Moving rail on GP turf course

[lansdale]

Just posting to get some possible feedback from others who use track bias to handicap. Since the beginning of the GP, the rail on the turf course has been gradually moving out. It started at 12 fr., then 24, then 36, then 60, and since Wedensday has been at 84 ft.. GP is already a notoriously speed-favoring grass track, and it may be that there are other track maintenance factors in the movement of the rail, but it seems to me that could be a conscience effort, if not to help speed horses, at least give them an equal shot. There's a reason that grass horses who can't win anywhere else, except maybe Monmouth, are able to win at GP.

Cheers,

lansdale

[Bubba X]

Just posting to get some possible feedback from others who use track bias to handicap. Since the beginning of the GP, the rail on the turf course has been gradually moving out. It started at 12 fr., then 24, then 36, then 60, and since Wedensday has been at 84 ft.. GP is already a notoriously speed-favoring grass track, and it may be that there are other track maintenance factors in the movement of the rail, but it seems to me that could be a conscience effort, if not to help speed horses, at least give them an equal shot. There's a reason that grass horses who can't win anywhere else, except maybe Monmouth, are able to win at GP.

Cheers,

lansdale
There has been about 1/10 of an inch of rain since the meet started. I think that has more to do with the rail placements as well as how the course is playing than anything else.

[rrbauer]

Most tracks move the rail in/out to eliminate "paths" and hard wear on their turf courses. GP is pretty unique in that its turf course is very wide so it lends itself to many rail settings to even out the wear. I doubt that there is any maintenance conspiracy here. Too many jocks "taking back" and letting the speed have its own way on the front end.

[BIG49010]

I have to agree with the rain analogy, although it may change this weekend.

[lansdale]

There has been about 1/10 of an inch of rain since the meet started. I think that has more to do with the rail placements as well as how the course is playing than anything else.

Bubba X,

Thanks for the heads-up. I knew that something like this was a possibility.

Cheers,

lansdale

[lansdale]

Most tracks move the rail in/out to eliminate "paths" and hard wear on their turf courses. GP is pretty unique in that its turf course is very wide so it lends itself to many rail settings to even out the wear. I doubt that there is any maintenance conspiracy here. Too many jocks "taking back" and letting the speed have its own way on the front end.

rrbauer,

Thanks for pointing this out. I haven't played GP since in the last couple of years since it was remodeled, but the continual movement of the rail is unusual.
I know that at some tracks the maintenance people make an effort to get the surface to play evenly, but I think this is more true of dirt than turf. I think it's more difficult to achieve this with turf, if that were one's intention, but moving the rail can be one way to do it. This is a possibility I was considering - not a conspiracy - but the replies here make me doubt even that.

Thanks for your input.

Cheers,

lansdale