The leader allowing passing on the inside..harness worst 'new' offence'

[Jctoronto]

Many recent examples..200 dollar fines in ontario for such 'allowing passing needlessly on the inside' antics...should there be redistribution of purses if violator still hits the top five race payoff spots be next?

Somebody said:
Ontario is one thing, but did you see Delaware? Kentucky?

OK ill ask. Outside of the non negotiable drugging and abusing of animals, should harness racing's newest scourge, allowing a horse to pass 'needlessly' on the inside, wherever it is in a race, in whatever position, now be allowed? Is it really that bad a thing, or are these 'new times' in a world where anything fucking goes?....what the heck am i saying, of course it is. Right?
Weigh in.

T'breds cant cover whole track..can only guard so much..passing on inside happens with great regularity.

But harness has the width of the wheels..has EVERY chance to lock down the rail every step, and then veer out ever so slightly in the lane to keep an insider from getting through, and also forcing outside horse to do bit more work to get by. Technically speaking, a harness leader, unless theres equipment or fatigue, SHOULD NEVER GET BEAT ON RAIL, ANYWHERE ON TRACK, EXCEPT THOSE TRACKS WITH THE, GET READY FOR IT, THE INFAMOUS 'PASSING LANE'.

Anyway Plopsters are starting to react more to it when they see it. Its not every race, but when its obvious, its jarring...and if a judge KNOWS its 200 bucks worth of wrong in Ontario, then every judge every where knows it too. It looks wrong to a fan who has money down. Its time to fine continent-wide. No? How about finishing position purse redistribution if caught?

Over to you HH legends.

jctoronto

[Fuguzzi]

Passing on the inside is how Scotty won the Hambo. ( throughout the race )ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with it. It's just a by - product of internet gamblers looking for an "indian behind every bush".

[White Rabbit]

I think what JC is referring to is down the stretch , when the lead horse moves over and lets horse up their inside when there’s no passing lane. Your point to the Hambo , which I honestly can’t recall the stretch drive , why should the gambler, trainer, owner & groom who was second get screwed because lead horse gave the courtesy drift down the lane. I know it was a very common move in the Old Meadowlands day

[Fuguzzi]

Yes, he meant stretch.. Sorry   Correct about BigM too.  But what about the ones who truly tire and drift? We have all seen front and rear end stretch views. horses are drifting all over the place. It is quite subjective, but at a track without a passing lane, if a gorse is staying straight and pacing well through the stretch and the driver "appears to needlessly allow a rival to pass inside" then I think $250 fine and 3 days suspension should be a good deterrent. Same driver does it again within 30 race days? Now its $1000 and 7 days. How does that sound?

[JIDGE]

Most drivers are loose lines down the stretch and horses tend to bear out to get away from pain, etc. -- there's no steering involved. You never see the driver in the lead latching onto the left line to keep someone from passing on the inside -- they're all driving hard. The only steerable ones are the ones full of pace (or trot) and you're able to slip through on the inside or make your way through a hole or drive up on the outside.

[Fuguzzi]

Should only be enforced under the most egregious circumstances that almost look "obvious" and then after giving the driver a chance to explain themselves.

[Kirbys Ace]

Holding one to the rail impedes the horse's ability to go forward. I rather him run out some then hold him inside and disrupting any forward motion. Some run out more than others, you can try and hold them some from running out, but you might be better letting them drift some as long as you're not interfering with another horse. Sometimes you might let one drift out as a courtesy to the guy who turned you loose rather than park you or run you to 1/4.

jmo

[seriously]

On track representation for this "sport" is most definitely the scourge. 

100% agree. 

Fixing this "sport" is as easy as finding new drivers. 

All the "send it in" tweeting can only do so much.  The bulk of drivers are just not interesting enough, good enough, or appealing in anyway to 99% of people under the age of 30. 

[firhill]

ER Rhonda used to drift out enough that the whole field was allowed the opportunity to pass heron the inside.

[Yonkers1A]

This is an easy one, don’t bet buggy racing