What are all of the horses doing out on the track before the race?
They're doing what any athlete would be doing before the "big game" -- warming up. Harness horses usually jog a couple of miles about two hours before they race. Those are the ones going slowly, the "wrong way" around the track.
Following a rest, they take a warm-up mile, this time going the "right way" around the track. This is a much faster mile that primes them for a fast race. Then they rest again, for about an hour, prior to their race.
Harness horses are real "work horses," training literally hundreds of miles even before they compete in their first race. After that, they work dozens of miles between each start to keep their competitive edge.
|
Are drivers paid for their work? Do they get more if the horse wins?
The answer in both cases is yes. In fact, a driver is paid on the average of five percent of the purse money earned by the horse. Thus, simple arithmetic says that the driver wins more when the horse wins more, so the incentive for a skillful drive does, indeed, play a part.
|
Why do some winning horses pay more than others?
Remember, the house only acts as a broker among the bettors. The payoffs are solely determined by how much is wagered on each horse.
If few people bet on a winner, the price will be bigger because fewer bettors share in the pie. If many or most of the crowd bets on a winning horse, the payoff will be smaller because the pie is cut into many more pieces.
|
If a horse breaks stride and starts running instead of trotting or pacing, is it automatically disqualified?
No, it's not an automatic disqualification. The driver, however, must do a couple of things. He must get out of the way of the other horses; he must try to get his horse back on the proper gait; and he must lose ground to the others (he's not allowed to benefit from a "break"). If all these things are not done, he may be disqualified.This decision is made by the racing judge working for the state.
|
What happens when the "objection" or "inquiry" sign is posted?
It means there has been a possible violation of the rules. The judges (of which there are three) will look at the videotape of the race, sometimes reviewing it again and again to make sure of what happened -- or didn't happen.
They will also consult with other officials, such as the starter or patrol judges, and talk with the drivers involved in the incident.
Should a rules violation occur, the offending horse will be disqualified and placed back in the official order of finish, and the offending driver (or drivers) may be fined or suspended.
|
