Kentucky Downs placing judge was initially fooled by this photo finish
- Thread starter John Kelly
- Start date
Controversy took place with a win photo in yesterday's third race at Kentucky Downs.
The placing judge originally posted an order of finish of 8-1-5-2.
Stewards caught the mistake before race was made official.
However, the wrong numbers were posted for at least five minutes before the correction was made.
Official order of finish: 1-8-5-2.
Yikes!
The placing judge originally posted an order of finish of 8-1-5-2.
Stewards caught the mistake before race was made official.
However, the wrong numbers were posted for at least five minutes before the correction was made.
Official order of finish: 1-8-5-2.
Yikes!
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Here's the official explanation from Kentucky Downs:
Stewards Determination of Race 3 at Kentucky Downs September 16, 2020
After the running of race 3 the placing judges posted the order of finish as 8-1-5-2. Upon their discovery that their initial posting was incorrect, and prior to the race being posted official, the placing judges notified the stewards of the correct order of finish which was then posted as 1-8-5-2. An objection that was lodged by the rider of second place #8 “Tiz Splendid News” (Irad Ortiz, Jr.) alleging interference by the rider of the unofficial winner #1 “Sir Roberto” (Gabriel Saez) was then entertained by the stewards who reviewed the race replay, interviewed the riders and determined that the slight contact that occurred approaching the wire was mutual and therefore did not warrant a disqualification. The race was then posted official with the correct order of finish as they had originally crossed the finish line.
1-8-5-2.
Stewards Determination of Race 3 at Kentucky Downs September 16, 2020
After the running of race 3 the placing judges posted the order of finish as 8-1-5-2. Upon their discovery that their initial posting was incorrect, and prior to the race being posted official, the placing judges notified the stewards of the correct order of finish which was then posted as 1-8-5-2. An objection that was lodged by the rider of second place #8 “Tiz Splendid News” (Irad Ortiz, Jr.) alleging interference by the rider of the unofficial winner #1 “Sir Roberto” (Gabriel Saez) was then entertained by the stewards who reviewed the race replay, interviewed the riders and determined that the slight contact that occurred approaching the wire was mutual and therefore did not warrant a disqualification. The race was then posted official with the correct order of finish as they had originally crossed the finish line.
1-8-5-2.
Interestingly, Kentucky Downs track announcer Larry Collmus correctly tabbed the winner at the wire.
He cried out, "It is very close...maybe Sir Roberto."
#1 Sir Roberto at odds of 14/1 nosed out the 2/1 favorite #8 Tiz Splendid News.
But Tiz Splendid News was posted as the unofficial winner for about five minutes before the powers-that-be at Kentucky Downs realized their mistake.
Tiz Splendid News was even led into the winner's circle for the ceremonial photo.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please hold all tickets until this race is declared official," declared Collmus once the snafu was discovered.
It's tough enough to win at the races without track management misleading the public.
BIG MISTAKE.
He cried out, "It is very close...maybe Sir Roberto."
#1 Sir Roberto at odds of 14/1 nosed out the 2/1 favorite #8 Tiz Splendid News.
But Tiz Splendid News was posted as the unofficial winner for about five minutes before the powers-that-be at Kentucky Downs realized their mistake.
Tiz Splendid News was even led into the winner's circle for the ceremonial photo.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please hold all tickets until this race is declared official," declared Collmus once the snafu was discovered.
It's tough enough to win at the races without track management misleading the public.
BIG MISTAKE.
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Look again. The One clearly won the race. Not even close.
trytrytry
All I do is trytrytry
its a bit of an optical illusion. on fast glance yes the 8 is the winner. but look closer its not even close
Foresthill
EOG Addicted
Collmus is very good at this. He's hardly ever wrong and always reminds the bettors to hold all tickets till it's official after every race. IMHO he's much bettor than the guy NYRA has taking over for him.
Hopefully, NYRA wises up and re-hires him.
Foresthill
EOG Addicted
People make mistakes. The important thing is they caught the mistake before the race was made official.
Catching the mistake after the race was made official -- now that would be a BIG MISTAKE -- but better than not catching the mistake at all.
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Bigrunner
EOG Master
Absolutely. I stand corrected.
A matter of semantics.
If the official sign were posted, I would change my adjective from BIG to UNFORGIVEABLE and call for the resignation of the placing judge.
This is a job where a 99.9% success rate is not good enough.
I like my pilots to land safely 100% of the time, same rate for my placing judges.
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Optical illusion for the uninitiated.
But a situation for which a placing judge should be well aware.
Agree completely.
The problem with current NYRA announcer John Imbriale is his old-school style of calling races.
He follows in the footsteps of NYRA legend Marshall Cassidy by calling the races like a chartcaller.
Imbriale is accurate but he fails to anticipate the coming drama of a race and seems to always trail the action on the racetrack.
Why the switch from Collmus to Imbriale?
Money.
Collmus made more than $200,000 a year from his NYRA contract and he was low-balled during contract negotiations last year.
Shame on NYRA.
Foresthill
EOG Addicted
I disagree. It's more than semantics. I don't know, so I'm guessing and hope this guess is right, but I presume the placing judges have a set of procedures they go through to catch errors after initially posting results and before they make a race official. If so, that seems to have worked in this case.
I think, but I'm just guessing here, that based on a limited number of "anecdotal occurrences" observations more crashes happen on takeoff than landing.
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Feels wrong, FORESTHILL.
Landing far more dangerous than takeoff.
Landing far more dangerous than takeoff.
Boeing research done a few years ago showed almost half of the fatalities on commercial airplanes occurred during final descent and landing while only 14% occurred during takeoff and initial climb. Takeoff is powered flight that is broken into simple phases of reaching various speeds that dictate when a takeoff cannot be aborted, when to rotate the plane, and when the plane will clear a 50' imaginary barrier at the end of the runway. Landings are much more vulnerable because the plane is being slowed and the flaps and power are being used to create drag instead of lift. Planes in the landing flight regime can be affected by wind shear much more than upon takeoff.
Flying low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines this Tuesday.
I assume the same is true for athletes too.
Landing is far more dangerous than takeoff.
Think of all the knees that have been injured in basketball and volleyball.
Ouch!
Whoops!
Foresthill
EOG Addicted
The following is sort of analogous as hiking is a physical activity.
Hiking up hill is physically more taxing, but hiking downhill, while easier, is more dangerous, at least personally. I've never been hurt hiking up hill (but I've certainly been "hurting" aerobically), but I have been hurt, twice, hiking downhill. I'll spare you the details.
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Foresthill
EOG Addicted
I never claimed I was being definitive. Both are the most dangerous parts of flight. Bob, mentioned that more fatalities in commercial airlines occur on landings, in his note. Are there more crashes on landings, too,as compared to takeoff -- probably so? I mentioned crashes, which again was a guess. I wonder about other forms of avaition -- private, general, helicopters, gliders, etc? I know maximum power take offs with helicopters are dangerous and are to be avoided if at all possible.
Helicopters are much more difficult to fly than planes, as described below, as pilots have explained to me in basic terms.
Let me make this point, so readers don't think otherwise: Commercial Airplane Fight is extremely safe. I don't have the statistics, maybe Bob does.
You mean seems. It has nothing to do with feelings. I thought about micro-bursts from thunderstorms affecting landings before I made my erroneous guess where I was remembering a few instances of deadly takeoffs. I figured Bob, being an aeronautical engineer, would set it straight.
I've heard this from helicopter pilots, that planes "want to fly" and helicopters don't -- that when planes get enough forward speed they'll take off and are much easier to fly than helicopters which don't "want to fly". Helicopters have to have opposing rotors (usually main and tail rotors) so they don't spin and can fly.
I do know that if helicopters have an engine failure, then the main rotor can "auto-rotate" as the helicopter falls through the sky to a "hard" landing, lessening the impact, and making it survivable, if a suitable landing spot can be located.
About the only other things I remember is don't overload, by weight, the aircraft for the flight conditions. And that "high and hot" is bad and "low and cool or cold (even better)" is good.
Also, number one safety note: Don't walk towards the back of the helicopter where the tail rotor is located, as it's spinning so fast that a person can't see it, and you will unwittingly run into it and will die as a consequence.
Number two: Don't walk uphill away from a helicopter when departing so the main rotor doesn't "get you" and ignore pilots who instruct you to do so (telling a person to walk uphill way from the helicopter)!
It has been 18 years since I worked around helicopters, so I'm rusty. I'm certainly not a pilot or aeronautical engineer. I did know how to load them, manifest them, do load calculations, connect buckets for water drops, load nets for sling loads, and do hover hookups (very dangerous), among other activities. I would certainly need a refresher.
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Foresthill
EOG Addicted
Flying low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines this Tuesday.
Much, much safer that auto transportation.
Foresthill
EOG Addicted
I'm not disagreeing with this description at all, but I would like to add that I remember a pilot of a two seat plane telling me that landing a plane is like 'flying the plane into the ground," and, I guess, once on the ground putting the brakes on to complete the process of slowing the plane down.
I don't know if that is accurate or not, having never done so, and only being a passenger. I am sure your description of landing is accurate.
He also said, "Once I get enough forward speed, this plane will fly."
I was once a passenger on a recon flight in a plane with pontoon skids in lake "peppered" northern Minnesota. We took off on water and landed in water. What was most impressive was how the pilot docked that plane after landing in the water. As we approached the dock he made a 90 degree turn stopping the plane "perfectly" at the dock. Obviously, he needed to.
If I remember correctly, at some point he turned the engines off and coasted in. This was nearly 20 years ago, so the details are fuzzy.
Foresthill
EOG Addicted
Ray Luca
EOG Master
Sheesh...didn't know this. Final descent is when i am most relaxed. Always thought the first 30 minutes was the danger. Oy