Today's "no race" at Parx

[AstrosFan]

All the best to jockey Mychel Sanchez with that hard fall in the 7th at Parx.

He fell so hard that his helmet cover came off after watching the replay!


Just a general question, why the no race, when this happened 150 yards past the wire?

[TiffaniO]

Originally Posted by AstrosFan

All the best to jockey Mychel Sanchez with that hard fall in the 7th at Parx.

He fell so hard that his helmet cover came off after watching the replay!


Just a general question, why the no race, when this happened 150 yards past the wire?

It was because the turf course is narrow and it would be unsafe to have the whole field pulling up and tying to avoid the fallen rider.

[zawaaa]

Originally Posted by AstrosFan

Just a general question, why the no race, when this happened 150 yards past the wire?

well, the jockey wasn't conscious, the horse had broken down, if it was an overreaction it wasn't an unreasonable one.

[zawaaa]

the turf course was in really terrible condition, btw

merely putting the temporary rail out to 22 feet wasn't hazard enough, i guess

[onefast99]

Originally Posted by zawaaa

the turf course was in really terrible condition, btw

merely putting the temporary rail out to 22 feet wasn't hazard enough, i guess

No rain in quite sometime and the turf course there is generally in very rough shape. I always wondered why the tracks do not use sprinkler systems to keep them irrigated.

[Al Gobbi]

Twitter

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by zawaaa

the turf course was in really terrible condition, btw

merely putting the temporary rail out to 22 feet wasn't hazard enough, i guess

While breakdowns don't happen every year, the last month or so of turf racing at Parx is usually more on brown dirt with patches of grass than anything else. The course there just can't handle five months of turf racing. They've worked on it and replanted but it hasn't really improved much.

[jwcomposer]

Since Equibase did not publish a chart for the race, here are my comments for those who want them for their personal records (mind this is from the replay, unofficial, and well after the fact):

start: 3 1 9 6 4 2 5 8 10
1/4: 6-1 9-1h 4-1 1-3h 3-1 2-h 5-2 8-4 10
1/2: 6-hd 9-1h 1-3 2-h 5-1 3-hd 8-4 10
3/4: 9-nk 6-t 1-5 2-h 5-1 8-4h 3-2 10

VINCEREMOS broke sharply from the outside and advanced to duel for the lead at the three-quarter pole, was placed in the three-path where better ground availed until sticking a head in front at the half-mile pole, put his inside foe away nearing the quarter pole and looked a strong winner off the home turn before all runners were flagged down by the outriders out of concern for the safety of a fallen rider who lay just beyond the winning post. SINATRA saved ground from astern, angled out from in traffic upon entering the far turn, circled up three-wide nearing the quarter pole to steadily gain position and ground, advanced as well as third nearing the turn for home before the race was stopped, but looked able to take second by the eighth pole. RAPO stalked the top flight comfortably, angled off the rail midway on the far turn and made a bid easily into second, and maintained his one pace while an outside rival loomed to challenge for that spot before the race was abandoned at head-stretch. BRANDED HAND was rated off a contested early pace, was headed for fourth at the half-mile pole, held his ground on the far turn and worked closer to the top flight, angled around a tiring pacesetter at head-stretch, and looked even upon cornering. WHITFIELDS RETURN was urged between horses to take the lead with just over a circuit to go, faced pressure from and dueled with VINCEREMOS from the three-quarter pole on, gave way at the quarter pole with little fight, and faded. BROAD AXE BERNIE – checked in mid-division at the three-quarter pole behind a stumbling rival, was carried to the three path, vied for fourth spot well off the top trio nearing the three-eighths pole, but failed to sustain his bid beyond the quarter pole. CRAFTY TIME failed to menace. SUNSET DISTRICT broke a step slowly and was never a factor. SHAKE THINGS UP broke well between runners, stalked the top pair in the two-path toward the 6-1/2 furlong pole, stumbled badly and unseated his rider on entry to the clubhouse turn.

[onefast99]

Originally Posted by jwcomposer

Since Equibase did not publish a chart for the race, here are my comments for those who want them for their personal records (mind this is from the replay, unofficial, and well after the fact):

start: 3 1 9 6 4 2 5 8 10
1/4: 6-1 9-1h 4-1 1-3h 3-1 2-h 5-2 8-4 10
1/2: 6-hd 9-1h 1-3 2-h 5-1 3-hd 8-4 10
3/4: 9-nk 6-t 1-5 2-h 5-1 8-4h 3-2 10

VINCEREMOS broke sharply from the outside and advanced to duel for the lead at the three-quarter pole, was placed in the three-path where better ground availed until sticking a head in front at the half-mile pole, put his inside foe away nearing the quarter pole and looked a strong winner off the home turn before all runners were flagged down by the outriders out of concern for the safety of a fallen rider who lay just beyond the winning post. SINATRA saved ground from astern, angled out from in traffic upon entering the far turn, circled up three-wide nearing the quarter pole to steadily gain position and ground, advanced as well as third nearing the turn for home before the race was stopped, but looked able to take second by the eighth pole. RAPO stalked the top flight comfortably, angled off the rail midway on the far turn and made a bid easily into second, and maintained his one pace while an outside rival loomed to challenge for that spot before the race was abandoned at head-stretch. BRANDED HAND was rated off a contested early pace, was headed for fourth at the half-mile pole, held his ground on the far turn and worked closer to the top flight, angled around a tiring pacesetter at head-stretch, and looked even upon cornering. WHITFIELDS RETURN was urged between horses to take the lead with just over a circuit to go, faced pressure from and dueled with VINCEREMOS from the three-quarter pole on, gave way at the quarter pole with little fight, and faded. BROAD AXE BERNIE – checked in mid-division at the three-quarter pole behind a stumbling rival, was carried to the three path, vied for fourth spot well off the top trio nearing the three-eighths pole, but failed to sustain his bid beyond the quarter pole. CRAFTY TIME failed to menace. SUNSET DISTRICT broke a step slowly and was never a factor. SHAKE THINGS UP broke well between runners, stalked the top pair in the two-path toward the 6-1/2 furlong pole, stumbled badly and unseated his rider on entry to the clubhouse turn.

I have never seen race comments in such detail, normally each horse gets about 10 to 15 words to describe the race. It looks more like a movie script but it did describe in much detail the race.

[jwcomposer]

Or, in this case, the non-race.

[Elliott Sidewater]

Superb job describing what happened. Equibase should hire jwcomposer on the spot. With chart comments like these, one could dispense with watching video replays to determine how a track was playing. Instead, what we get at Parx is a veteran chart caller who is more concerned with documenting his annoyance from delayed post times than he is interested in providing good chart comments.

The current chart caller would not be out of work though............TVG is hiring, and he'd fit right in!!

[jwcomposer]

Thanks, ES, but happily (and steadily) employed as the chart-caller for the trotters 31 miles SW. Wrote similar for the Meadowlands for the Sports Eye for years while I was still on the airwaves, too, and ran the old HarnessTripNotes.com, but tired of and being away from family for too many weekends a year.

[onefast99]

Originally Posted by jwcomposer

Thanks, ES, but happily (and steadily) employed as the chart-caller for the trotters 31 miles SW. Wrote similar for the Meadowlands for the Sports Eye for years while I was still on the airwaves, too, and ran the old HarnessTripNotes.com, but tired of and being away from family for too many weekends a year.

Any update on the jock? Nice kid he rode for me a few times at Penn.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by onefast99

No rain in quite sometime and the turf course there is generally in very rough shape. I always wondered why the tracks do not use sprinkler systems to keep them irrigated.

NYRA irrigates its turf courses regularly.
I do not know why other racing managements do not regularly irrigate.
Most tracks have ponds in the track infield.
And how hard is it to have a few wells drilled for irrigation?