Belmont Stakes Shoot: Which Cameras???

[ackerley]

I have an opportunity to shoot this weekend's Belmont Stakes from the Press Area. I want to carry 2 Nikon digital SLRs and a bunch of lenses, from the 80-400zoom down to the 14mm wide angle; I own a D1X (no upgrade) and a D100 and usually shoot RAW. I have been thinking of buying either the D70 or the D2H. As the horses come down the stretch, I will have about 10 seconds to shoot. WHICH camera would you trust to get me the most focused exposures?? Also, would using a 200mm fixed lens be better than the 80-400 or 70-300 zoom? How about shooting Jpeg instead of RAW?? Any pointers would be much appreciated.
Lee

[bobtrips]

I would want two things.

An image stabilized long zoom. You are unlikely to be able to compose quickly from a tripod and a fixed lens will be of limited value if you can't zoom with your feet.

A camera that will take a long burst (drive mode) and will clear the buffer quickly. (That probably means shooting Jpeg rather than RAW. No reason to shoot RAW if you carefully set your white balance.

[framewerkz]

Chances are the action will move too fast to make proper use of a zoom, so a prime would work just fine. It would be nice to have the D2H handy due to its speed shooting feature set, but in its absence, go with the D1X. I'd say go with JPEG as RAW files might just choke your buffer if you're shooting continuously. Go with shutter priority; meter beforehand and find the faster shutter speed that your lens will allow given its speed. And if you can stick the rig on a monopod you'll get more stability as you swivel to follow the action. Good luck!