Deja Vu All Over Again

[Jeff P]

I want to begin this post by saying I did not have a bet in this race. But man, every once in a while a track photo just leaves me scratching my head.

EVD R9 5-7-2008
Watching the race live it looked to me like the #2 lasted over the #7 by about a head. Watching the first slow mo replay it looked like the #2 definitely got there first. The ground level slow mo replay showed the same thing- again - the #2 hitting the line first by about half a head.

Results of the photo?

#7

The official track photo shows the nose of the #7 about half an inch in front of the nose of the #2 at the cartooned in line.

This one just completely baffles me. Anyone else have an opinion?


-jp

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[ryesteve]

No EVD at Calracing. Is there anyplace to see a free replay?

[BillW]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

I want to begin this post by saying I did not have a bet in this race. But man, every once in a while a track photo just leaves me scratching my head.

EVD R9 5-7-2008
Watching the race live it looked to me like the #2 lasted over the #7 by about a head. Watching the first slow mo replay it looked like the #2 definitely got there first. The ground level slow mo replay showed the same thing- again - the #2 hitting the line first by about half a head.

Results of the photo?

#7

The official track photo shows the nose of the #7 about half an inch in front of the nose of the #2 at the cartooned in line.

This one just completely baffles me. Anyone else have an opinion?


-jp

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Did you judge from the mirror or the structure that looks like the finish line? The mirror is a few feet beyond.

[Jeff P]

Bill, of course I used the upright pole as my point of reference... you know... the thing that LOOKS like the finish line?

If the official line isn't at the pole, I'd really like to know where the official line actually is.

-jp

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[Burls]

It looked pretty obvious to me that it was the 2.

I didn't see a photo.

[BillW]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Bill, of course I used the upright pole as my point of reference... you know... the thing that LOOKS like the finish line?

If the official line isn't at the pole, I'd really like to know where the official line actually is.

-jp

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From the replay the mirror looks like it is about 2 or 3 feet beyond.

[fromtheroof]

The mirror is the finish line at every track, you wanna see a track that the mirror is a few feet past the pole, Indiana Downs.

[BMustang]

Originally Posted by fromtheroof

The mirror is the finish line at every track, you wanna see a track that the mirror is a few feet past the pole, Indiana Downs.

Indiana Downs is overtly not in parlance to the finish pole.

Case in point - the first race on the turf Tuesday night, May 6th. The 5 horse Flying Daggers was blocked all of the way, finally backed out of trouble and made a gallant effort to overtake the 9 Crashing Sandstorm.

To the casual observer it was a no-brainer, the 9 held on and the 5 came up short - Until they posted the result - 5-9. Sent many of us digging through the River Downs trash cans.

In watching the replay on the RD in house research monitor it became obvious that the race finished well beyond the "finish line." The mirrors are at least a good stride or more past the pole.

[Jeff P]

In watching the replay on the RD in house research monitor it became obvious that the race finished well beyond the "finish line." The mirrors are at least a good stride or more past the pole.

This brings me back to something that has always bothered me - not at Indiana Downs (I've never once bet a race there) - but at tracks in general.

Almost all tracks have some object marked to very much LOOK like a finish line. At most tracks there is paint on the rail nearing the line - and an upright pole exactly at the end of the paint. Some tracks (HAW for one) show a slow mo replay and FREEZE the action when the nose of the winning horse hits this point in space.

Apparently (from a reply in this thread) the mirror is the actual finish line and not the pole.

Some tracks have an actual overhead wire strung between two poles to look like a finish line... with mirrors a foot or two beyond the wire.

Question:

If in fact the mirror is the line and not the object (pole, wire, etc.) WHY can't ALL tracks put the mirror and the object at the same point in space so that they both line up to create a "no doubt in anyone's mind finish line?"

Think about it. This goes to public perception of our game. I LOVE this game and bet serious $$ almost every day of my life. If the way tracks do things causes me to question the integrity of the game - IMAGINE how the casual fan must see our game.

I would love to see finish lines standardized throughout the industry much the same way starting gates are now. Create a standard physical marker to clearly indicate the line. Mount a high speed digital video camera (very different than the current camera type used for track video) on the physical marker. Use a close up slow mo replay of the VIDEO to judge finishes instead of the archaic system currently in use.

If tracks did that IMHO it would go a long way towards improving public perception about the integrity of the game.


-jp

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[lamboguy]

i thought that the 7 won immediately, but i watch alot of evangeline. somehow assmussen seems to win the close ones.

[DJofSD]

Mount a high speed digital video camera (very different than the current camera type used for track video) on the physical marker.

As I've stated in other threads, if it's good enough for "Myth Busters" I think it'll work at the race track.

[john del riccio]

When I was a 17 year old kid, I took my POP to the meadowlands one summer night to watch the trotters... We were TB fans but it was a night out....


My POP bets the 10 in this race, we are sitting right on the finish line, he wins
by a long nose. I grab my POPs ticket and proceed to the window.

The put up a photo from like 1964 or something and the place went nuts. They ripped down TV moniotrs, started a fire in a few garbage cans and people were throwing stuff and generally going wild.

I went and got my POP and we left, never to return for the Trotters again....

Some things never change....

John

[richrosa]

I watched the race live. I bet the 6 who was a length behind and fading.

I was absolutely certain without a shred of a doubt that the 2 won the race but hesitated when John McGary said that it was too close to call. Someone interested in the outcome, not wanting the 7 to win, I waited for the official call and was dumbfounded when the 7 was shown. I didn't wait to see the photo.

[BillW]

Originally Posted by DJofSD

As I've stated in other threads, if it's good enough for "Myth Busters" I think it'll work at the race track.

It is really difficult to get faster than the shutterless photo finish camera now in use.

[DJofSD]

It is really difficult to get faster than the shutterless photo finish camera now in use.

That could very well be true. But I don't think the focus of the change is to improve the technical specs.

To be crude about it, the old way is analog while what I think most people would like to see being used is all digital. Digital imagining has a lot of advantages the least of which is quick and ready access to the images as any one who is using a digital camera already knows. (And believe me, I've got a lot of money sunk into film cameras and dark room equipment that is for all intents and purposes just so much junk now.)