Adios to the Yonkers passing lane

[cj]

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[titans1127]

Hoping this gets approved and the racing gets a little better as a result. The less line ups, the better.

[VigorsTheGrey]

What is so bad about a passing lane..? Doesn't it make for a more level playing field so that pressers have a chance without being blocked...?
Isn't that why they created it in the first place..?

[titans1127]

Originally Posted by VigorsTheGrey

What is so bad about a passing lane..? Doesn't it make for a more level playing field so that pressers have a chance without being blocked...?
Isn't that why they created it in the first place..?

Problem at Yonkers is the line up single file for 3/4th of the race. It allows favorites to dominate and front end speed will hold up as no one makes any moves to press the front end. The stretch being 660 feet long before they shortened it over the summer contributed to these issues as well. Everyone would just stay on the pylons and wait for the passing lane to make a move.

Time will tell before knowing if this will work but at least they’re giving it a shot.

[VigorsTheGrey]

Originally Posted by titans1127

Problem at Yonkers is the line up single file for 3/4th of the race. It allows favorites to dominate and front end speed will hold up as no one makes any moves to press the front end. The stretch being 660 feet long before they shortened it over the summer contributed to these issues as well. Everyone would just stay on the pylons and wait for the passing lane to make a move.

Time will tell before knowing if this will work but at least they’re giving it a shot.

Interesting, thanks for your reply...I understand now.
Would you happen to know on these charts what the payout for exacta, tri, super, p3 p4 are the base wagers...$2...? $1...? Kind of confusing..https://racing.ustrotting.com/chart.aspx

[MONEY]

Originally Posted by VigorsTheGrey

Interesting, thanks for your reply...I understand now.
Would you happen to know on these charts what the payout for exacta, tri, super, p3 p4 are the base wagers...$2...? $1...? Kind of confusing..https://racing.ustrotting.com/chart.aspx

The USTA site gives you $2. prices at one track $1. prices at another track and a mix
of 10 cent supers, 50 tris/P3/P4/P5, $1. & $2, payouts at other tracks.

USTA also subtracts a surcharge or something from some of the payouts.
Check today's Monticello, USTA is 30 cents short on most of the payouts.

For Harness prices I use,
http://www.trackinfo.com/tracks-bree...ts.jsp?breed=g

[VigorsTheGrey]

Originally Posted by MONEY

The USTA site gives you $2. prices at one track $1. prices at another track and a mix
of 10 cent supers, 50 tris/P3/P4/P5, $1. & $2, payouts at other tracks.

USTA also subtracts a surcharge or something from some of the payouts.
Check today's Monticello, USTA is 30 cents short on most of the payouts.

For Harness prices I use,
http://www.trackinfo.com/tracks-bree...ts.jsp?breed=g

Thanks Money, no wonder I was confused with the USTA site...I added trackinfo.com to Cool Racing Links

[chaz63]

Yaaaaaaaay! The beginning of the end for an idea that has killed SO MUCH of harness racing! Good riddance!

[VigorsTheGrey]

https://extra.betamerica.com/post-ti...s-show-122117/

Passing lane discussions

[Ray2000]

Originally Posted by VigorsTheGrey

https://extra.betamerica.com/post-ti...s-show-122117/

Passing lane discussions

I haven't listened to it yet, so I don't know if they talked about this ...
Another discussion with Director of Racing Cammie Haughton (DRF newsletter) brought up the car speed at the start of the race as an issue. Slowing the car down would allow outside horses more of a chance to accelerate and encourage more horses to leave.

Not sure I buy it.

[wilderness]

Originally Posted by MONEY

The USTA site gives you $2. prices at one track $1. prices at another track and a mix
of 10 cent supers, 50 tris/P3/P4/P5, $1. & $2, payouts at other tracks.

USTA also subtracts a surcharge or something from some of the payouts.
Check today's Monticello, USTA is 30 cents short on most of the payouts.

For Harness prices I use,
http://www.trackinfo.com/tracks-bree...ts.jsp?breed=g

FWIW, the USTA may only use the data (they do not edit and confirm) that is entered into the USTA's data system by the clerk of the track.
Possibly, there is room for standard rules of data entry, however that might require board approval.

[HWIG]

I was there at Maywood Park when the the open stretch was introduced.
I believe it was the first track to race with the pylons.
It really opened up 1/2 mile racing.
Horses at Maywood would move a lot on the backstretch and horses on
the rail had no chance once locked into the rail.
You are going to find this happening again at Yonkers when your horse is
locked in with nowhere to go.
I am sad to see it removed.

[Postime]

I agree removing passing lane is a mistake, at least now the horse's locked on the rail by dead horse's 1st and 2nd over can come up the passing lane and have a chance to win. This only favors the lead horse more and a 1st quarter battle that the outside horse's can't win 75% of the time.The best Horse's in the game can't go parked 4 turns on that track and win.

[pandy]

The passing lane is one of those things that sounded like a good idea but the negative far outweighed the positive. We have to remember that the harness tracks in NY used to be big business and during that time they did not have a passing lane.

That being said, removing the passing lane is a baby step. The steel sulkies are the "innovation" that caused the most damage to the movement and product, not the passing lane.

Yonkers is also considering using a slanted starting gate, which does help. So if they have a slanted gate and no passing lane, that should be an improvement, but I still don't see it as being enough. The bottom line is, half mile harness racing going one mile with the steel bikes just isn't very good racing. It's dominated by inside speed horses and favorites win too often (42% at Yonkers). If they want to keep using the steel sulkies, the really should be racing at longer distances than a mile so it's not as easy to go wire to wire.

[wilderness]

Hey Bob,
You've been on this sulky-bend for some years now.
FWIW, it's totally irrelevant.

The sulkies may have some partial influence, however the wheels and a part of the wheels are the real innovation, and that is never even mentioned by the industry.
There should be a required designation if the PP's.

Many drivers are using race bikes that cost 5-7k or more. The driver that uses a lesser quality bike has no chance of competing, and neither (advantage of disadvantage) is mentioned in the PP's.

We already have piles of useless data in PP's, and where on earth would they add five more lines (or more) for equipment.

I'm an old-timer and grew up being used to seeing 'BE' in the lines, however just recently noticed that it's no longer shown in the race lines, rather off to the right in the comments section. IMO a piss-poor placing of that designation.