Top 10 list
 

This is evidence of your tax dollars at work. Some of these 'suggestions' are too good to be true. It is like they are giving people ammo to shoot them with.
http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=38292

I just read this story. I am sort of speechless. This one right here is my fav. I wonder what genius thought of this one.....3. The financial predicament of the state’s racing franchise. The solution is to create an environment in which the new franchisee can generate a profit. What a wonderful solution. I like how they state HOW they plan on achieving this goal.

my personal favorite is #1. In an effort to combat declining attendance the committee says......................more free passes!
Of course they forgot that it was the state of NY that stopped NYRA from giving away free admission passes. And the night racing idea has really worked out well for the harness tracks attendance.

Yeah that is a good one as well. Free passes is a joke. Just say FREE ADMISSION. Luckily I dont live in New York or I would be pissed my money went to create this top 10 list.

4 is great too. The state racing franchise needs to be awarded quickly the solution is to accelerate the process. Really. No kidding. How insightful.

Number #1 on the the list should be the incompetence of their horrible
stewards. They proved it again in 6th race at the Big A yesterday

I love this thinking here. Follow me for a moment. We have #1 which is to get people to the track. We will let them in for free. We want them to wager their money. Then we are going to set up problem gambler treatment program for those that were let in free and developed a problem. I love it......

I do think night racing would be huge in the right environment. If they had night racing at Arlington on Friday/Saturday, it would be packed from head to toe in the summer, it would be like the Million every weekend

Naturally they never mention the one thing that will almost assuredly increase handle and attract more money to their races. Decrease takeout.

Plus I love in #10 where the Breeders awards are under utilized? Do they want every race to be a NYbred race?

I dont have too much of a problem with their takeout %. I feel it is a little high on some exotic wagers. I think New York should do something to try to boost their pick six wager and their pick 4 wager. I know that guarantee pools are sort of a gimmick. But people like to know there is going to be $400k in the pick 4 pool or maybe $500k in the pick 6 pool. I dont know how Cali gets it done with their pick
six.

For a while then it becomes ordinary. Plus the entertainment options are far greater at night than they are during the day. Putting a better product out at a more competitive price is a simple answer that can be done and would take virtually nothing to implement. But why give your customers better races with lower takeout when you can give out free passes and save all those pesky problem racehorse gamblers. Like the states Keno or video crack going off every 5 minutes 24 hours a day isn't creating 100 times more problem gamblers than the race tracks.

Steve Crist did a good piece on this a few weeks ago. NY's takeout is still higher than it should be. Of course the OTB's will want to raise it more.

You know New York could put lights and sounds on the horses while they run. Imagine watching the Wood and seeing Any Given Saturday in purple and red lights flashing as he is making his move while a bell is ringing everytime his feet hit the ground.

I missed his piece. I think it is high, but I do not have too much of a problem with it.

I dunno what kinda neighborhood Arlington is in, but Belmont and Aqueduct, both in the sticks, aren't going to attract any more people with night racing. In fact, they might attract less since it'll keep the old people away.

I never thought of the Big A to be in the sticks. Maybe you could get hit by sticks there....

Only if you're.. Nevermind.

It's in the sticks in that it's not close to anything resembling a metropolis. Damn near all of Queens is the sticks, man.

Doesn't downtown Jamaica count?

Not really, but even so, AQU is a ways from Jamaica.

You would love Happy Valley (the track in HK, not Penn state)

It would be much funnier if it wasn't so sad. The whole thing is basically here's a problem....the solution? Fix it.

What is sort of interesting is the number of problems that are created by the state and the given solution is " change it ". No kidding.

Night racing CANNOT happen at the NY tracks but at least there is a move towards more twilight racing. The free passes thing is funny, especially as Chuck noted it is the State that took them away. Sadly there is no real solution to dwindling attendance, as the very thing that lowered attendance, widespread simulcasting and in-home wagering options, is what is keeping the game strong. The truth is attendance simply should not be a major concern.

It is in yuppie Chicago. Northwest Burbs. The problem with around here is that their is nothing to do outside in the summer. If Arlington were to have their Friday's at night, and continue with their 'party in the park', they would get 15,000 to 25,000 a night I bet. Their is essentially nothing to do at night close to us..

That's the first time anyone's ever told me I'm from the sticks, leave it to a guy from Brooklyn :D

I definitely agree. I can honestly say that I don't play NY tracks because of what I think is the insane takeout.

makes you wonder why they didn't just go with the original suggestion! i didn't think that having elections meant everything had to go back to 'start'. so much for seamless transition!

[quote=blackthroatedwind]It would be much funnier if it wasn't so sad. The whole thing is basically here's a problem....the solution? Fix it.

What is sort of interesting is the number of problems that are created by the state and the given solution is " change it ". No kidding.

Night racing CANNOT happen at the NY tracks but at least there is a move towards more twilight racing. The free passes thing is funny, especially as Chuck noted it is the State that took them away. Sadly there is no real solution to dwindling attendance, as the very thing that lowered attendance, widespread simulcasting and in-home wagering options, is what is keeping the game strong. The truth is attendance simply should not be a major concern.[/QUOTE]

you're right, it should not. so many point to lower attendance as an indication the sport is in decline, while ignoring the increased handle. it makes no sense to focus on the one, and ignore the other.

The Big A and Belmont are in the Sticks? I guess the Meadowlands is too?

Come on, the sticks should be reserved for places like like Penn National or Mountaineer, where you have to drive hours to get to a metropoltian area.

well ateam arlington isnt in the sticks, its near surrounding suburbs like elk grove, schaumburg,hoffman estates, palatine etc etc. overall a nice aream, some wannabe suburban gangstaz lol out there but again notta bad area

i think hawthorne needs night racing more scav as far as tbreds go. the main thing for arlington to attract more fans is just to drop the price of admission/ concessions

sticks as defined by Joey

Dude do you want to go into that neighborhood at night?

Awwww, I grew up in Elk Grove. I remember the night Arlington burned. Loved the old track ....

You could hop the Metra at Northwest Highway and Wilke by the track and go downtown. Lots to do there :)

I like the 3:00 pm posts on Friday. Gives me an excuse to take the afternoon off.

I think Arlington could get more people if they lowered the price of admission and food permanently, rather than just on Labor Day. Admission for a buck and hot dogs for a buck made for quite a crowd last Labor Day even with a wet track.

you mean 6-7 bucks to get in and another $9.50 for a slice of pizza and a pepsi are not good things???:rolleyes:

Dammit, I'm talking about the boonies in relativity, people! My point is that in order for night racing to work, you're going to have to attract people from outside of Queens, and I don't know anyone whose eyes light up at the thought of journeying out to Elmont or Ozone Park.

And yes, the Meadowlands is in the middle of nowhere. If the complex weren't there, why would anyone go to East Rutherford?

If Belmont is in the sticks then where in the world is Kentucky Downs?

In the woods.

Only if it comes with an Oscar nominated movie and a 'good' slice of pizza and maybe a container of nachos ;)

The pizza at Arlington is quite similar to plastic Little Caesars pizza, and the price of pizza will go up, because I believe the cost of that new Polytrack will be coming out of every average Joe's pocket at the food counter, as well as probably the cost of reserved seats and the cost of admission and the cost of parking closer to the facility. Would prefer to see the future additional costs we will be shelling out going to the people who work and live on site. They certainly could use it, and have certainly been deprived of better accommodations.

LOL Joey!

What insane takeout? It's lower than average on straight bets; about average on multiples; and slightly above average on P6 and exotics.