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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Fixing the Tote

Past posting is being spoken about more and more. This is good to see.

“I don’t want to be overly abusive, but as an industry, you are as far behind in the use of technology to improve your business as any I have ever seen.”

more

In a related post, the topic of closing the pools when the horses start loading is being debated here. There are several good points being made. What do members think? Should we push closing the pools at 1MTP?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

First off, yes the pools should close prior to the start of the race/bell, whatever you want to call it BUT...

Seriously, what's with the closing the windows with 1MTP? I don't get it. Close the windows with ZERO MTP and at that point start to load the horses. There is no difference other than the elusion of "not closing the windows early." You're closing the windows on time and then you are loading the horses.

It's real simple. I see simulcasts all of the conuntry with big flashy graphics telling us 3MTP, 2MTP, 1MTP... all you do is put a countdown 59, 58, 57, 56...... 3, 2, 1 ALL WINDOWS ARE CLOSED! Now you load the horses.

As it is now each horse that loads into the gate is essentially your countdown. With this proposal instead of the horses loading being your countdown the big, flashy, colorful graphics are your countdown and anyone that can count will now when the windows will be closed.

Peace out.

IanLozada said...

Let me take the opposing view here. Who here hasn't seen their horse break through the gate or throw a fit in the loading process that makes sure he won't run his race, and yet still isn't scratched at the gate? (I'm looking at you, Big Drama.)

I'm running at a dead sprint to cancel that ticket if I can.

Anonymous said...

Close wagering at 1-2 minutes to post. Don't load the first horse until ALL pools are merged and final. If tote has a problem, circle the horses (like we do now for a late rider change or broken equipment) until tote resolves the problem. When all pools-not just win pool-are final load the horses. As race begins actual final possible win and exacta payoffs could be posted during the running.

Cangamble said...

O MTP? I'm ok with that but the negative is that if they get the race off right after the 1 MTP, the tote company will not have any time to correct any error.

Ian, first off, the way it is now, you may not be able to cancel the ticket when that happens, depending when and where you are when it happens and which ADW you are dealing with.
But just look at it as the same risk as losing your rider at the start, or a real bad break. It happens, you can't cancel after the gate opens usually right now. But this idea of closing at 1 MTP will pretty much ensure it.

Anonymous said...

The horses aren't leaving at 0MTP. Betting stops at 0MTP. Then you load the horses - they are always standing behind the gate waiting to load so if it takes 45 sec for bets to process and 15 sec to load the horses (I understand it only take 5-10 sec to load in CA) then you wait 40 sec after 0MTP to start loading. You get the idea.

Using the 1MTP idea it is exactly the same thing except you are waiting to 0MTP and then you take that 1 min extra to send them off.

Again it's the elusion of not closing the bets early. To me there is a big psychological difference between closing bets at 1MTP and 0MTP. Stupid? Maybe. But I believe strongly this is the way to do it.

Anonymous said...

I bet while there loading and twin-spiers take it. Sometimes I decide to ADD A BET at the last minute as a $50 on the nose of R Alexader to win last race! Good pay off of $140. So as long as the bet is taken who cares if the horses are loading or not?