Can a simple front door camera help save harness racing?

While watching the news recently, there was a video view of a huge concrete slab falling off a building being demolished in downtown Miami.

The video came from a simple front door camera some blocks away that captured the image.

That video may—or may not—provide some clues on why this accident occurred…at least it will help in the investigation and further consequences that may result.

Thank G-d nobody was walking under the slab at the time. They would have had no chance.

So, what’s the big deal for harness racing here?

We can learn from things like this.

A lot has changed since there first photo finish of a horse race was taken by Ernest Marks in a race at Plainfield, New Jersey in 1881.

In the early 20th century, new technology—motion picture technology—came into use but, with the horizontal shutters on these cameras, the “inside horse” would be caught on film while the “outside horse” was still in motion and, often times, had an advantage.

As equine racing became more prominent in the 1930’s and beyond, it was deemed necessary to come up with a more full-proof system, (as many thought that the industry had all the corruption it needed!)

In 1937, Lorenzo del Riccio developed the “strip” camera that used a single top-to-bottom vertical slit that captured each horse as it touched the finish line beam.

It was first used at the Del Mar Turf Club—Bing Crosby’s track—and was featured in the January 1941 edition of Scientific American.

Back then, a photo finish would take around 48 seconds to be developed on film.

Of course, digital cameras are now in use but Mr. del Riccio’s invention was an assurance that the punters were getting honest results, and his invention propelled the popularity of racing.

Over time, videography has played a huge role in forensics providing details and evidence in crime scenes with photography playing a huge role, as well, even if it provides one single fingerprint.

Digital imagine has become a very reliable source in our sport, too, as the photo finish cameras have determined the outcome of races with images available for the judges viewing in, literally, one or two seconds, whether they be for a $500 fair race or $1,000,000 stakes event.

And tracks have other cameras stationed around their respective ovals as safeguards in case of questionable circumstances arising, if you know what I mean.

Owners can benefit—or not benefit—to the tune of a half million dollars in a stakes race and, as one bettor echoed, “I could care less about the owner’s share of a million-dollar race because I have my “double saw” ($20) bet on my 6 to 1 shot!”

A recent example that popped into this particular brain was while watching a race at Yonkers Raceway…a $250,000 race.

The track was sloppy, and the going was tough with a bulky field on a half mile track with trailers,

Around the final bend, a horse that started from the second tier was, I thought, getting into contention within a handful of lengths of the leader. He, then, made a break when I thought a horse in front of him came out a little quickly causing the miscue and, at the same time, a share of a $250,000 purse.

Admittedly, even after witnessing several hundred thousand races over time, I am no authority on things like this but…

I thought, “here comes an inquiry!”

But there was none…no inquiry…no objection…no nothing.

The most important light on the tote board was lit…’OFFICIAL.”

Judging a race is not an easy task.

Binoculars help, of course, and patrol cameras help, of course, but nothing can change in our sport if an inquiry sign does not go up to have the judges, at least, take a look at things.

Not saying the result would have changed BUT at least take a look at things…after all, the horse may have traveled a few hundred miles or even a thousand miles or more at great expense to an owner, so, when that “OFFICIAL” sign goes up, the owner not only doesn’t to share in a $250,000 purse, but it may have COST him $5,000 to get to the racing venue.

Binoculars are just not enough these days…patrol cameras around the track are not enough these days, either.

And don’t expect any driver to “tattle” of another one if they get a call from the judges asking, “what happened?”

They are professionals and have to work alongside their compadres every day and night and the racetrack is no place for “revenge” if one driver posts an objection against another or says something that he or she was bothered.

How many times has a judge, when asking a driver “what happened?” heard, “Nah, it wasn’t anything…I wasn’t bothered…it didn’t matter!”

10,000?

As my friends in the BDHC (Broken Down Horseplayers Club) or Send It In Army echoed, “the day they tell on each other is the day the sun will set in the east instead of the west.”

It’s a judges call solely and, with many millions of dollars at stake for owners, trainers and drivers and billions of pari-mutuel dollars changing hands every few minutes through the year, it’s their responsibility to protect the interest of those owners and the bettors.

That’s where the “front door cameras” come into play.

They could be installed just like the “neighbor-to-neighbor” cameras are installed…one every 25 or 30 feet from the eighth pole at the start to the 16th pole near the wire.

In this way, no stone would be left unturned and, when any situation arises, the judges can, at the very least, give some satisfaction to all participants, whether they be on the track or in their living room with $2 bet on some horse’s nose, by putting up the inquiry sign to check things out.

Had one of those “front-door-cameras” been installed right there, the judges could have lit the “INQUIRY” sign and looked at a close-up view of exactly what happened.

Yes, it may take a minute or two more…but, with usually 20-25 minutes between races with the drag, there’s plenty of time to do the right thing and make our sport seem just a little bit more reputable.

by John Berry, for Harnesslink