Hambo/Hambo Oak elims...

[Grandstand Handicapper]

One of the problems with the rail is that some trotters just can't handle it.  Look at R Melina for example.  She drew it twice recently and look what happened.  xxx both times.  No problem when she drew outside the next few starts and now she is in the final.  Lucky for her she didn't draw the rail, they must have been praying at the draw and screaming for joy when Elista drew it.

Very true. A horse is a horse of course of course, LOL. Some horses just don't like the rail.

[helpplease]

To quote Ray Schnittker "I'll take the rail anytime" when talking about Dewey. Unfortunately people repeat things enough that they become accepted truths when they are not.
Here are Woodbine Mohawk Park trot stats.

Trot
              1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10   11
              -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -   --   --
Starts      434  434  434  434  434  431  403  338  231  133    0
Wins         54   41   42   46   82   75   49   31   13    1    0
Win%       12.4  9.4  9.7 10.6 18.9 17.4 12.2  9.2  5.6  0.8  0.0

The Meadowlands post stats are not broken out by gait unfortunately but posts 1 through 4 are almost equal.
10.9  10.0  11.8  11.4

My opinion is these stats are useful in everyday year round overnight racing but when the race is stacked full of the best in the North America there is a reason the best drivers/trainers in North America very seldom choose the rail when they have the oportunity to do so.

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

How about the elimination winners pick, then the second place finishers pick, then the third place finishers pick and so on?

I thought that is what I posted. Sorry if I confused you.

[Harness racer]

ELISTA HANOVER has it in the Oaks.  No issues leaving, but will have to hustle off the gate to save ground and then decide who to release and when to retake.  Winners should get their choice of starting spots.

[Frankie T]

I thought that is what I posted. Sorry if I confused you.

No you send the "fastest" of each finish position. I did not say that because the final time is a product of how the race plays out. I will leave it at that. I do not need to make a rude reply.

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

No you send the "fastest" of each finish position. I did not say that because the final time is a product of how the race plays out. I will leave it at that. I do not need to make a rude reply.

How do you determine the order of picking between the 2 winners, the 2 place horses etc?

[Harness racer]

Coin flip or drawing

[Parked]

Eliminations should be non betting and then have an open draw. 

[rainman2]

Post positions should be picked by owner/trainer. Fastest elim winner picks first..Fastest 2nd place elim picks third..Fastest 3rd place elim picks 5th and so on. It might actually make the eliminations more competitive too.

do a draw by lot of the winner(s), 2nd place finishers, 3rd place finishers, etc. you can let them pick their own post positions in this sequence.  you can do this whether there are 2 or more eliminations also.

or you do it the little brown jug does it.  winners draw for 1/2.  2nd place draws for 3/4, etc.  you can do it this way for multiple eliminations too.

Either way, it ends all the arguments.  you also know that the winner(s) can't gwt a bad draw if they have an open draw too!

[jupiter]

That's a half mile track. Makes a big difference. People have already gone into why you don't want the rail on a big track. Just make them all open draws, it worked for years, even the playing field. And NO more supplements or make them race for NO purse money, only their supplement money back if they win. See if anyone would race to get a stake win and record but no money. Either you are staked to a race or not.