Gulfstream to provide greater transparency regarding DQs
Gulfstream Park announced Friday it will begin instituting changes to provide
bettors more information and greater transparency whenever there is a
disqualification or objection on any of its races.
“We truly believe the bettor deserves a detailed explanation as to why a
horse has been disqualified,” Gulfstream President Tim Ritvo said. “The bettor is not
only the economic engine that drives this sport, but he and she is also the
biggest fan of the sport. We need to continue to find ways to improve the
integrity and transparency of the sport.
“We have not done a good job explaining
why our stewards have disqualified a horse, and we’re going to change that. We
have a few changes we will implement immediately, but we are studying a number
of other ideas, including a camera and microphone in the stewards’
booth.”
Track announcer Larry Collmus will provide a detailed explanation for the ruling
while a replay of the infraction is highlighted and played from pan and head-on
angles. A statement by the stewards will be posted on Gulfstream Park’s website
under disqualifications.
“I have talked to several track officials and respected stewards over the past
week and we’ve discussed several ways of being more transparent when it comes to
objections and inquiries,” Ritvo said. “Obviously, there’s never going to be a
100 percent consensus whether a horse should or should not be taken down.
“We
want stewards to be consistent, but we also want them to treat each race
individually because every scenario is different. We also want them to be quick,
but sometimes decisions take longer, especially after a turf race because
stewards must wait for the jockeys to come back. But we feel we can provide our
bettors more information and information that’s more timely.
“There will be things we add, maybe a few we eventually subtract, but our
decisions will be based on what is best for our bettors,” Ritvo said. “If these
changes work at Gulfstream, we will roll them out across all Stronach Group
tracks.”
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