Quote:
Originally Posted by classhandicapper
Setting aside that ideal, what would have been the best outcome?
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best outcome/or course of action? - Treat scratching and/or purse-money-only situations as Serious things.
Take few moments to discuss it.
They should have the stewards vote on it, and then have a person who actually knows racing and betting (not a steward obviously) have the power to consider their recommendation and then over-rule it.
Obviously if a horse isn't fit to be a part of wagering, he shouldn't be risking it's life, or other horses in the field, screwing up the running and betting of the race. Or in this case, if the horse is perfectly fine and the owners are running for the purse they are favored to get a good chunk of - the betting should not be affected.
then some of those few people who actually know horse racing should have an ongoing qualification/tutoring relationship with the stewards.
things like our goofy open-to-interpretation rulings on 'cost someone a minor placing' vs 'was much the best' , or 'broke through the gate prior to the start', or 'herded in the lane' or 'took out rival at start' or 'ran in company with super stablemate until the turn which he took personal shots at Bill Lambier for being the best screen-setter of all time' , etc... etc... etc...
these things in the best course of action would have competent judges, and the decisions would be base on an ever improving set of protocol/standard-operating-procedure, and not weigh heavily/randomly on whether the connections of the horse involved are VIPS
but that's way beyond reality, or what someone on a message board cares to read
EDIT - the tote system does in fact stink
EDIT2 - CALI has done lots of boneheaded things
EDIT3 - Beyond technology, and region - We have incompetent people making these decisions in every jurisdiction. I don't want to say 'stupid' people, but what they are is ignorant to the correct and consistent way of handling protocol, and they are either simply clueless on that basis, or they even have added bias of emotion and of a power-dynamic of who they are dealing with.
We could have Alien Matrix technology, and we'd be just as screwed with these stooges, and racing's lack of emphasis on bettering it.
A lot of it really is like a dice roll once it gets to that point. You handicap, you get fortunate enough that the horses run their races this time and it works out similar to what you foresaw... then *FLAG* ... Now all your confidence is gone and it's a totally new random realm of outcome.
). I don't think that distinction works.
