tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post3658734373353623785..comments2024-02-27T17:43:37.207-05:00Comments on View From the Racetrack Grandstand: Myth Busting and Stupidity PersonifiedThat Blog Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-10648512475458117082013-06-11T12:00:13.850-04:002013-06-11T12:00:13.850-04:00I understand the safety arguments of having two ti...I understand the safety arguments of having two tiers, something which those racing outside of North America seem to be able to deal with without any carnage. <br /><br />Yes, it is true that having the nine hole on a half mile track is an advantage over the outside horses, provided the inside horses leave. But then, when you are the only horse in the second tier you can start from anywhere so hopefully you can find a position where a horse will leave.<br /><br />One of the biggest arguments horsemen make is the safety issue, a questionable argument IMO when you are dealing with quality drivers. Then there are traffic issues which certainly can be an issue but it is self-defeating when drivers already figure they have lost the race.<br /><br />The simplification I gave was to make the article shorter; I am trying not to write novels in my posts as you tend to lose people's interest.<br /><br />Allow me to quote from a DRF column: http://www.drf.com/blogs/meadowlands-12-horse-fields-and-garcia-herrera-thoughts<br /><br />"In the 9 races with expanded fields raced so far at this meet, the horses from posts 11 and 12 have finished in-the-money twice in 18 opportunities. And some of them have been either favorites or lower odds."<br /><br />“When you start from the second tier you just don’t have a fair shot,” said Tetrick. “From post 11 you have to do whatever the 1 does because you have the 12 right to your outside. The 12 is a little bit better because at least you have no one to your outside and can start behind the 2, 3 or 4.”<br /><br />Tetrick also brought up a safety issue of horses jockeying for position into the first turn and the number of horses which are losing their air because they have to race parked the entire mile or are trapped with no place to race after getting fired up early to secure position<br /><br />I for one love the idea of a second tier as it provides more wagering opportunities. I will say to have more than two starters in the second tier at a mile distance may be a problem; I would suggest races need to be longer if you are going to put more than two horses in the second tier.<br /><br />Using the second tier makes for better betting races. Look at the NA Cup eliminations where I recall there were 21 horses entered. Instead of three races with seven starters you could have had two races with one race having ten horses and one with eleven horses.<br /><br />At this point, we need to agree to disagree.<br />That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-32879495397463239682013-06-11T09:57:58.533-04:002013-06-11T09:57:58.533-04:00Horses have been winning from the second tier at m...Horses have been winning from the second tier at many tracks, for a long time; the overwhelming majority of people who follow racing even casually know that, so I have no clue who is telling you that "it's virtually im possible to win from the second tier". Please let those people know that they can bet at my window anytime they'd like! Also, how does a second tier start mean that you'll "need to race slightly more distance"? Horses that start behind the 1 horse will almost certainly travel LESS distance than the majority of horses of horses from the outer slots! It just doesn't seem to me that you have a real understanding of WHY people are opposed to having trailers. I'm not even offering an opinion as to whether trailers are "good" for the game, but simply pointing out that the manner in which you've presented the "proof" is way oversimplified...and the "many people" you claim to be quoting can't possibly be folks with any significant background in racing. Oh - and the drivers that dislike the 12 horse fields do so because of the incredible uncertainty of the race, and the inability to consistently map out a driving strategy with so much TRAFFIC on the racetrack. And without question, drawing Post 12 (from the second tier) will SEVERELY compromise a contender's chances, forcing him to rely a lot more on "luck" than he would normally have to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-74507242191030085492013-06-11T08:17:40.102-04:002013-06-11T08:17:40.102-04:00I will plead guilty regarding the oversimplificati...I will plead guilty regarding the oversimplification charge. However, I have heard many people complain it is virtually impossible to win from the second tier and how you should have your nose on the gait when a race begins. In fact, when the Meadowlands was having twelve horse fields this year, certain drivers basically said it was impossible to win.<br /><br />Make no mistake, the second tier means you need to race slightly more distance and could be an impediment but I suspect the biggest problem we have are drivers looking at the second tier as an excuse to race assuming they can't win. Maybe when the purse is bigger the driver is more willing to get involved in the race than if it was a regular overnight event.That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-37065387393504274652013-06-11T07:52:21.399-04:002013-06-11T07:52:21.399-04:00Wow....talk about oversimplification! I NEVER hear...Wow....talk about oversimplification! I NEVER heard ANYBODY say that a horse "can't" win from the second tier; only that in many instances, it potentially makes things unfair to ALL the horses in the race. I've seen races where PP draw is determined by finish in eliminations, and somehow the worst finishers end up being "penalized" by becoming a trailer; of course, in many instances THAT post is BETTER than the higher finishers who are stuck drawing for the outside! Your oversimplification of the issue sounds far more like an underserved "see, I told you so" than any legitimate attempt to discuss a complex issue that effects the owners, trainers, drivers, AND players!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com