Synthetic Beyer

[JeremyJet]

What's the fastest BSF awarded on a synthetic track? I see a horse at Arlington got a 114 BSF on Saturday: SHREWD OPERATOR in the White Oak Handicap.

[cj]

I think the BC Classic where Curlin was beaten may have gotten a similar figure. Keep in mind this 114 is with the "new" scale, and is probably a 109/110 if he used the old.

[Capper Al]

I think the BC Classic where Curlin was beaten may have gotten a similar figure. Keep in mind this 114 is with the "new" scale, and is probably a 109/110 if he used the old.

What is the new scale?

[Some_One]

It changes the value of a length slightly, 10% I think.

[cj]

It changes the value of a length slightly, 10% I think.

Well, not exactly. With turf racing, he changed it so that beaten length value for routes was calculated as if it was a 6.5f race. Nothing changes with the winner. For synthetics, he actually changed the speed charts so all horses are adjusted, even the winner. Off the top of my head, I don't think the BL value was changed like it was for turf races, but I'd have to look at a few PPs to make sure.

[Tom]

http://www.drf.com/news/tweaking-formula-synthetic-figures

[JeremyJet]

Beyer should write another book to explain his synthetic surface methodology in detail.

[classhandicapper]

I have a funny feeling some people at the DRF regret making that change.

The idea was to give handicappers figures that could better equate synthetic and dirt horses because they cross over a lot. But turf figures ALSO tend to be compressed like synthetic figures and a lot of turf horses run on synthetic (and vice versa). So now turf/synthetic figures are out of sync.

They probably would have been better off keeping everything as it really is and just pounding the table that figures earned on synthetics and turf don't translate well to dirt even when the horse has similar ability on both surfaces. The could have even showed some of the averages so players would have a general feel of the extent on AVERAGE.

They introduced an artificial fixed adjustment that is at least partially a pace issue (maybe even mostly), but the paces are not all the same. So the impact is a variable.

[toussaud]

synthetic beyer numbers are about as worthless as coupon for yarnell's ice cream is right about now

[JeremyJet]

synthetic beyer numbers are about as worthless as coupon for yarnell's ice cream is right about now

Does anyone outside of Arkansas know what you're talking about?