Mr. Lopez,
Scratch Manager takes all your daily BRIS files, then grabs Equibase scratches, jockey, and surface changes and then re-writes new and improved BRIS files. These new BRIS files contain all available scratches, surface changes, jockey changes, new post positions, and new correct jockey statistics.
Scratch Manager depends on information in the .XML scratch file created by Equibase for all changes made to your the BRIS files. If Equibase enters incorrect scratch data into the .XML file, then Scratch Manager will make incorrect scratches based on the false data. This happens very infrequently. I have only heard of this happening a few times a year.
Unfortunately, Equibase incorrectly listed both Dynamic Impact and Global Strike as scratches in Keenland's 9th race. You can verify this by opening Scratch Manager and grabbing today's Equibase scratch information and looking at Keenland's 9th race.
For comparison, if the original BRIS file incorrectly contained data that made the Illinois Derby a Turf race, then all handicapping software would make selections as if the race was on the Turf. No handicapping software could possibly know the race was on the dirt.
The old computer adage that states "Garbage in - Garbage out" applies here.
==================================================
Following is a portion of the text from today's Equibase Scratch .XML file dated April 19, 2014. Notice both horses were listed as scratches at Keenland in the 9th race.
- <track track_name="
KEENELAND" id="KEE" country="USA">
- <
race race_number="9">
- <race_changes>
- <change>
<change_description>Current All Weather Track Condition</change_description>
<old_value />
<new_value>Fast</new_value>
<date_changed>2014-04-19 12:07:40.68</date_changed>
</change>
</race_changes>
- <start_changes>
- <horse horse_name="
Dynamic Impact" program_number="3">
- <change>
<change_description>Scratched</change_description>
<old_value>N</old_value>
<new_value>Y</new_value>
<date_changed>2014-04-19 09:22:26.746</date_changed>
</change>
- <change>
<change_description>Scratch Reason</change_description>
<old_value />
<new_value>Trainer</new_value>
<date_changed>2014-04-19 09:22:26.746</date_changed>
</change>
</horse>
- <horse horse_name="Morning Calm" program_number="9">
- <change>
<change_description>Scratched</change_description>
<old_value>N</old_value>
<new_value>Y</new_value>
<date_changed>2014-04-19 09:22:26.746</date_changed>
</change>
- <change>
<change_description>Scratch Reason</change_description>
<old_value />
<new_value>Trainer</new_value>
<date_changed>2014-04-19 09:22:26.746</date_changed>
</change>
</horse>
- <horse horse_name="
Global Strike" program_number="11">
- <change>
<change_description>Scratched</change_description>
<old_value>N</old_value>
<new_value>Y</new_value>
<date_changed>2014-04-19 11:00:33.846</date_changed>
</change>
- <change>
<change_description>Scratch Reason</change_description>
<old_value />
<new_value>Reason Unavailable</new_value>
<date_changed>2014-04-19 11:00:33.846</date_changed>
</change>
- <change>
<change_description>Scratch Reason</change_description>
<old_value>Reason Unavailable</old_value>
<new_value>Trainer</new_value>
<date_changed>2014-04-19 12:09:39.583</date_changed>
</change>
</horse>
</start_changes>
<wager_cancellations />
</race>
==================================================
Many users have used Scratch Manager for the last couple of years and processed over 70,000 races. There has never been any reports of a programming error in Scratch Manager....
Gene,
scratchmanager.com
