PhantomOnTour
11-26-2010, 10:33 PM
If so, you almost bet a race run at the wrong distance...the VERY wrong distance. Here's the scene:
The 4th race at FG today (11/26) was slated to be run at 5.5f on the main track. My father notices that after the post parade the horses turned and headed back up the stretch towards the far turn. Now, in sprints (or one turn races) the field will warm up on the clubhouse turn and the stretch, and in routes(or two turn races)they will turn and go back up the stretch to warm up on the far turn and backstretch. So why were they warming up in the wrong place?
Well, we think it's because of the new track programs at FG. They switched from the thin brochure style to a magazine style which happens to be a DRF Easy Form (totally useless if you ask me). The program had the race listed as being at 8.5f. They actually had the tractor hooked up to the gate positioned along the outside rail of the stretch and were moving it into place when someone must have noticed and alerted the right people. They then towed the gate all the way to the proper starting point and the race was run.
Can you imagine the mayhem if this thing had gone off and been run at that distance? I am sure many of you know of instances where a race was run at the wrong distance, but THIS wrong? Three furlongs wrong?
By the way, we found out later that FG will switch back to their old program style next week...and it was great to spend a day at the track with my father :)
The 4th race at FG today (11/26) was slated to be run at 5.5f on the main track. My father notices that after the post parade the horses turned and headed back up the stretch towards the far turn. Now, in sprints (or one turn races) the field will warm up on the clubhouse turn and the stretch, and in routes(or two turn races)they will turn and go back up the stretch to warm up on the far turn and backstretch. So why were they warming up in the wrong place?
Well, we think it's because of the new track programs at FG. They switched from the thin brochure style to a magazine style which happens to be a DRF Easy Form (totally useless if you ask me). The program had the race listed as being at 8.5f. They actually had the tractor hooked up to the gate positioned along the outside rail of the stretch and were moving it into place when someone must have noticed and alerted the right people. They then towed the gate all the way to the proper starting point and the race was run.
Can you imagine the mayhem if this thing had gone off and been run at that distance? I am sure many of you know of instances where a race was run at the wrong distance, but THIS wrong? Three furlongs wrong?
By the way, we found out later that FG will switch back to their old program style next week...and it was great to spend a day at the track with my father :)