Database treatment of all-weather surface

[podonne]

Hello Databasers!

How do you treat all-weather surfaces when you are storing data? Most files use a "flag" but still regard the surface as dirt. So do you actually change the surface to something else, so there are three surfaces like "synthetic", "dirt" and "turf", or do you just leave it as dirt?

Thanks,
Phil

[HEY DUDE]

podonne,

It has been a couple of years since I monkeyed around with the BRIS data files and my own database. However, if I were still doing it, and there is a flag in the file to differentiate between dirt and all weather, then I would break it down by Turf, Dirt, and AW. When comparing apples, I like comparing against apples. Not bannas. Too much of a difference IMO between AW and dirt. Actually, I treat AW more like turf than dirt.

[stuball]

I change them all to P ...since poly track was the first and
I know there are now several different kinds...may in the future develope a different code for each type...but for now
AW = P I would have to change lots of code to make such a move and I am not really looking forward to that....so
for now if it ain't broke don't fix it..

Stuball :confused:

[cj]

I change them all to P ...since poly track was the first and
I know there are now several different kinds...may in the future develope a different code for each type...but for now
AW = P I would have to change lots of code to make such a move and I am not really looking forward to that....so
for now if it ain't broke don't fix it..

Stuball :confused:

It would be a waste of time. The AW tracks are as similar to each other as the dirt tracks are to each other.

[podonne]

It would be a waste of time. The AW tracks are as similar to each other as the dirt tracks are to each other.

So we're essentially dealing with quite a few different "surfaces"? If each installation is "different", then you essential have [num_tracks_with_synthetic_surfaces]+2 different surfaces in the game. This seems like a fundamental shift in handicapping!

Or is that too dramatic? There have always been different dirt tracks at different courses, but handicappers still treated them together as "dirt". Is it not the same with synthetic, or all weather surfaces?

[cj]

So we're essentially dealing with quite a few different "surfaces"? If each installation is "different", then you essential have [num_tracks_with_synthetic_surfaces]+2 different surfaces in the game. This seems like a fundamental shift in handicapping!

Or is that too dramatic? There have always been different dirt tracks at different courses, but handicappers still treated them together as "dirt". Is it not the same with synthetic, or all weather surfaces?

I was actually trying to say the second part. There are three surfaces now...and in each group, there are always going to be small differences.

[DJofSD]

And add into the mix the fact that both Santa Anita and Del Mar have had two different all weather surfaces installed. The DMR surface this year resulted in a much faster surface when compared to last years. SAX is another matter altogether.

Oh ya then there's the 3rd new surface for SAX that'll be debuting in a couple of weeks and will be used for the Breeders Cup. Any bets on handle for this years BC? Likely it'll be down but the economy will be getting the blame.