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-- Scratches

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Scratches

endearus
8/7/2010
1:05:17 PM

I'm playing Saratoga today Saturday August 7.
I used the Scratch Bot XML.

Brisnet or whoever listed the #2 in the second race as being scratched, but the horse in running.
Same thing with the #12 in the 11th race.

When I un-scratch the horses and calulate races the horses still do not appear. This has haapened in the past with scratched horses--I scratch them and calulate and they still appear.

Any help would be appreciated.

Eric

jeff
8/7/2010
5:07:14 PM

Looks like one of the Equibase chartcallers either screwed the pooch (or was fed some bad info by NYRA.) They have the 2 listed as a scratch (the horse finished 2nd) in R2 and tried to remove it from the xml as post time for R2 neared (and couldn't.)

I called the racing office at Saratoga. They have the 12 horse as slated to run in R11.

I called Equibase and reported to them that the 12 horse in R11 is listed as a SCR in the xml.

I've been testing scratching and unscratching horses in the Manual Changes Module -- was just now able to replicate the problem you reported unscratching horses.

I'm working on it and WILL have a program upgrade published ASAP.

In the meantime:

If you use the 1 Scratches For Loaded Card Files Only setting for Scratch BOT in Enhanced Settings -- you WILL be able to scratch and unscratch horses in the Manual Changes Module.

-jp

.

~Edited by: jeff on: 8/7/2010 at: 5:07:14 PM~

jeff
8/8/2010
1:35:15 PM

I just published a new program upgrade with a bug fix for this:

New Program Upgrade 8-7-2010

Filename: J...S25c.

What's Inside:

Enhanced Settings Support for Time Zone and Post Time Display options during Calc Races routines.
In plain English: Bring up the Enhanced Settings Module and persist your choice of settings for Time Zone and Post Time Display. When you run a Calc Races you will now see your personal settings applied to race post times as displayed in daily reports generated by Calc Races routines.

Notes:

As a best practice, always use the "0 Military Time" option if you are sorting races by post time on your sql mode html report.

The algorithm for post time display and sorting has (so far) been written so that everything works when post times are rendered based on time zones in the US and Canada... Newfoundland, Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii.

I still need to make some adjustments to the algorithm to handle cases where the user selects a time zone from the other side of the globe... which has the ability to kick post times into the next/sometimes previous day.

Bug Fix for Manual Changes Module
Nature of bug: Manual Changes Module NOT persisting scratches correctly when scratches were previously obtained by Scratch BOT with the following option in Enhanced Settings: 0 All Scratches in the XML

Manual Changes Module WAS persisting scratches correctly when scratches were previously obtained by Scratch BOT with the following option in Enhanced Settings: 1 Scratches For Loaded Card Files Only

The problem has been addressed in this program upgrade. THANKS to Endearus (Eric) for reporting the problem earlier today.

HTML Report Viewer - New Buttons Added
In this program upgrade I've added launch buttons for BetCalc and The Live Play Module.
THANKS go out to Chuck for the suggestion.

Enhanced Settings Module - Cosmetic Change
In this program upgrade, I've changed the ordering of the settings drop downs as they appear on the user interface. The Time Zone and Post Time Display settings have been re-positioned so that they are now on the same horizontal row.

FAQs
Q. Do I need to rebuild databases from scratch after installing this program update?

A1. No. Not if you've kept current with the downloads.

Now if you haven't kept current with the downloads then yes, chances are you will have to rebuild databases from scratch before using the Data Window to query playlist files built using older program versions.

A2. If you want to see SilverRating in the Data Window, then: Yes. After creating a UserFactor or UPR that uses SilverRating with a 3 translate behavior:

You WILL need to rebuild any database from scratch where you want to query said database with the expectation of seeing the performance of SilverRating in the Data Window.

Q. Do I need to check the box on the Installer to make it give me a new JCapper2.mdb file?

A. No. Not if you've kept current with the downloads and checked the box last time. Now if you haven't kept current with the downloads - then you'll need to check the box this time.

Enjoy,

-jp

.

~Edited by: jeff on: 8/7/2010 at: 6:27:43 PM~

~Edited by: jeff on: 8/8/2010 at: 1:35:15 PM~

beissner
8/8/2010
10:59:21 AM

Jeff after downloading the latest upgrade I selected the Sar JCapper DAT file for 08/07/2010 and got the following message when I tried calculating the races.......WHILE CALCULATING RACES ERROR 13 TYPE MISMATCH......I have two computers and it happens on both.....I tried other dates and tracks ...... still not working....I then selected the JCP DATA FILES (ENTRIES) and it works fine on both computers....Regards Fred ADDITION: I also selected SQL MODE..."OPERATE IN THE PLAYLIST FILE MODE" and it gave the proper results.

~Edited by: beissner on: 8/8/2010 at: 10:59:21 AM~

jeff
8/8/2010
12:31:17 PM

Got it Fred.

Will publish a program update for it later today.

-jp

.

beissner
8/8/2010
2:35:43 PM

Jeff thank you for the quick response.....Regards Fred

jeff
8/8/2010
6:05:39 PM

Received a personal response from Hank Zeitlin, President and CEO of Equibase:

--quote:

"RE: Oops - Scratches and Changes at SAR Saturday 8-7-2010
From : "Zeitlin, Hank"
To : "Jeff Platt"
Received : 08-07-2010 10:36 PM

Jeff, I sent an email to the track & field staff and expect I will hear back tomorrow and will let you know. Thanks for pointing this out. Hope all is well with you. Regards, Hank"

--end quote

They ARE taking this seriously and looking into the chain of events that enabled this to happen.

I'll pass on their explanation to you guys once it comes my way.

-jp

.

jeff
8/9/2010
1:34:55 AM

New Program Upgrade published at 10:25 pm pacific time.

See the JCapper Platinum thread in the Downloads and Tech Support section for details.

-jp

.

jeff
8/9/2010
3:28:08 PM

Note:

If you ran Scratch BOT's new Import Master Track List routine from last night's program update - check your table entries for MNR and CTX.

The track names persisted in the Notes field of the TrackAbbreviations Table should be MOUNTAINEER and CHARLES TOWN respectively.

Edit manually as needed.

A few minutes ago, I uploaded a new download package (S25d2) to the server. This new download package includes an updated Master Track List import routine that persists the track names for MNR and CTX as MOUNTAINEER and CHARLES TOWN respectively...

Meaning that if you installed today 8/9/2010 after 11:55 am pacific - after running the import routine - you shouldn't need to edit table entries for these two tracks manually.

-jp

.

jeff
8/9/2010
6:27:30 PM

An update on the scratches and changes mixup on the two horses from the Saratoga card this past Saturday:

NYRA initially had both horses as scratches.

As soon as Equibase realized that a mistake had been made, they corrected it by unscratching both horses internally at their end.

Their system was able to pick up the horses as "unscratched" - and if you went to Equibase.com you would not have seen the horses listed as scratched after they made the correction.

However, their system's edit left an audit trail (two entries) in the xml for each horse:

1. The original entry clearly showing the scratch.

2. A second entry - in a format I had not seen before - indicating the horse was no longer scratched.

Scratch BOT's parse routine, which had been programmed to identify scratched horses in a certain way: picked up on the first entry in the xml and not the second - handling both horses as if they were scratches. (Ouch.)

Now, here's where things get better:

After an email exchange with IT staff at Equibase, earlier today we had a short conference call. As a result of that call, Equibase has updated me with specs detailing how unscratched horses will appear from this point forward in the xml.

I'm going to spend a few hrs this afternoon updating Scratch BOT's parse routines - and with any luck at all you guys will have a new program update later today.

-jp

.

~Edited by: jeff on: 8/9/2010 at: 6:27:30 PM~

Charlie James
8/11/2010
3:36:53 PM

Jeff,

About the new master track list import: Sweet.

About the new past performance generator: Damn.

Muchas Gracias for the attention to detail, unheralded dedication, and everything else you do that goes with the way you maintin this truly amazing cutting edge program.

Chuck

capperlou
8/11/2010
9:35:45 PM

Jeff:

The scratches are working great today with the update from yesterday---even the Eastern time is showing up on the html report. Wonderful!!

But most important of all is the fine tuning that you keep doing to the program. Today using HDW data I had only two spots that were playable-- R4 SAR and R6 SAR. #4 By M K bumped at start did not get home and ran 2nd. Remember I mentioned to you I thought Channing Hill was riding much better. Well, Channing gave #10 College Grad a great ride today in R6 and hand rode College Grad to the finish over Ramon on #8 for a nose win in quite an exciting stretch duel--paying 11.80.
Jeff---you keep giving me the "edge" that I must have to be profitable. You are "just the best", better than all the rest in the handicapping software world.

Lou

P.S. Jeff did not forget you west coast guys at Del Mar today either.
A late call from Shed Row talking about PVal riding a JCapper horse in R5. #10 Mind the Minister at 10.60 got the job done for our late players here and everybody out west.
Did you guys knock this one down to 4-1???

Thanks again Jeff--oh there was a winner in R1 also, but it was too short to play!!!!!!

~Edited by: capperlou� on: �8/11/2010� at: �8:08:25 PM~

~Edited by: capperlou on: 8/11/2010 at: 9:35:45 PM~

JCapper Message Board

JCapper 101 -- Scratches

JCapper 101
-- Scratches