'Splitting horses

It's just a normal day clocking at your neighborhood track. it's busy morning with horses breaking from every pole after the break, unlike the scenario many envision, its not an orderly event, its chaos.

A two set breaking from the half mile pole, another set from the 5f pole and a gate work ready to spring into action.

We pick up all three sets, the half mile is on a straight up clock, the 5f team is on a 1.2 split and the gate on a 31 split for a team. So many of you marvel at how we can catch three sets from different poles and get the correct time, here is a crash course on 'splitting works.:

Team 1/2: 12, 23.4, 35.3, and and 48.2, go out in 1:02 and 1:16.2.

Team from 5/8ths: 1.2, 13.4, 25.4, 38, 50.2 and 1:02.4.

So, we subtract 1.2, from all those times: 13.4, is 12.2, 25.4, is 24.2, 38 is 36.3, 50.2 is 49 flat and 1:02.4 is 1:01.2. Voila.

The gate team is on a 31 split, 55.1, 1:07.1, 1:19.3. Subtract 31 from 55.1, 1st quarter is 24.1, 31 from 1:07.1 and you have 36 flat, and finally 31 from 1:19.3, is 48.2.

We have clocked six horses, in 1:02 for 5f from half. 101.2 for the 5f team and 48.2 on the gate team. Easy as 1-2-3.

How long can we keep a watch running, my longest run 'splitting horses was well over 6 minutes at Del Mar one summer after a break. Crazy yes, but made a ll the sense in the world to me after.

Splitting horses allows us to catch multiple horses on the watch. We have about 3-5 seconds thru the lane note marks, rider, movement, barn, etc.

Plenty of time to get it all down.