post time drag | Horse Racing Free Tips

In an effort to provide harness racing bettors a more consistent program, The Meadows in Washington, Penn. has announced that beginning Jan. 5, it will institute a new policy in regard to post time “drag.”

As soon as the post time clock changes from “1” to “0,” the starting gate will begin to move from its position on the backstretch near the paddock. It will then roll continuously down the backstretch and through the turn, picking up the horses in the usual spot in front of the toteboard and releasing them on the backstretch.

“It's difficult for people to know when to bet when a track sits on zero minutes to post for what seems like forever,” said Director of Racing Scott Lishia. “Our hope is that when bettors see the gate start to move, they'll realize that this is their final call, that once the gate starts rolling, unless there is some type of problem, it's going to keep moving right to the start.”

The Meadows Racing's TV crew will begin showing the gate car as soon as it moves from its position in front of the paddock, giving bettors a clear view so that they know the race is about to begin.

The 2022 racing season at The Meadows will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 5, with racing on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons at 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

The post The Meadows Plans To Reduce Post Time Drag In 2022 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Jockey Club commends Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. for committing to run races at their scheduled post times during the track's Championship Meet, which began Dec. 2, 2020. Not only does post time drag frustrate bettors, but it also has a negative impact on handle.

At the 2017 Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing, Ben Vonwiller of McKinsey & Company spoke on the importance of race scheduling among different racetracks to maximize total handle. According to McKinsey's models, a more synchronized race schedule could lead to an annual handle increase of $400 million across the United States.

“Our question was, 'Do the preconditions for schedule optimization exist in racing and can applying scheduling analytics really drive value?' We left that exercise with real conviction that the answer is yes.”

In response to these findings, Equibase established a scheduling office to assist tracks in communicating to each other about their post times to minimize overlap. Through a scheduling hub, tracks submit their proposed off-times, and Equibase suggests changes based on a tool developed by McKinsey & Company. On race day, any changes to post times can be communicated to other tracks. The Jockey Club encourages racetracks to participate in this service for the benefit of the horseplayer and of the racing industry.

The post The Jockey Club Commends Gulfstream Park For Eliminating Post Time Drag appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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