Strange harness race

[dutchboy]

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/iss1008/westernfairrace1029.html

[wilderness]

Here's a better view of the race from the judges tower:

http://66.209.93.118/Replays2008/200810281853LWN12.wmv

It seems the driver of the 45/1 shot was fined and suspended for three days by the Ontario Racing Commission for leaving the lane before the top of the stretch and then coming back in when the eventful winner attempted to use the open space.
As a result and to avoaid an accident, the winning driver went inside the pylons, albeit staying too long.

There are two long threads on Andrew Cohen's Blog.

[TrackManSam]

Leaving what lane? That 3 had every right to his spot there isnt a passing lane at Western Fair. That has to be the very worst call in harness racing history.

[MutuelClerk]

This ruling is as bad the "forward motion" ruling in the World Series Of Poker. Just awful. Were the judges eating pizza and watching hockey instead of the race? And we keep wondering why people leave this sport, when they get robbed everyday like this......

[wilderness]

Leaving what lane? That 3 had every right to his spot there isnt a passing lane at Western Fair. That has to be the very worst call in harness racing history.

The lead horse is required to maintain-its-own-lane and/or course, and especially nearer the race ending.
The lead horse and/or driver cannot bob-and-weave like a drunk opening and closing lanes for the horses behind the lead, just because the lead horse is losing ground, or has the inability to maintain its own lead.

Read these thread on Cohen's Blog:
http://www.harnessracing.com/blog/western-fair-pylong-race-a-joke-381.html#entry381

http://www.harnessracing.com/blog/a-wee-bit-of-orc-action-over-western-fair-fiasco-382.html#entry382

And a third today:
http://www.harnessracing.com/blog.php

[LottaKash]

This ruling is as bad the "forward motion" ruling in the World Series Of Poker. ......

Yes, wasn't that crazy.?.....The "Pump Fake Raise". ....:jump:

best,

[pktruckdriver]

Yes, wasn't that crazy.?.....The "Pump Fake Raise". ....:jump:



Johnny you made my day:lol: :3x:


patrick

[LottaKash]

Johnny you made my day:lol: :3x:


patrick

Cool...........Patrick........Cool........:jump:

best,

[TrackManSam]

OK, so what they are saying is the lead horse wavered off of the "rail" and when the favorite tried to take advantage of the open space, he dropped back to the rail, forcing the horse inside the course.

Thats total and complete bullshit and everyone knows it. I'll leave it at that.

[wilderness]

OK, so what they are saying is the lead horse wavered off of the "rail" and when the favorite tried to take advantage of the open space, he dropped back to the rail, forcing the horse inside the course.

Thats total and complete bullshit and everyone knows it. I'll leave it at that.

Perhaps you should apply for a judges position at either WFR or the Ontario Racing Commision?

However. . .first that would require require some knowledge of racing and not diverse insights into "bullshit" ;)

[botster]

Firstly when you look over the driving colonys at these bullring type tracks you always see guys that just don't have the driving ability, or ability to control a horse when a situation like this arise.

IMO a driver with average ability, or better, would have never went inside the pylons in that ridiculous manner.It could also be seen that even though the pylon horse finished first, the horse that supposedly caused the infracton finished right in behind him, barely getting beat for the other board spots.Yes it was a slow last quarter, but not excessively slow considering the class of horses that race there.

I do believe the lead horse came out, and then traveled back in, however that does not excuse the driver not to gather his horse up enough to sit inside of him and wait for full clearance late.He could have been able to do this by going inside one, or two pylons, then come back on to finish then the judges would have been justified for the call.

I have seen to many judges make these awful calls of judgement time and time again.I would have raised the question "would this horse have won if he did not gain that unfair advantage... if the race was run in normal order?".My answer would be probably NO.This would have been a MUST take down in my eyes.

[cj]

Perhaps you should apply for a judges position at either WFR or the Ontario Racing Commision?

However. . .first that would require require some knowledge of racing and not diverse insights into "bullshit" ;)

Defending the judges here is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. I have watched thousands and thousands of harness races and have never once seen the lead horse in the stretch passed on the inside when there is no passing lane.

[wilderness]

Defending the judges here is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. I have watched thousands and thousands of harness races and have never once seen the lead horse in the stretch passed on the inside when there is no passing lane.

Reading skills may become dangerous when you attenpt to "inject" something that was not contained!

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=601096&postcount=10

Nowhere in those two short lines does it state that I'm either for or against the judges decision.

And to further confuse your inability to comprehend?
The WFR Judges decision was both supported by the Ontario Racing Commission, as well as the Ontario Racing Commission rendering a decision against the non-winning horses driver fro cutting off the path after it had been opened.

[cj]

Reading skills may become dangerous when you attenpt to "inject" something that was not contained!

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=601096&postcount=10

Nowhere in those two short lines does it state that I'm either for or against the judges decision.

And to further confuse your inability to comprehend?
The WFR Judges decision was both supported by the Ontario Racing Commission, as well as the Ontario Racing Commission rendering a decision against the non-winning horses driver fro cutting off the path after it had been opened.

ROFL...it course they supported the decision. What else were they going to do. The sport is a joke.

[wilderness]

The sport is a joke.

Than why do you bother with your comments, interest and time (rhetorical)

[cj]

Than why do you bother with your comments, interest and time (rhetorical)

We all need a good laugh from time to time. Of course, the t-breds are providing plenty of those as well. Even if everything the judges said was true, the horse should have been declared a non-starter, not given the win. That is just common sense.

[TrackManSam]

I will agree that the horse was forced in somewhat, but the horse did gain an advantage by going WELL inside the course, thus being unfair to the other horses. Whatever, I guess we should consider the sport lucky that Western Fair's signal is only taken by a few places in the world.