'Inquiry minds' want to know....judges booth at harness track...

[Jctoronto]

Has this ever happened in a harness track judges booth:

a)  judge(s) 'did not agree with' a photo finish result and possibly altered it or 'saw it differently' before posting

b)  judge(s) altered photo result because of backstretch phone call or what might have been purchased earlier in their pocket.
 
c)  judge(s) at' b ' track for example put up inquiry sign after race because someone in pari-mutuel/tote phoned them 'suggesting' only .40 cents of longshot super was sold (totalling whole payout pool of $3100 and NONE of it was bought by local horsemen..resulti ng in a very questionable inquiry eventually taking down 60-1 place horse totally off ticket..and slicing up pie much more favorably for local horsemen...Does that happen? Do judges have that kind of power to adjust result to keep the monry 'in house'?

Just asking....thought couple of you might have heard something.
..maybe not.

[PIGLAND]

have they ever been watching a sporting event on tv instead of watching warm ups for lame horses

do they show up after warm ups begin .

[Wendall Tilley]

The photo finish is computerized.You cannot alter it.Why some finishes look different on the video is because the video camera is way to the right or left of the actual finish line.The photo finish camera is perpendicular to the racetrack.

[Parked]

I can remember the track vet actually watching the horses score before a race and scratching some horses.  Now you need a court order to scratch a horse. 

[Rabbi Of Racing]

Photos have been doctored at every track since i started going in 1972,once in my 20's i demanded to go up to the photo booth at Hazel Park,the woman that worked the photo finishes showed me how they are done,she actually showed me how she could put the finish line anywhere she wanted on the pic,true story

[the master]

Some finish photos leave more questions than answers as the wire appears angled or otherwise altered! Check out the place photo in the second at Pompano Thursday night! No way the 6 horse got up for a dead heat! The photo shown had the line distinctly slanted!

[Fatboy]

  Judges fixing photos and checking tickets before posting results IS ABSOLUTLY FUCKIN CLASSIC

[The Exporter]

Yes and quite a few horses do not warm up well and race big.  This argument goes both ways.

When I worked with a state Vet. at Finger Lakes TB track, the Vet kept a notebook on every horse. Before the race he and the Vet's assistant would look up each entry and review their history behind the gait and general fitness. We also kept a complete log on all horses at the spitbox. How they cooled out and their habits when collecting urine and blood. That was many moons ago. Does any track vet get this proactive, anymore.

[HornbyDuke]

The photo finish is computerized.You cannot alter it.Why some finishes look different on the video is because the video camera is way to the right or left of the actual finish line.The photo finish camera is perpendicular to the racetrack.

Loved the old camera angle at Yonkers. Yrs ago used  to watch a fair number of races at it. The unaware would regularly insist the outside horse won.

[spaheaven]

Line is added to photo and can easily be slanted.

[Fatboy]

HUMPTY KNEW

[viking55]

By rule, they do not have to go by the photo results. Stewards have FINAL say on results. Look it up in the state rulebooks.

[Wendall Tilley]

You people are paranoid schizophrenics.Th e photo finish camera is fixed to the judges stand.Believe me I know what I'm talking about.If the judges were as corrupt as you say, they would all be rich. Why would horses Pay say 50$ to win if the judges were betting.Think about it people!

[Fatboy]

You people are paranoid schizophrenics.Th e photo finish camera is fixed to the judges stand.Believe me I know what I'm talking about.If the judges were as corrupt as you say, they would all be rich. Why would horses Pay say 50$ to win if the judges were betting.Think about it people!

[Sam R]

I had a horse, Crystal Symphony, finish second in a race at 30-1. In the stretch the driver of the winner Mike Forte came out and almost knocked another driver out of the bike. The inquiry went up and Gene King an every night regular came over and said I have your horse on top and Forte has to come down. I told him that there was no chance that presiding judge Frank Pelligrino would put my horse up. Sure enough there was no change to the order of finish. I had many run ins with Pelligrino and he bent the rules on that one for his personal bias.