Updated Maintenance, Weather Responsible For Quicker Times On Belmont Turf
 

would have been nice to know beforehand eh ??
"
The grass at Belmont is being cut more frequently than what it has been in previous seasons and is also being cut shorter, producing a healthier lawn and a drier surface. It's a common myth that longer grass is necessarily healthier grass, according to New York Racing Association vice president of racing services ............."Finally, course officials told Grening that a computerized irrigation system in place this year allows them to better customize the amount of water that certain parts of the course experience. Rather than watering the whole thing to cover a few dry patches, the irrigation can now be better targeted only where it's needed"


http://www.paulickreport.com/news/th...-belmont-turf/

Not being a smart ass, but how would knowing the length of blades of grass change your handicapping. Is this an angle I have been missing?

Paul

Yes. It would have really been the panacea of our handicapping. Only as useful as what the maintenance staff was eating for lunch most days.

By the way, congrats on qualifying for the tourney. See you there next week.

Thanks Nick. Looking forward to it.

Paul

Well,i'd think that transparency is to be commended and much like the way keeneland does.The turf course with all the rain was expected tobe more bog like, then it played fast and firm and records set. Your comment is confusing as you and ntamm aresuch accomplished players. I would have appreiated the changes in turf condition myself,but thats just me i .guess i'll have to borrow dickinsons heels and walk the course.;)

I am all for transparency. Who wouldn't be? But, what would you do with this information?

When Belmont runs races this week, now that you know their irrigation methods and length of grass, what will you do differently in your approach to the races?

This is a serious question. If there is an angle to be seized upon, I would love to learn it. Personally, some information is just noise and I wouldn't know what to do with this.

Paul

Keeneland is transparent? Really? They take the odds down from their simulcast signal about one minute before every race and don't put them back up, and only for the first four finishers, until about 90 seconds after the race. Is this transparency? Would that odds information be more or less useful to players than the length of the grass on the turf course ( where, by the way, does Keeneland publish this )?

I get it, Keeneland has solved the odds drop "problem" by denying fans essential information...and people seem to keep buying into them doing everything right, so who am I to argue with them.