Indiana Grand Racing and Casino has implemented a new audio and visual system for the track's stewards which will allow Senior State Steward Eric Smith to provide a live, televised explanation from the steward's room on how officials made their decision during an infraction.
“We feel providing an explanation directly from the stewards is a great way to inform fans watching and wagering on our product,” said Eric Halstrom, Indiana Grand's vice President and general manager of racing. “They will now be able explain how they came to a conclusion on a specific ruling and give insight on the information they reviewed and gathered from the jockeys involved in the incident.”
Indiana Grand also announced Thursday it will be using a drone to offer enhanced camera angles for television production of its upcoming Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meets.
“Our team has been challenged to take Caesars' racing to the forefront in technology and a drone is one step in doing so,” said Halstrom. “As we began to pull this new concept in, we started realizing how this drone could really showcase our racing program and set our TV production apart from others. It's important to note we do not plan on changing the way people watch our races but rather complement our current production with innovative views that nobody else is offering in their daily broadcasts. Lastly, we also view this as a potential way to assist the stewards in reviewing races, especially in areas where current camera angles are more difficult than others to see the full action of a race”
The Matrice 200 Drone, which is a little less than three feet in width and stands 16 inches high, is capable of zoom options with adjustable speed and is programmable from location to location. Operators are required to be licensed with the Federal Aviation Administration with a Remote Pilot Certificate. Three of Indiana Grand's audio-visual department team members recently completed training and are now licensed to fly the drone.
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