Tom and Finger Lakes

[Carl]

For the last couple of years, I have been hearing about how they sometimes use a "sling" to help chronically slow gate horses out.

Is this true?

And if so, how could I find out who gets helped when on line?

[tbrown]

Carl,
The use what they call a flipping halter. It is a halter that is "flipped" over the door to the
sarting gate and when the gate opens, the horse is actually pulled to a faster start.
This information is posted on the publicity office bulletin board each day but nowhere else.
There are no historical records, so if a horse used it today, you don't know if it the first time.
or if they use it sometimes.
I have heard that horses using this halter win at a 60% rate, but there are no official statistics to back this up. I can tell you that one day I saw three horses use this and all three won. Two paid over $20 and the other paid like $9.
My unofficial records show it is dynamite information, but since I only go there occasionally, I can't use the info.
Supposedly, there is something about the FL gate that allows this to be used here and not at NYRA tracks-don't know for sure.

[Carl]

Thanks Tom, good post.

Maybe I could hire that whale's shoe guy to look at the flipper board on his off days? Sound like dynomite info.....

So why don't the DRF get it?

"Never mind...."