Horse racing doesn't need fans, it needs bettors.
I would think that all they really want is lower take-out and full competitive fields, no matter what the levels are.

:tro:

that's one hell of a freshening!

Eh, I'd argue we need people who are both fans AND bettors. If you just do one or the other, you're missing out on a pretty great experience.

Maybe I have spent too much time of my life in OTB's, but in my opinion there many more bettors in this game then there are true fans of it. The type of people that just turned the page in their form and moved to the next race a day like the day Eight Belles went down. This segment of the fan base couldn't care less about anything except when is the post time till the next race.

I think that is asinine, why does NYRA have a higher handle than say Ellis Park where the fields are often similar in size and competitiveness with a lower takeout.

People care about the quality of the horses they bet on, socal still is second in wagering yet I would say is probably lower 1/3rd in competitiveness and amongst the leaders in track takeout.

Yes, some people do and some people are just degenerates that will bet anything.

As far as the Ellis & So Cal arguements, I really have no handle on Ellis. I just don't pay close attention to that entire circuit. I have always been a NY guy (growing up there) and that's what I like to play. Does Ellis, go directly up against Belmont & Saratoga? I could see that being an issue. But that's why So Cal probably does well, at that time they are the best and really only game around.

Matt, if this Hollywood Park meeting is any indication of the "Shape of Things to come" in So Cal, they are in deep water. I agree with you, the larger, familiar circuits are what attract the betting dollar by and large, but CA is going the way of PARX - completely unbettable 5 horse fields, (unless they are running bottom level mdn claimers that ship in from Los Al) - even Vic sounds like he is phoning it in at this point.

What do you define as a bettor? If you consider some of the people here as bettors, it didn't seem like many found it all too easy to "turn the page" when Eight Belles broke down.

I was at Capitol OTB in Albany when Barbaro broke down and the entire place went silent when the news broke of why he didn't finish the race.

still time to edit this to the West Virginia Derby