Today's Daily NYRA Fiasco

[Sheffwed]

Originally Posted by the little guy

Unlike in real world situations, all you need is an internet connection to be an on-line expert on things you don't understand. Facts? Of little to no consequence.

HK isn't the real world?

The turf courses in NY State have adequate drainage?

Facts? Fantasy? Poor planning?

Oh and here's Russ Harris's old piece on the need for a Turf tarpaulin - from the late 90s, referring to his first thoughts on this in 1959!

How long has NYRA had lower handle on turf races taken off the turf that didn't need to be? how much does that loss of handle add up to over the last generation of racing, especially at Saratoga?

love those off the turf days, don't we all

https://www.baltimoresun.com/nydn-ar...162-story.html

[the little guy]

The less you know, the more you seem intent on embarrassing yourself. Don't let me stop you. You are endless entertainment for many people.

[ScottJ]

Originally Posted by Sheffwed

Oh and here's Russ Harris's old piece on the need for a Turf tarpaulin - from the late 90s, referring to his first thoughts on this in 1959!

How long has NYRA had lower handle on turf races taken off the turf that didn't need to be? how much does that loss of handle add up to over the last generation of racing, especially at Saratoga?

love those off the turf days, don't we all

https://www.baltimoresun.com/nydn-ar...162-story.html

Have you ever done the mathematical calculation for how many baseball infield tarpaulins are needed to cover one of the NYRA turf courses that is one mile around and (to keep the numbers easy) one hundred feet wide?

Effectively, this is 5280 feet x 100 feet = 528,000 square feet to cover.

If you figure that a baseball tarpaulin is 120 feet on edge, that results in 14,400 square feet of coverage.

Hence, to cover a turf course as suggested, you need approximately 36 tarps to be laid down, picked up, stored, and serviced. Yes, 36.

Now, if we could have a 30-man crew with limitless energy that could countinually do this work and each tarp required 15 minutes to install (given that they are all around the track), you would need 9 hours to lay them down and another 9 hours to pick them up.

But you knew this.

[cj]

Not to mention nobody is tarping the grass on a baseball field, it is for the dirt. I'm sure there are reasons for that, namely that grass part of the field has great drainage.

[lamboguy]

this thread is getting very bazaar. if you put tarp over grass, the grass will be gone. grass needs to breathe, it will burn and you will have no turf at all if you decide to cover it up.

i really see no reason to change the system. i wouldn't go to synthetic surfaces either, the horses get hind-end injuries from the synthetic surfaces and the horses never come back the same off of those injuries.

[Sheffwed]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

this thread is getting very bazaar. if you put tarp over grass, the grass will be gone. grass needs to breathe, it will burn and you will have no turf at all if you decide to cover it up.

i really see no reason to change the system. i wouldn't go to synthetic surfaces either, the horses get hind-end injuries from the synthetic surfaces and the horses never come back the same off of those injuries.

NYRA actually did eventually start using tarps, long after Russ Harris sadly left us

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-rac...n-grass-racing

Should have been called the Russ Harris Memorial Tarpaulin or similar

and what are we getting wrong TLG?

PS Whenever there's a real world problem pointed out, like a clear lack of sophistication in NYRA turf courses drainage vs HK or many other jurisidictions globally, there are three possible responses a) acceptance and a robust plan (ideal, to at least consider), b) an incrementalist response (which is usually insufficient, but something to at least make it seem like there's a possible plan forthcoming), or c) denial - worse in this case would be denial that there is even an issue at all

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Sheffwed

NYRA actually did eventually start using tarps, long after Russ Harris sadly left us

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-rac...n-grass-racing

Should have been called the Russ Harris Memorial Tarpaulin or similar

and what are we getting wrong TLG?

Those aren't waterproof tarps.

Waterproof tarps can't be left on for long, as lamboguy pointed out.

These (probably fair lighter) coverings were put on once, kept in place for a while, then removed. So a once a year process for whatever track they are using them on.

Something very different from needing a crew ready at a moments notice to lay out then remove 17 miles of tarp every time it rains...

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Those aren't waterproof tarps.

Waterproof tarps can't be left on for long, as lamboguy pointed out.

These (probably fair lighter) coverings were put on once, kept in place for a while, then removed. So a once a year process for whatever track they are using them on.

Something very different from needing a crew ready at a moments notice to lay out then remove 17 miles of tarp every time it rains...

Those are coverings to promote growth as we go through the Winter and into Spring. Any idiot, save Shefwed, can see the difference this makes every year once they are removed. It's also something we frequently discuss on air. That "tarp" is actually hundreds of pieces.

His incredible ability to continuously play the authority about things, even simple things, he literally knows nothing about is truly remarkable. Wait until he finds out they race twice a week in Hong Kong, and only once a week on each track. Then again, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

[Tom]

Couldn't they use the same huge crew they need to stand by to start the generators anytime a branch falls on Union Avvenue?

[classhandicapper]

My lawn right near Belmont park is a mess.

Can someone explain to me how they keep the turf course free of dandelions, crab grass, clover, and other weeds or should I ask someone in Hong Kong?

[Tom]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

My lawn right near Belmont park is a mess.

Can someone explain to me how they keep the turf course free of dandelions, crab grass, clover, and other weeds or should I ask someone in Hong Kong?

Buy some horses and let them run over your lawn every day.

[ClockersCorner]

I’ve gotten a bit lost here.
Is Saratoga a nice place to go for a day at the races or not?

[Hambletonian]

Originally Posted by ClockersCorner

I’ve gotten a bit lost here.
Is Saratoga a nice place to go for a day at the races or not?

Yes

[Tom]

It is something you will never regret seeing.

Stand at the finish line and soak up the histoory
that took place right there.

Then turn atound and get a bowl of the red chowder.

[must ache]

Originally Posted by Bustin Stones

Some here have accused me of being anti NYRA. My position is that I'm opposed to all businesses that extract subsidies from their public unless they provide a function to all citizens subsidizing that operation. To me, this doesn't seem like a complex ideal.

man, you must be opposed to pretty much every business then.

Originally Posted by the little guy

This is a load of crap. New York is the epicenter of horse racing in this country. Kentucky leads the country, if not the world, in breeding, but there is a higher concentration of important races in NY. This isn't realistically debatable.

Andy, I am a fan of your commentary but this type of attitude is exactly why the rest of the country dislikes New Yorkers.