We throw this term around pretty freely, so, let's put the cards
on the table. Tell me what you mean!
I suggest it's not a 'fix' unless multiple people conspire to
produce a predetermined and artificial outcome. Such activity
is presumably designed to produce financial reward for the perps.
There have been some very rare fraud situations, such as:
Mutuels department informing their cohorts about which tri
combos were 'light'
Embezzlement by fronton personnel.
While these draw terrible publicity, and are criminal acts,
they don't have anything to do with the players or the outcome
of the games and are not fixing.
Here are some occurrences that I DO NOT consider fixes:
Dumping a point in disgust 'cause you're out of the game.
Trying an impossible kill, for the same reason.
Dumping a point to lock up Place or Show boleto.
Setting up your brother-in-law for a kill shot 'cause he's down
on his luck.
Muffing, juggling, etc., where the ball's flight dynamics can't
be seen from the crowd.
None of these are premeditated or conspiratorial, so they don't
qualify, in my mind, as fixing.
So, what's left? Not much!
Scenario #1 - Produce a particular tri outcome
for a conspiring bettor.
Would need to involve many players, who would need to memorize
a sequence of point outcomes to produce an unusual outcome. You're
not gonna fix a 5-2-4. Well, maybe the Piranha Bros. might (nudge,
nudge, wink, wink). Even if that were pulled off, the bettor's
return would be limited to the pool size, and he would have to
split it anyway, since box bets virtually assure that every combo
is covered.
How much would a conspirator have to pay the players to produce
this outcome - to risk lifetime suspension and their livlihood?
Scenario #2 - let Player 7 win to get rich on
7-laden trifectas.
Perhaps somewhat more plausible, but all the combos would have
to be covered, and the payoff would still be split, as in #1,
and the potential reward would be even less. And you've still
gotta pay the players.
Scenario #3 - I can't think of any more
In short, I don't think there ARE any fixes, at least by my definition.
