodisiac. Horseplayers may calmly accept the fact that fate will usually be cruel, but they will be enraged by losing a bet this way, because there is an easy and fair way for tracks to deal with these last-minute turf-to-dirt switches.
The New York Racing Association last year adopted what ought to be a universal rule governing such situations. When a race is taken off the turf after betting has closed in a pick four or pick six, that race is treated as no contest for the purpose of these wagers. Every horse in the field is considered a winner. Under the NYRA rules, anyone who picked the first three winners in Gulfstream's pick four would have cashed a winning ticket.
"This is a fairness issue," said Bill Nader, chief operation officer of NYRA. "When a race comes off the turf, the whole complexion of the race changes. It's a different event. We did this to protect bettors and for the sake of integrity."