I have a solution. They should just raise the takeout on the ordinary horseplayers so the millionaires and buddies can get free box seats.:$:

I'm with you on that. My comment was more tongue-in-cheek, especially after the failed attempt at the bettor's boycott Saturday that saw handle go up 7%.

I do think a couple of seats at a discount for a owner wouldn't asking too much, though. Throw a little bone out there......

at any time other than these two days, that's what they do, isn't it?

Winners circle and paddock to be eliminated to make room for more 42k tables at Churchill...im just kidding but it almost sounds plausible in the twlight zoneof racing we are in

Obviously there is a balance that needs to be found but if you piss off owners in an industry that needs improvement , it's not a great business plan. Plain and simple. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that most horse owners ain't making money, perks matter to many.

I have no idea. When I've been to CD and Ellis Park, I see names on several of the box seats. I just figure that those owners/trainers purchase a "season pass" or something along those lines.

I wouldn't expect owners/trainers to get free seats on Oaks or Derby Day, but I would think some kind of discount would be offered. Guess I'm just being naive on this subject....

Exactly and the owners are the ones who are spending thousands to provide the product so that the racetrack can put on a show. If I am forking up $$ for an entry fee to race as well as paying shipping costs and I am less important that a "B" celeb who won't be back until his free invite next year, I am totally pissed off too. Sure it's the tracks big days and the ones that make their year but if it wasn't for the owners who support all year there would be no track. Porter and his fellow owners have a reason to be upset. They put the bucks all year so they have a right to feel "entitled".

CD always used to provide owners with horses in under card stakes on Oaks and Derby days with accommodations that weren't in the nosebleed section for a face value cost (which of course was far cheaper than what they charge now)

They used to have a vice president of racing that handled things like this. Why would a racing company need an executive in charge of racing matters after all?

Just my humble opinion but if tracks hustle owners and trainers to race to fill cards throughout the year, then accommodating owners and trainers on the big days is only proper. Oaks Day and/or Derby Day would be a lot less spectacular if the non featured events consisted of 5k to 12.5K Claimers.
And in my opinion the owners and trainers with horses racing on a given day should be "entitled" to accommodations on that day.

Please explain how derby day will degrade into 5 -12 K claimers if owners aren't
"Accomodadted" . Will owners take their million dollar purchases and turn them into carriage horses to recoup their money instead of running them for the huge purses on Derby Day?

That's what I found most hilarious, too. Nothing more eye-rolling than the One Percent whining when they don't get something for free.

No, they will run them at a track with huge purses that treat them well.

In this instance, the track is also operating a service industry and it does not surprise me that numerous owners have cited that the only person they have had a pleasant experience with is Mr. D of Arlington.

You seriously think that owners are going to bypass graded stakes purse money due to lack of free tickets?

Most would argue that there are too many Graded options out there watering down the product. So yes, owners bypass graded stakes purse money for a variety of reasons.

And they will bypass Kentucky Oaks and Derby Graded races? Races on Days where they can puff out their chests and feel important as America watches. See these 2 days are exactly the days they are in it. Feeling their importance on the National Stage... Just my opinion sightie...

Seriously though- what's wrong with bringing your crew down into the 120 section with folks like me and my buddies for $200 a pop? Are we terrible people- the unwashed masses? Or have you reached a sense of entitlement that makes you feel too important to stand in line with anyone not in a suit?
I get that the game is largely a losing proposition for the owners, and we obviously need them to provide the product, but on the flip side if they don't like it, they can go run another track for a smaller purse, and that won't help anyone. I'm not defending CDI by any means, but jeez.

So you are saying that its fine for CD to make money by filling the Oaks and Derby Cards with lesser Stakes races...but its not ok to comp the owners and trainers that provide the horses that run in these lesser stakes. I personally think that if you have skin in the game your entitled to more of the frosting then someone who doesn't...those with skin in the game are in it for more than just the big days...just my opinion... we can always agree to disagree.

Churchill wants to be a casino driven company but are the absolute worst at comping the whales.

They are incompetent. I couldn't care less about their share price in this over-valued joke of a market.

They will fail with this business model. They are a-holes.

How about they comp us bettors who without they are NOTHING. No they raise the takeout on us. Sorry if I don't feel sorry for a rich fuk crying for tickets so he can bring someone in and pound his chest and say look at me I am so generous and compassionate.

No, I don't think they would take there horse and run elsewhere for the Oaks and Derby, but we're talking about undercard stakes here.

There is a great quote floating about from Jimmy Jerkins from his father on what to expect for the Derby, to paraphrase - it will be crazy, why don't you just run in the Peter Pan? :D