tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post8765434083482522102..comments2024-02-27T17:43:37.207-05:00Comments on View From the Racetrack Grandstand: Speed HurtsThat Blog Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-16803082318777762922012-04-18T07:10:29.375-04:002012-04-18T07:10:29.375-04:00As to race secretaries doing a better job carding ...As to race secretaries doing a better job carding races, they need an ample supply of horses to work with. When you are busy hoping races fill, you only card races that will get horses.That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-16264062679294783712012-04-18T07:08:11.979-04:002012-04-18T07:08:11.979-04:00I personally have a problem with the bull ring cha...I personally have a problem with the bull ring characterzation. Racing has been racing on these size ovals for years before the Meadowlands. Remember many people didn't like the mile track at the Meadowlands in the beginning. As for trying to attract people, the half mile is the best size track to get people interested in racing.<br /><br />That being said, I also agree with the need to get rid of the passing lane.That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-16197107442117932182012-04-17T20:46:05.967-04:002012-04-17T20:46:05.967-04:00Harness racing shouldn't just wave the white f...Harness racing shouldn't just wave the white flag, yet. There are steps that tracks could take to ensure better and more competitve racing. Although it's true the new sulkies make the racing much faster, it's not the reason (or at least one of the primary reasons) that speed wins so much. The tracks are way too fast, and they are not designed so the outside paths are faster. If anything, most of the tracks are faster on the inside (Yonkers is ridiculous). You can not have inside biases on harness track, let alone bullring harness tracks. Steps should be made to slow down the inside like banking of the turns, adding more surface to the inside, and training regiments that keep horses off the inside. Just as important if not more important, eliminate the passing lane. If you can sit in and assure yourself good trips in the 2 hole and 3 hole, you're asking for trouble. Horse who should leave and come first over are not and it makes it nearly impossible to have the proper flow in any of these races. Finally, create incentives for these drivers to leave and enforce drivers who don't leave when they obviously should be, regardless of post position. I know racing is not known for its creativity and enforcement, but they don't even try. If the mile is going to go in 156. 29-58 is WAY too slow fractions for these races. We see faster and faster final times, but we don't necessarily see faster fractions. 54 and 55 halfs and with the miles they are going nowadays should be the norm, not occurring 1 in a 100 races. If you continuously have races with slow paces, with one leaver and no flow, over a track that has an inside bias, you are obviously going to have a lot of speed winning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-70883976164598332042012-04-17T19:07:16.239-04:002012-04-17T19:07:16.239-04:00How about a simple solution, have racing secretary...How about a simple solution, have racing secretary's do a better job in making races more competitive. So many tracks have the exact same cards every day of the week with the same conditions. This makes the racing office's job very easy but with a little more imagination the races could be changed week in and out to force winning horses to move up more frequently and non competitive horses a relief. In my opinion Yonkers has the most boring racing with at least half of the races with 3-5 or lower favorites. They are the prime example of a lack of imagination.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com