cj discovers Santa Anita 5 1/2 on the turf races are shorter than 5 1/2 furlongs

[cj]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Imo, EVERYBODY getting a paycheck in this industry should be reading the above quoted post and asking each other the very same question:

Why is timing a race from gate open to the finish line so hard?

If you need various runup positions so as to evenly distribute wear and tear on the course caused by the starting gate: So be it.

TIME THE RUNUP. Include runup times and distances as part of the official race data.

Reporting what actually happened during a race (runup time) should be one of your key objectives.

Stop pretending runup times are not part of the race.


-jp

.

Trakus actually does time the run up. The tracks won't let them make it public. And, of course, it wouldn't be accurate because it relies on a HUMAN PRESSING A BUTTON AT THE START!

[cj]

Race 4 on Sunday at SA is a good example of when the button presser hits it too early. Clock started about a half second too soon.

[Jeff P]

At some point a track employee will push the button early enough that when you rewind the video to see where the field was when Trakus started timing the race:

The last horse will be not quite fully loaded into the gate.

And I wouldn't be at all shocked if someone in track management tried to sweep it under the rug by telling some reporter:

"I don't see what the big deal is. What's four seconds when they're going a mile and three eighths on the turf?"

Bound to happen.



-jp

.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

At some point a track employee will push the button early enough that when you rewind the video to see where the field was when Trakus started timing the race:

The last horse will be not quite fully loaded into the gate.

And I wouldn't be at all shocked if someone in track management tried to sweep it under the rug by telling some reporter:

"I don't see what the big deal is. What's four seconds when they're going a mile and three eighths on the turf?"

Bound to happen.



-jp

.

This almost happened in R1 at GP today as I posted in the other thread. There was supposedly 94 feet of run up, but the horses were still mostly inside the gate when timing began. Time is about 2.5 seconds too slow at all calls.

[Suff]

Originally Posted by cj

This almost happened in R1 at GP today as I posted in the other thread. There was supposedly 94 feet of run up, but the horses were still mostly inside the gate when timing began. Time is about 2.5 seconds too slow at all calls.

So the 23.9 first quarter was actually what? 21.4? Quick for the class.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Suff

So the 23.9 first quarter was actually what? 21.4? Quick for the class.

Yep, 21.44. A little on the quick side for that group even considering the 94 feet of run up and the very fast course. Gave it a 92 pace figure, About the equivalent of a 72 Beyer figure for that opening 1/4.

[Suff]

Originally Posted by cj

Yep, 21.44. A little on the quick side for that group even considering the 94 feet of run up and the very fast course. Gave it a 92 pace figure, About the equivalent of a 72 Beyer figure for that opening 1/4.

23.9 might of explained why the winner held on. But now knowing it was actually 21.4 , it wasn’t- held on-, in fact, it was -repelled two - in the stretch, nice horse.

[Suff]

Hinders the race caller too. He sets the stretch wrong.

[ubercapper]

Originally Posted by Mason

Equibase cant even get their damn carryover page right and yet we await a properly timed race weeks later? No thanks.

The only issue I'm aware of regarding the carryover page, and it was resolved immediately, was a jackpot hi-5 for Assiniboia didn't have "jackpot" displayed recently and that was fixed as soon as it was pointed out. That's the only carryover issue anyone has contacted me about in the last couple of months.



Feel free to send me a PM anytime if you see something.

[ubercapper]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

So Trakus timing systems are designed so that a person other than the starter manually pushes a separate button to activate race timing?

-jp

.

The button pushed has nothing to do with the timing.

[ubercapper]

Originally Posted by cj

Trakus actually does time the run up. The tracks won't let them make it public. And, of course, it wouldn't be accurate because it relies on a HUMAN PRESSING A BUTTON AT THE START!

This is incorrect and I'm not sure where this assumption came from.

[cj]

Originally Posted by ubercapper

This is incorrect and I'm not sure where this assumption came from.

I was told that from an employee of Trakus. I've seen the data myself years ago. They time from the press of the button, remove the run up portion, and the rest is made public.

If the reason isn't the tracks telling them they can't make it public I can't argue that. The person that told me is unfortunately no longer with us.

[ubercapper]

I think it's wrong because on rare occasion when the button is late it effects tracking, not timing.

[cj]

Originally Posted by ubercapper

I think it's wrong because on rare occasion when the button is late it effects tracking, not timing.

The examples I talked about with the 5.5f races at Santa Anita definitely had an effect on timing. Depending on when the button is pushed, it alters how much of the race is timed. The same thing happens when the button is pushed too early. It makes races look way too slow.

Even small misses with the button can cause meaningful errors between races because the horses are moving so slow at the start. I'm not blaming the person pushing the button at all. It is an impossible job to get right all the time even if it was the only job the person is doing, which we know it isn't.

[ubercapper]

Originally Posted by cj

The examples I talked about with the 5.5f races at Santa Anita definitely had an effect on timing. Depending on when the button is pushed, it alters how much of the race is timed. The same thing happens when the button is pushed too early. It makes races look way too slow.

Even small misses with the button can cause meaningful errors between races because the horses are moving so slow at the start. I'm not blaming the person pushing the button at all. It is an impossible job to get right all the time even if it was the only job the person is doing, which we know it isn't.

The buttons pressed by someone at the track are not for timing purposes. They are "ready" and "set" buttons for graphics.



Trakus Timing is pre-set well prior to the race based on a virtual start line. No one at the track has any input on the timing of the race.



The issue with these 5.5F T turf races is separate and apart from anything an operator of the Trakus system does at the track.