Q: Is there wagering on this event?
A: Yes. Georgian Downs has clearance to run 18 separate betting interests for the 18-horse fields. Video graphics have been re-designed and they're being tested this weekend. The tote is prepared for it.
Q: What will be on the tote board?
A: For standard races with nine horses, the odds will be displayed on the tote board. For races with more than 12 horses, which the tote board is capable of displaying, the CPMA is requiring that Georgian Downs not display odds on the tote board for those, but instead display them on video monitors both outside and inside. There will be extra video screens for the day.
Q: What's the time-frame between the races?
A: Generally, there's going to be about a half hour between each race on this day. So post time is 6 p.m., and Race 11 is set to go around 11 o'clock. So, it will be an elongated period of time, but generally looking at half an hour increments for a couple of reasons. One, a lot more horses to get warmed up between races, and two, there's a lot of activities and other things going on between races.
Q: What are you doing with the paddock?
A: For this particular day Georgian Downs will bring in 40 portable stalls that will be located just south of the paddock. There's the storm water pond, and there's a parking area facility there. The 40 portable stalls will be located directly south of the paddock. There'll be shavings in every stall. The first two races will have 18 horses. Once they race and get their baths, they can use the stalls if they need them. There will be a stall for everybody. Horsepeople can stick around, watch the races and participate in the day.
Q: If there is a scratch in tier one, are you going to leave that outside spot open?
A: If horses move in, there could be a gap off the gate for the 18 horse. After a gate scratch they will send the horse furthest on the outside out with no one in front of it.
Q: What's the starting procedure?
A: The 18-horse races will be started dramatically differently than they normally are. Not for the front group of horses, but certainly for the second tier of horses. There are three possible starting positions for 18-horse races: the current starting position; the current finishing pole; and the current 1/8 pole, which isn't actually up, but is going up this week. So, there are only three possible spots.
For the races starting from the current starting position, generally, the gate would pick you up just prior to the current finish line, move through the turn and start regularly. For that particular race, the gate will be picking horses up near the 1/8 pole, right at the head of the stretch. What will happen is the gate will park in the centre of the track as it usually does and call the horses in the general way. Horses that are in the second tier will collect on the backstretch heading into the far turn. Horses that are in the first turn will come in opposite the gate as they do now. So, as they do basically now, they come in from the opposite side and turn in, the starting gate begins to roll, and they take off. That shouldn't change too, too much for the horses from the first tier.
What will change dramatically is the procedure for horses in the second tier. Those horses will be collecting off in the turn and there will be an assistant starter that day, and right now I think it's going to be Bruce Barber. But what Bruce will be doing is directing the second tier along with some assistant starters in the field who may be needed to walk horses, turn horses, whatever the case may be. If we have to take two shots at a start, we'll do it, but we prefer to get it right the first time, especially with 18 horses.
So, what we'll be doing is the first tier will move in as they normally do and the gate will begin to roll, but when the gate rolls it will be rolling much, much slower than it normally does and it will proceed through the stretch until the first group is comfortably in behind the wings and then it will proceed to pick up speed as it normally does. At that point, the assistant starter will call for the second group to take up their position. At that point, ideally, they will be walking side-by-side in post position order and now jog up and take their position.
We know that won't necessarily be the case. Obviously, the key will be drivers understanding exactly what horse it is they have to follow and the starter being very keen, and the assistant starter being keen to get those horses into place as quickly as possible.
So as the gate begins to move through the stretch, the first tier will be on the wings and the gate will be moving probably half to three-quarters of its current speed, slowly picking up speed through the turn. Once it gets midway through the stretch, the second tier begins to move in.
Right now, depending on the horse, the starter goes anywhere between 30-33 km/hour. On this day, we're probably looking for trotters at 23-25, pacers probably 20-23.
Q: Will there still be a recall?
A: Absolutely. If a horse breaks in the first tier and he gets around the horse in the second tier then you're going to be fine, just like you would now if in a 10-horse field the rail horse broke. But if a horse on the inside breaks and interferes with someone on the second tier, yeah we're going to have a recall just like we currently do.
Q: Are you going to have someone out there to turn the first nine in the tunnel?
A: Well along with the starter on the infield, we'll have four or five guys with him to turn or walk horses, any horse that gets hot. We can also arrange to have somebody with the gate itself, too, if that's a concern just to get the first group turned, which seems like a reasonable idea. So, more or less that is the starting procedure we use for the 18-horse fields, understanding that each of those distances will start from different locations.
Primarily, we're starting most from the current starting position, although both condition seven and eight will start from the current finish position. So that was part of the idea, because we don't get a lot of opportunities here to start races in front of the grandstand. People get a real thrill out of that.
Any discussion about the starting procedure? Any questions?
Q: What if a horse gets scratched?
A: If the four or five horse gets scratched, and just discussing with the guys, it seems like the most logical thing to do would be as you do now, anyone on the front tier move them in. If there were eight horses on the first tier and nine on the second tier, the horse from post 18 would simply stay a length off the gate. Moving them up would be the safest way. I'm just thinking every horse that's possible should have a spot at the gate. Say a horse that has the seven hole would move up to the six hole. A horse that has the 10 hole would move up to the nine hole. And every body just moves in one spot.
One other concern though is recalls. I mean let's face it, there are some horses that are hot and the rules don't cover this now, but if the horse causes a recall and the horse is just unruly, I think there should be an automatic disqualification, otherwise he'll go back out and do the same thing again. There is a rule in the book [Rules of Standardbred Racing] that the starter can send a horse back to the barn.