Quote:
Originally Posted by Fager Fan
You are ignoring that you stated something that wasn't true. I went and pulled up the very last race run at the "about 7.5f" distance being nearer to 1 mile when you add the run-up, and it's not.
Why can't the run-up distance be calculated?
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What did I say that wasn't true?
The race you cite, which was run with an alleged run up of 153 feet, would come out to 7.73 furlongs. That is splitting hairs, but that is only if you believe the 153 is accurate. The run up took nearly five seconds. Even from the gate, that is much too slow for thoroughbreds on a firm turf course that is producing fast times. The listed run up distance simply isn't true.
You can't calculate run up distance because of the layout of the course, particularly when the rails are out, often WAY out. The course is not exactly seven furlongs as listed, it is longer. There are no poles. There is no way to visually check where the race starts from a timing perspective.
What you can do is back up from the finish line by the final time of the race. The rest, by default, is the run up...the untimed portion of the race. You can time it and make a pretty reasonable calculation of the distance. I would estimate the run up for this race was at least 30 yards longer than listed.
The problem is, and frankly I can't believe I have to explain this again, that they are trying to have their cake and eat it too. They have changed the distance to "about" so frankly they can list the run up at whatever the hell they want to list it. It would be an awful way to treat horseplayers but at least it would be truthful. But the timed distance of the race...the official distance...is not about at all. It is exact.
It is early in the meet, but there were times last year when the run up was taking 12 seconds to complete. It was obviously pushing A FULL FURLONG in length. Equibase called them on it and they were embarrassed I'm sure. They were providing run up distances of less than 300 feet and trying to tell us that could take 12 seconds. Equibase stopped listing the run up for the rest of the meet. What possible excuse could there be for running races that long and only giving you the time for 7.5f?
The biggest joke of the whole thing is that Gulfstream uses Trakus. They know the exact distance of the race. How they can have the nerve to call a distance about is beyond me. It is a lie, a bold faced lie.
Anyway, that is it from me on this. If you can't figure out the issue at this point, I can't help. You don't want to see it.
