turf rail settings

Question
What is the significance of turf rail settings .e.g. turf rail set at 12 feet , set at 0 etc.

Answer
Hi John:

Thanks for your question.  Although I have never worked at a track that has "a turf course", I do know just a little about it - sometimes the inside of the turf course is protected from over use by placing a temporary plastic rail up several feet from the inside. The number of feet out from the rail is now annotated in some PP screens in the track condition location (next to the Distance). Example: 9.0T 揜22?= 9-furlong turf race had a rail-out 22 feet. When the temporary rail is used, the circumference of the course changes we often causing tighter turns and unusual timing.  In my opinion, for what its worth, it does not change turf course handicapping.  I go with mostly late speed, since most all turf races are won by horses coming from off the pace.  I do look at turf race pp's because if the race was taken off the turf due to wet weather the PP screens now annotate this with an 搙?next to the distance, i.e. 搙8.5w?= a race moved from the turf. Many horses are 搒tuck?in these races ?meaning they were entered to run on grass but were denied the scratch in order to keep the race filled ?and can be excused for a bad effort.  I disregard any races that are highlighted with the "x", as do most "trip handicappers".

Again John, thanks for your question and I hope this may help in clarifying the use of rails in turf racing.

Jim