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Post by the believer on Feb 17, 2009 20:50:49 GMT -5
I was watching the video of another half mile track and noticed the wings of the gate seem to come back on the inside horses and forward for the outside post horses ! This seemed to make it much easier on the 6, 7 , 8 posts to make the front ! Giss , is this something new or an indication that i need to get out more ?(to the track)
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Post by chris on Feb 18, 2009 0:34:03 GMT -5
www.harnessracing.com/news_detailed.php?id=11469 New starting gate at The Meadows February 17, 2009 The Meadows has introduced a new starting gate with a deeper slant that will mitigate the disadvantages of an unfavorable draw by bringing horses posted outside closer to the gate at the start than those posted inside. The track, which had been using a gate with a seven-foot slant, replaced it with a unit featuring a 14-foot slant. That means a horse with post position nine could be as much as 14 feet closer to the gate at the start than a horse leaving from post position one. David Wiegmann, acting general manager for The Meadows, said the new gate was produced by Howard Starting Gate Co. to the same specifications as the gate used at Harrah's Chester which, as The Meadows, is a five-eighths-mile track. "The experience at Harrah's Chester tells us that the new gate will be well received by horsemen and patrons alike," Wiegmann said. "It should enable more horses with outside draws to get involved in the race and be more competitive. That will yield more exciting racing and better payoffs." The Meadows introduced the new gate on Monday, Feb. 9. Although the gate has been in action for only a few cards, Kim Hankins, executive director of The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association, said he has observed more horses leaving from outside post positions. "It should help spread the fields a bit more," Hankins said. "Horses on the outside won't be hindered so much." (The Meadows)
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Post by therealmuljuice on Feb 18, 2009 7:19:36 GMT -5
Didn't Northfield experiment with a staggered starting gate in the 80s?
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Post by thegiss on Feb 18, 2009 11:19:52 GMT -5
The majority of evidence shows that staggered gates on half-mile tracks do nothing but get the outside horses "in trouble," giving thme just enough extra forward momentum to not be able to get to the pylons-- on a 5/8 mile track there is much more room before the first turn making it a more viable alternative.
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Post by chris on Feb 18, 2009 18:12:49 GMT -5
Is Chester a 1/2 mile track?
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Post by cliff on Feb 18, 2009 19:01:21 GMT -5
Is Chester a 1/2 mile track? 5/8's I beleive
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