From todays Thoroughbred Times, emphasis added:
\"Although the American Graded Stake Committee\'s enhanced drug testing protocol BEGINS with a pilot program at three major racetracks this fall, there is no plan as to who will pay for the tests in 2004 when the committee will require all jurisdictions to perform them in all graded stakes.\"
For starters, does this mean they haven\'t started yet? Just 3 tracks? Which 3?
Mall?
Nyra,Keeneland and Oak Tree.Includes Breeders Cup day.
Hooper
Even more disturbing is this article that seems to indicate that certain wagering services (including the imfamous one in North Dakota) still provide \"direct\" access to pari-mutuel pools that is not available to anyone else. I am not sure what the nature of this access is but I am guessing that it lets them wait until the last possible second to make wagers using a computer program that has real-time access to odds and payouts and determines overlays and bets accordingly in an automated way. For example, they may tell the computer to bet X amount on the 4 horse to show assuming the payout is $3.00 just before the pool closes. Or they may even be more sophisticated and tell the computer to bet any exactas, trifectas or superfectas with payouts that are overlays based on the win odds, etc.
Definitely not a level playing field if this is the case...
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/todaysnews/newsview.asp?recno=38326&subsec=1
Cheers.
Chris
I am much less concerned about access giving an advantage to those with sophisticated handicapping/wagering programs than I am that it gives the foxes (hackers) the keys to the hen house. We\'re not talking modern computer systems here, the defenses can\'t be a match for the kind of guys who can hack into NASA etc.
Why is it that I have a pretty good feeling you guys at TG are fairly knowledgable about protecting yourselves from people trying to hack into your database.
Excellent point. The activity at these sites should be the focus of future security reviews. They already have data that shows that these guys win consistently and, one way to do that (not the only way) would be via hacking into the system with the helps of the enhanced access provided at these sites.
Cheers.
Chris
Any track that continues to give its feed to North Dakota should have their head examined.
Or their books, it\'s all about money.