TG figures for horses getting out down the lane?

[glennagain]

I hope this is an appropriate post for this forum - it is my first on this site.

It appears that the TG figures do not account for ground loss down the lane.

For example, there is a filly entered at Turfway on Thursday who was \"2w\" on the turn in a sprint last out, but who then  drifted to the 4 path at the quarter pole and crossed the wire in the 7 or 8 path.

Am I correct in my assumption that this was not reflected in her TG figure?

And if not reflected, should there be some kind of shorthand adjustment for a trip like this?

Thanks to all.

Glenn

[Rick B.]

Welcome.

I won\'t speak for TG, but the situation you are describing would result in an extremely trivial amount of ground loss.

Calculation shows that if a horse moved over 4 paths while covering a straight-line distance of just 100 feet, he would only travel an additional 1.25 feet; over the course of 1/4 mile? Far less...only a few inches more than 100 feet, in fact. Not a factor in either case, IMO.

I\'d be more concerned with *why* the horse bored out: was he interfered with or shoved out...or is he telegraphing some sort of injury or soreness? Is the horse still green? Did he need to make a sudden move to avoid a collision?

Generally speaking, I *downgrade* horses that wander in the stretch without much excuse, with no credit given for the additional distance travelled.

Hope this helps. Follow-on questions welcome.

[TGAB]

Yes, you are correct that TG doesn\'t correct for ground loss in straightaways for the reason Rick lists, it\'s more than less trivial. Also it\'s a good bit more tricky to measure accurately. You cite the quarter pole and finish line which are convenient markers. But horses often don\'t detour at as conveniently measurable markers as we\'d like. So to get an accurate measure of the questions when, where and how much could be quite painstaking and only for a trivial amount of ground loss at that. That\'s not the case on turns for which there\'s a simple formula and more substantial ground loss as a matter of course, i.e one path wide on the turn is equivalent to a length, roughly 10 feet.  

As Rick mentions the reason(s) why a horse zigs or zags in the stretch is apt to be much more important as to gauging a horse\'s form. And we do note if a horse bears, drifts, or lugs out (bo) or conversely bears, drifts or lugs in (bi).

[Thedudeabides]

Related question -- your figures use a length as being 10 feet?  I thought it was more like 8...I\'ve even measured a horse from tail to nose....

[TGAB]

No, I said roughly.

[sighthound]

Jerry, have you ever compared the assigned TG ground loss to Trakus info on distance traveled?  I thought you had once ... ?

[TGJB]

Sight-- I have gotten into Trakus before, right after the Derby, if you go back you should find it. At that time they admitted they had problems at some tracks, it was hit-or-miss matched up with ours, and it was pretty clear we were right (meaning common sense applied to looking at tape made it obvious).

[sighthound]

That\'s how I remember it, that you guys were pretty much right on.