noformreversal

Reluctantly, I would like to give a brief opinion concerning the unfortunate incident following the Derby Saturday.
Ad nausium I keep seeing calls from P.E.T A. members demanding everything from a jockey suspension to the abolition of all horse racing.
P.E.T.A is an organization that has stated, in the past, that a cockroach has the same rights as a human. It is a conglameration of lunatics whose opinion is meaningless. Why do I have to read what these “nut jobs” demand every time I read a racing website or watch a sports show on T.V??

Does anyone remember (approx 20 yrs ago) when a couple of “geniuses” in charge of disparate harness tracks (I remember one was the now defunct Laurel Raceway-Md.) decided they would stop allowing their bettors to know the post positions of the horses until after the betting was closed for each race. Betting on horse racing without knowing the post positions-BRILLIANT!!! How did that idea work out, by the way?
This morning I read that a group of harness racing “analyists” feel that harness racing needs longer distance racing, as opposed to the standard mile(where did I hear the name Standardbred-hmmm???). They want longer, varied distances. Terriffic.
You know what. If I want to go to the track and not really have any solid confidence as to the abilities and consistancies of what I’m betting on, if I want to be treated with total contempt by racetrack management, if I want to feel like a “stone sucker” every time I place a wager, I don’t need harness to race at varied distances, I can bet on thoroughbreds!!!

One of my “favorite” occurences reared it’s ugly head in the 6th race at Pompano Park Satrurday night. The winner-a 7 year old-had not shown any early speed, to speak of, anywhere on his past performance program. The quickest he had made it to the half (my progaram only went back to January) was in 56:3.
Saturday night, however, he fired out from the 7 hole, had a 4 length lead at the 1/4 in 26:2, had opened up 15 at the 1/2 in 53:4, and God knows how far ahead at the 3/4 in 1:22:0. His final time- he won by 10- was 1:50:3. (His fastest time since Jan.-1:53;2) This amazing mile was also achieved while bearing from the 2 path on the turns to the 5 path in the stretches (I’d say about a 1:49 mile if straightened out)
This blatant reversal of form doesn’t happen much at tracks in the U.S that I follow, but I have to say,unhappily so, that it was happening with such frequency at the Canadian tracks I was playing that I stopped playing them all (with the exception of Fraser Downs)
If I were the presiding judge and saw such an obvious instance of theft the state police would be waiting in the winners circle.

My first suggestion to whom it may concern, is the video coverage of the races. (this also applies to T-breds) With the internet, you can pick and choose which track you are inclined to play.
Some tracks offer beautiful TV coverage with all the horses “viewable” form start to the finish line. These are the only tracks I play.
Other tracks appear as though they are trying to hide something with the cameraman zeroing in on the leaders from the top of the lane home, totally eliminating from screen view the remaining 7 to 10 finishers the entire length of the stretch. As far as playing those tracks go, to me, they don’t exist. Point: Do things right, tracks, do things right!!!