Belmont does the right thing - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

Pensacola Pete · 07-01-2016, 07:22 PM

(Alternate title: "Belmont gets unexpected janitor service after the 8th race")

In the 8th race, #3, Paige was incorrectly placed 4th, and the race was made official and bets paid.

Actually, #2 finished 4th, but after the race had already been made official.

About 20 minutes later, the announcer explained the mistake and announced that superfectas with both #3 and #2 in fourth would be honored and paid. The announcer later added that the superfectas would be recalculated to pay all four superfecta combinations (there was a dead-heat for second). I don't know if Belmont will pay the entire pool twice, or if bettors of the actual winning combination will only get half of what they should have.

I would assume that online bets would be settled and/or adjusted automatically, but can you imagine the number of stoopers running around at the track looking for tickets?

EMD4ME · 07-01-2016, 07:36 PM

I calculate 12 nationwide (stoppers)!

Pensacola Pete · 07-01-2016, 07:39 PM

Offhand, I would venture that Belmont will take the loss of about $50,000 and pay the pool twice, since bets were already settled, and since taking money out of accounts (and out of the hands of winning ticket holders at the track and at simulcast centers would be unwieldy, at bets.

The original payouts were $138.40 and $138.00, noting the dead-heat for second. The adjusted payouts should be similar if Belmont ponies up (pun intended) the $50k or so.

Tape Reader · 07-01-2016, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EMD4ME

I calculate 12 nationwide (stoppers)!

Stoopers…

Saratoga has a regular in the clubhouse. Often wondered how he did. On my first visit to Tampa bay, I saw him in the clubhouse. I think agility, toe flip, and memory must be the key.

EMD4ME · 07-01-2016, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tape Reader

Stoopers…

Saratoga has a regular in the clubhouse. Often wondered how he did. On my first visit to Tampa bay, I saw him in the clubhouse. I think agility, toe flip, and memory must be the key.

It's a talent, know 1 of the pros of pros.

Has a scorecard of many tracks in his back pocket, knows all scratches, results etc. He checks all tickets and wrips them up so he doesn't check a ticket twice.

He's a crazy soul, I stay away all I can when I see him. Very hyper.

Business has been down for him in the past decade but he always finds a way to attend Kee and the SPA....

Pensacola Pete · 07-01-2016, 10:30 PM

It looks like Belmont did pay the superfecta twice. The original payouts stayed the same, and the additional superfecta payouts (with #2 fourth) were $117 and $114. The lower payouts are logical with full-pool because the trifectas paid in the $50 range, and #2 was shorter in the odds than #3. There was only one other horse in the race, and it was the longshot of the field.

Tape Reader · 07-01-2016, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EMD4ME

It's a talent, know 1 of the pros of pros.

Has a scorecard of many tracks in his back pocket, knows all scratches, results etc. He checks all tickets and wrips them up so he doesn't check a ticket twice.

He's a crazy soul, I stay away all I can when I see him. Very hyper.

Business has been down for him in the past decade but he always finds a way to attend Kee and the SPA....

The Guy that I see is a handsome man with over all good dressing. It looks so peculiar when I see him dipping into the trash.

But then again, who am I to judge; I bet off the tote board.

EMD4ME · 07-01-2016, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tape Reader

The Guy that I see is a handsome man with over all good dressing. It looks so peculiar when I see him dipping into the trash.

But then again, who am I to judge; I bet off the tote board.

There are some people out there.........who pick up tickets because they are so far ahead for the year that they need the losing tickets.

Never judge

thespaah · 07-01-2016, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tape Reader

Stoopers…

Saratoga has a regular in the clubhouse. Often wondered how he did. On my first visit to Tampa bay, I saw him in the clubhouse. I think agility, toe flip, and memory must be the key.

Is it the guy that checks the trash cans for tickets as well?
If so , i think I have seen him myself.
I hang out in the rear of the clubhouse near the top of the iron stairs that start at the entrance to the Carosel Restaurant.
There is this rather unkempt fellow who checks every trash can, and every square foot of the floor for discarded tickets. He has an Evelyn Woodsian ability to scan the ducats and toss them aside in an instant...

AltonKelsey · 07-02-2016, 01:09 AM

While we mock the 'nuts' , these guys have a much better chance of turning a net profit for the year than most horseplayers.

Tom · 07-02-2016, 07:51 AM

Looks like Finger Lakes will getting a new steward?

Are they using the teletimer to call the finishes now?

Parkview_Pirate · 07-02-2016, 04:58 PM

Stoopers were a minor irritation until self-service machines came along. Then they became a pain, clogging up a machine while they fed in dozens of tickets. The requirement for memory became a moot point.

I suppose it's profitable. When I'm at the track, I always keep my losing tickets and double check the results online that night or the next day. Last time I went to the track, I found out I had missed cashing a tri at Santa Anita and one of my horses at Northlands Park was declared a non-starter. Sweet!

JustRalph · 07-02-2016, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltonKelsey

While we mock the 'nuts' , these guys have a much better chance of turning a net profit for the year than most horseplayers.

Great point......

Tom · 07-02-2016, 09:28 PM

They did the right thing AFTER they did the wrong thing.
The only HONEST they could have done was pay off twice.
No sympathy here. Your F up, you pay up. End of story. They did no favors or anything heroic here.

dilanesp · 07-02-2016, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom

They did the right thing AFTER they did the wrong thing.
The only HONEST they could have done was pay off twice.
No sympathy here. Your F up, you pay up. End of story. They did no favors or anything heroic here.

That's really not true.

I can't claim to be an expert on New York racing regulations, but I suspect they have something similar to CHRB rule 1956, which states "The decision of the Stewards regarding the order of finish is final at the time the Stewards order the official sign displayed on the totalizator board. No rulings of the Stewards or the Board regarding the order of finish or any award of purse money made after the result of the race has been declared official shall affect the parimutuel payout or the distribution of any parimutuel pool."

In other words, once the official sign goes up, the payout is final, even if the result posted is wrong.

If I am right, than the track owes you NO legal obligation to eat the loss.

And more generally, I think your post indicates you need a real attitude adjustment. There are actually good reasons for Rule 1956. It means you can tear up or discard your tickets after the result is declared official. It gives you a nice bright line rule. It's generally good for horseplayers as well as the tracks.

The racetrack does not owe you any sort of deviation from this rule, which protects horseplayers as much as it does the track. When a racetrack decides to eat $50,000 as a customer service gesture anyway, they really do not deserve to have you come on a message board and crap all over them for doing it. There's a real sense of entitlement in the words you write, as if the rules don't matter and racetracks have to dive into their own pockets any time something goes wrong.

No, Belmont did the right thing here and deserves praise.