Guy on the Track during GG Turf Race

[MONEY]

YouTube

Looks to me like he 1st panicked, then tried to get out of the way.
If he was attempting to get run over by the horses he would have moved towards the inside rail where most of the horses were instead of to the outside.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by whodoyoulike

Not everyone living in Cali has a substance abuse problem that's something those living elsewhere have been spreading since the 60's.

Really? Thanks for the heads up.

Before your post I thought everybody in California has a substance abuse problem.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by NorCalGreg

I'm suggesting 99% of you fakes living in wealthy, lily-white Marin County would call this "wonderfully diverse"---as long as they don't move into your town.

Wow. Thanks for the heads up. I hadn't realized the 99% of us who live in Marin County are "fakes".

[ReplayRandall]

Originally Posted by MONEY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzP0kI1Z_98

Looks to me like he 1st panicked, then tried to get out of the way.
If he was attempting to get run over by the horses he would have moved towards the inside rail where most of the horses were instead of to the outside.

HE WAS FACING AWAY FROM THE HORSES....SO WHAT PANIC ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, THE ANNOUNCER'S? THE DUDE WAS PROBABLY WEARING EARBUDS LIKE I JUST GOT THROUGH SAYING EARLIER.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Vic:

You ever called a race with a guy on the track?

Don't think so. I'm sure I would have remembered that.

Certainly a zoo full of animals. Cat, Dog, Geese, Ducks, Fox, Rattlesnake, Coyote, Alligator et al.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by cj

Summary:

Guy working on timing system doesn't realize race is on turf course.

Guy hears or sees horses coming and reacts late, curls in a ball, and luckily gets out unscathed.

People at PA watch 5 second grainy video and conclude guy tried to commit suicide and/or has substance abuse problems despite a plausible and reasonable explanation being put out almost immediately after the race from a respected reporter.

SRU, without even reading the story, chimes in to further add to the conspiracy theories, posting just to post as he often does.

I'm called a troll for pointing out the lunacy of those conclusions.

Sound about right?

I didn't conclude anything. I just suggested it for consideration where logic doesn't seem the best road to understanding.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

In my mind the relevant questions are:

a. Who put him in harm's way/allowed him to remain where he was while horses were warming up for an upcoming turf race?

b. How the hell do the stewards, outriders, riders who are warming horses up on the dirt before crossing over onto the turf course not see him/realize that he's on the turf course?

c. Will this be talked about publicly at one of the upcoming CHRB meetings? Only to become just another example of something gone awry that gets swept under the rug?



-jp

.

A CHRB board meeting probably wouldn't be the proper agenda for delving into what happened.

More likely the stewards would hold a hearing with all involved and chronicle the results of that inquiry in the weekly stewards minutes.

[MONEY]

OK
I just zoomed in.
Unless this guy has 3 legs he has a some kind of tool in his hand that he is using for something on the ground to his right.

[cj]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

A CHRB board meeting probably wouldn't be the proper agenda for delving into what happened.

More likely the stewards would hold a hearing with all involved and chronicle the results of that inquiry in the weekly stewards minutes.

The stewards will hold a hearing to determine why the stewards were negligent? That's just great.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by cj

The stewards will hold a hearing to determine why the stewards were negligent? That's just great.

There are obviously many more pieces to this puzzle than just the stewards.

Troll me this.

Troll me that.

You are a machine.

Keep a close eye on that mailbox CJ.

You've more than earned it.

[cj]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

There are obviously many more pieces to this puzzle than just the stewards.

Troll me this.

Troll me that.

You are a machine.

Keep a close eye on that mailbox CJ.

You've more than earned it.

Sure there are, but I'd assume stewards should check the course before any race is run, no? Nobody is trolling. Stop being a dick.

[v j stauffer]

Just as an FYI it's not that crazy the stewards could have missed seeing him until it was too late.

I know if I was one of the stewards I'd want to pull my finger nails out if I missed it.

But consider this. Just before a race starts the three stewards have different responsibilities.

One will be looking at a bank of TV's that shows every stewards angle. But easily could have not caught the person on camera.

The 2nd steward is responsible until the gate opens to be at the ready at the computer terminal that closes the betting windows.

The 3rd steward will be looking at the race track but other than something catching their eye suddenly. That focus will be towards where the most action is. The impending start. That third steward must also immediately covey to the steward at the lockout terminal the race has started.

That's happens in a split second where the 1st one says "gates open" and the 2nd quickly responds "locked". After that the 2nd steward will also become focused on the just started race. He or she can choose to look at the race live or the bank of TV's or a combination of both.

Frankly when I was a steward I can see how I could have missed this person. Stewards also rely heavily on many other sets of eyes to potentially spot things for them. The Outriders, Patrol Judges and sometimes even the track Veterinarian and or their assistant who are in the pickup truck that follows the ambulance that follows the field.

Should someone have seen this guy before it got to that VERY dangerous point. Yes. Of Course.

However to just throw the blanket of negligence or incompetence over the 3 stewards in the stand. Is IMO to not fully understand the inner workings of every race every day.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by cj

Sure there are, but I'd assume stewards should check the course before any race is run, no? Nobody is trolling. Stop being a dick.

And to think once upon a time I called EMD a moron and the board was ablaze for weeks. I said moron because the real truth. Farcical liar, seemed too harsh. Years later that one sorted itself out and we all know the result.

It's gone from playfully calling a fellow poster a moron. To now a moderator calling a contributing poster a Dick.

If I was PA I would certainly have to re-think if your rhetoric is representing his site in the best possible way.

If it was my call I'd have to lean towards no. But what the heck does a Dick know?

And I must be a DICK because the great CJ says it's true.

[mostpost]

Originally Posted by cj

Hmm, possible I guess. Maybe this chilly air has affected my reading comprehension. But then again, Vic did bring up a possible substance abuse problem based on a five second video so I'm not so sure.

You are making sense. The conspiracy theorists are not. Why would track officials say the man was an employee if he wasn't. Drop and cover (isn't that a military term?) is the most logical and instinctive thing to do in a case like that. Trying to get out of the way could lead to a person running right into the danger they were trying to avoid.

This would be a really stupid way to commit suicide. You are more likely to end up seriously injured or even paralyzed. Walking in front of a train would be much more efficient. (Disclaimer: Do not walk in front of trains.)

[cj]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

However to just throw the blanket of negligence or incompetence over the 3 stewards in the stand. Is IMO to not fully understand the inner workings of every race every day.

I was not doing that and if that is how it came across, it wasn't meant that way.