[Tim Y]

I have asked repeatedly (of our starter) and from TWO years of observations at both our track and many many others (using videotapes to measure static reference points along the course relative to the gate) and the result is that the gate positon varies only slightly. THE GATE POSITION, on dirt, varies in position a few INCHES. I use the relative camera position of a taped result (as I am used to that reference and knowing that the point of view of the lower pan camera is the same race to race) at courses, then pick a static point (whether that is a overhang of a building, a point on the rail, or the relative position of a light standard) stop the tape, then observe the gate end relative to that point of reference over a time period. At our course (and the starter who has worked at many other race tracks agrees upon questioning), there is a mark aloing the outside fence where the gate crew aligns the gate race in and race out. My camera placement has to be in the same place race to race as I am on attena to the roof and moving more than one foot left or right alters their reception and I know that the view I get race to race is monotonously the same to the point where I rarely have to change focus once set. Another thing that happens at many tracks is that there is a small lane where the crew moves the gate after the field breaks: if there was much variance, the gate couldn't be pulled out of the way down that ramp race to race. The timers are built into points around the course along the rail so that fractional times are taken from STATIC POINTS around the course and it usually takes a thoroughbred only a few strides to get up to speed (see Carrol's book on Speed) .

I always get a kick out of clowns, looking for another reason to buy their book, complicate a rather simple thing, or throw some new variable into something that simply does not exist in order to somehow discover a NEW insight into this or that. ......and then usually put their name on that NEW discovery...that isn't there, but then MIGHT be from the grandstander's point of view....You know the ones who never actually have anything to do with the gate placement but are the annointed "arms length" experts.

THE ONLY REAL VARIABLE, track to track, is how far from that rather static gate position, does the timer rest: some are close some not so close.