Apparently, Arlington has rented the Gulfstream timer

[PhantomOnTour]

Originally Posted by davew

I wish time of races started when gates open rather than when the first horse passed the electronic eye a little ways up the track - some horses are already 3 lengths behind.

I understand the desire to be able to have the starting gate at variable locations for the same location, especially for turf races as I imagine the original surges at thst start are probably rough on the turf.

Exactly...seems a lot less prone to error (something tripping the timing beam)if the timer began when the bell rang and the gates sprang.
Agree on the turf issue also...just provide data describing how far the gate was moved.

Ofcourse your fractional splits would have to be activated by a timing beam, but we would have a true final timing of the race from the actual start to the finish.

[cj]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

Yesterday I followed up with Dave regarding that last comment left by cj regarding the main track. He wasn't aware of any problems but did check with their timer. The response is that other than one race which had some kind of timer malfunction or a faulty fractional trip, they weren't aware of any main track issues with the timing. Again, Dave can be reached directly for further clarification.

The turf stuff is bad, but at least it seems like they are trying. The above though, well, sounds like a lot of hot air to me. One race on rubber? Really?

Here is what I see in the charts:

Rubber Track:
June 10th, Race 2, No 1/2 mile fraction
June 20th, Race 1, No 1/2 mile fraction
June 20th, Race 6, No 1/4 mile fraction
June 20th, Race 9, No 1/2 mile fraction
June 27th, Race 3, No 1/2 mile fraction (and add in either the final time or the 3/4 fraction is a joke, unless you believe they ran the last 1/4 in a tick under 31 SECONDS!)

Grass Track:
June 10th, Race 3, No Fractions or final time, (HILARIOUS)

I will try to reach Dave tomorrow, but in all honesty, I'm getting sick and tired of being quality control for racetracks.

[ArlJim78]

I figured you would have some examples, that's why I brought it up to him. I agree 100%. This is basic stuff here. Everyone can understand a component failure or other random act of god, but to routinely distribute data with obvious errors or missing fractions is inexcusable.

Another way to look at it, do they accept the same degree of inaccuracy and incompleteness from the tellers and cashiers when they total out their tills at the end of the day?

Not just picking on Arlington because from what I hear it happens all over.

[cj]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

Not just picking on Arlington because from what I hear it happens all over.

It does, but in all honesty, most of the other tracks where this happens, save Gulfstream, are far lower in class. A few examples are Lone Star, Evangeline Downs, Ruidoso, and Boise (I know, who cares) may as well just make times up. But I guess I've just kind of given up on those and others. Arlington should be better.

[Tom]

The bottom line is this is a joke of a game,.
One cannot call it professional by any stretch of the imagination.

Even with Trakus the MORONS who run racing have no clue.
I think we might be off with far less than half the tracks closing up shop - all we really need is 3 or 4 well run tracks to cover the entire country. Face it, high school sports are FAR more hi tech and better run than many race tracks. When you look at how far most pro sports have come technology-wise,then you look at racing and we have regressed back to the Pittsburg Phil days, where the only information you can trust is your own private clockers, because horse racing is too stupid to know how to time a........FRIGGIN RACE!!!

Looking at 3 horse field coming up at PM......gee, this game is just so danged entertaining! And a $100 grand race, too.

I gotta have my head examined to even bother with this stupid game.
This could be the year.

[bigmack]

Originally Posted by Tom

The bottom line is this is a joke of a game,.
One cannot call it professional by any stretch of the imagination.

Mind boggling. As with the other timing brouhaha, I can't figure out how it is cj is the only fig guy calling attention to it. Funny HDW isn't hounding this caper as well.

Imprecise times are NOT negotiable. What is this, All Star Wrestling?

This dysfunctional game needs a czar er somethin'.

[Tom]

Come on, WWE is far more hi-tech than racing ever will be!
I just watched Smackdown and Prairie Meadows, afterward.......no comparsion what was more entertaining.

[Striker]

At least Dooley isn't even wasting his time announcing them anymore, like today's 5th race. The 1st 1/4 mile came up 20 and 3/5. He was about to announce it and then thought better of it, and didn't. In the chart you obviously have a N/A for this 1/4.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Striker

At least Dooley isn't even wasting his time announcing them anymore, like today's 5th race. The 1st 1/4 mile came up 20 and 3/5. He was about to announce it and then thought better of it, and didn't. In the chart you obviously have a N/A for this 1/4.

The rest of the times for the race won't be reliable either. Congratulations Arlington, you are now on par with Boise and Will Rogers.

[thaskalos]

While handicapping today's (Sunday's) 7th race at Arlington...I couldn't help but notice the May 26th race of the #5 horse Here Qui Go Again (second from the top).

The race was run at a mile on Arlington's turf course, with the fractions of :25.8 - :52.0 - 1.17.6 - 1:40.2...meaning that the individual quarters were run in 25.8 - 26.2 - 25.6 - 22.6 !!

What's a 21st century pace handicapper to do?

[illinoisbred]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

While handicapping today's (Sunday's) 7th race at Arlington...I couldn't help but notice the May 26th race of the #5 horse Here Qui Go Again (second from the top).

The race was run at a mile on Arlington's turf course, with the fractions of :25.8 - :52.0 - 1.17.6 - 1:40.2...meaning that the individual quarters were run in 25.8 - 26.2 - 25.6 - 22.6 !!

What's a 21st century pace handicapper to do?

The race you cite is totally whacked. I hand timed the race 6 times and all efforts came up with a final time between 1:38.09 -1:38.62. Way too difficult to obtain the fractions with the obstruction of the "little woods" and camera angles. Best to disregard the race altogether. I have to say its been a nightmarish meet for those of us concerned about accurate timing of ALL races,poly and turf.

[Tom]

What's a 21st century pace handicapper to do?

Don't support tracks that don't support you.
With simulcasting, no one has to accept this kind of slap in the face from any two-bit track.

I wouldn't play AP with your bankroll.

[cj]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

While handicapping today's (Sunday's) 7th race at Arlington...I couldn't help but notice the May 26th race of the #5 horse Here Qui Go Again (second from the top).

The race was run at a mile on Arlington's turf course, with the fractions of :25.8 - :52.0 - 1.17.6 - 1:40.2...meaning that the individual quarters were run in 25.8 - 26.2 - 25.6 - 22.6 !!

What's a 21st century pace handicapper to do?

That is a good one, but I'm not sure the 31 second final 1/4 from a few days ago can be topped. We have people not far from that speed.

[illinoisbred]

Originally Posted by cj

That is a good one, but I'm not sure the 31 second final 1/4 from a few days ago can be topped. We have people not far from that speed.

The 3rd race from last wednesday's card? Yeah,very dubious considering the 1/2 came up as 43.1 before it was taken down.

[Valuist]

Originally Posted by illinoisbred

The race you cite is totally whacked. I hand timed the race 6 times and all efforts came up with a final time between 1:38.09 -1:38.62. Way too difficult to obtain the fractions with the obstruction of the "little woods" and camera angles. Best to disregard the race altogether. I have to say its been a nightmarish meet for those of us concerned about accurate timing of ALL races,poly and turf.

I hand timed the final 3/8th a couple times with my cell phone. Certainly not 100% accurate but I got the same clocking in both instances: 35.0. That 22 and change may not be far off. Lets face it, they crawled so slowly for most of the race, little energy had been expended. One thing we can all agree on: the race shape was very slow early/fast late.