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[dilanesp]

I was thinking about this more deeply and I started to realize what the problem is for Gulfstream.

Let's say you have a turf course that only has one position for the rail. Then it's easy. You position the gate at the same spot every time for 7 1/2 furlongs. It probably has a longer run-up than some other distances because the start is close to the first turn. But speed handicappers like cj have dealt with that one for years. For instance, all of the two turn mile races on mile tracks in California have longer run-ups than other races. They do this to give the horses a longer run into the first turn.

Now, of course, in the real world you have several rail positions on a turf course. So you might say "well, let's position the gate so we have the same distance run-up no matter which position the rail is at". So you have a different gate position for each rail position.

But that creates a couple of problems.

First, the outer rail has to be removable where you are going to park the gate. You have to be able to get the gate in and out. Well, there may not be a gap in the rail at every single parking position. So it may be physically impossible to have the same run-up no matter where the rail is.

Plus, you have the problem of the horsemen. If you put the gate closer to the clubhouse turn when the rails are out, then the guy who draws the outside post is going to get mad when his horse gets hung out on the first turn. Why not park the gate in the same spot where you park it when the rails are in, he is going to ask, so my horse doesn't get hurt so much by the post position?

All of that is with a normal turf course. But one of those super-wide courses like they have at Gulfstream and a few other tracks makes the problem even worse. Because now instead of three different rail positions we might have nine. So you would need to have nine different places to put the gate, and some of them would be quite close to the clubhouse turn.

Now, of course, you could say "well, then, we just won't run 7 1/2 furlong races when the rails are up". But if you do that, the horsemen also get mad, because they want a 7 1/2 furlong race for their stretching out turf sprinter. Now, of course, the race is really a mile, but never underestimate the power of human psychology-- that 7 1/2 furlong race may fill while the mile race doesn't.

So the racing office is now in an impossible position. The horsemen are demanding that a race be carded on all different configurations of the turf course, there's no way to standardize the run-up both for physical reasons and because they don't want to compromise the outside position, and as a result you get ridiculously long run-ups when the rails are up.

"About", of course, is not the solution to this. But I guess I sympathize with the racing office regarding the problem.