Public will decide Monmouth's fate
 

Vote yes with your dollars at the mutual windows, as 50 racing days featuring $50-million in purses, including $12-million in stakes races, gets underway with a trio of $100,000 events on Saturday.

If the most revolutionary idea the sport has come up with since the Breeders' Cup fails, the industry will find itself that much closer to the abyss.

http://www.app.com/article/20100518/...e-track-s-fate

Outside of the Belmont Stakes, Monmouth will be my first stop for any wagering while their meet is running. It's good for me -- great racing -- and it's good for them.

Dollars spent are always votes for, and dollars withheld are always votes against, but this time the decision makers are really watching the tally...

It'll be my #1 meet this summer unless it turns into its annual chalkfest which I do not think will happen this year.

i think they will do fine, less racing but better product. the facility is opened less costing them less. even if the crowd is low some days i imagine the simulcast handle will be great considering the quality of horses they will attract. i know i will be betting those races, i'm one of those people that only bets on the major tracks.

I hope we see some MP selections and handicapping from Steve this year. I think a lot of people play along with his selections. ATR seems to have a pretty broad reach among fans and talking abut the MP races along with Belmont and Saratoga might influence some people to wager on them.

MP is my home track, and I will be playing on-line when I can't make it in person. I really hope this works because the alternative is too painful to think about.

- Brett

Not a huge fan of Monmouth although I practically grew up there in the late 80s / early 90s at least from a handicapping perspective.

I am looking forward to playing some of the multi-races bets especially the .50 pick 5 and the pick 4s with a relatively low take for pick 4s (I think 20% versus the 25% of NY).

I think the concept is great but knowing NJ and their politicians they will probably screw it up some how, which would be sad to say the least.

All my weekend action will be at Monmouth until Toga.

Are they bringing back the 50 cent minimum pk 5?
That was a fun bet last year. Should be again with the expected increase in quality and field size.

It's 15%, or at least it was last year.

Still 15%. One of the better deals around IMO.

http://www.monmouthpark.com/content.aspx?id=406

A great deal of this depends strictly on their expectations. I've seen people throw around ridiculous numbers like a 100% handle increase. That's crazy.

I'm sure their handle is going to be up on a daily basis (simply because of 12 races vs. 9 or 10) but the types of substantial increases that people are anticipating won't be realized.

Those types of numbers require people to STOP playing what they had been and switch entirely to Monmouth. More people are going to be interested in Monmouth but it's unlikely they'll completely abandon the signal they previously played as well.

NT

Spot on Nick.

I haven't played Monmouth seriously in years, I will be curious and may play a bit this year, but I will probably stick with my usual summer tracks that I have data on.

I'm going to play where I think I can win.

This matters more to me than how high the purses are. I'd bet cockroaches if you give me 15% take on Pick 4's. Which makes it a shame that the Ellis experiment was so short-lived.

They are hoping for a 20-25% handle increase.

And some "experts" around here don't think that's attainable.

Agreed- and I think you, I, and Scott played it every day.

:tro: It will be done.

I believe the answer is YES.

I will continue to play New York and will not play Monmouth personally. If I can make it through the winter playing Aqueduct, then I am not worried about the supposed quality of the product NY will put on. I find it hard to believe that Monmouth will have a significant effect on Saratoga.

Would love to see them bring back the Sixty Minute Six, too.
But I fear that was just a one-year experiment.

There's something really nauseating about Jersey Breds running in an allowance race for 80k.

I know the first card will not be a fair representation of what will happen but that looks like a lot of the same old Monmouth horses running for far too much money.

NT