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Originally Posted by justindew
My point is I don't think you are capable of saying or thinking anything positive about CD. A few weeks back you mocked their press release about testing for 100 different drugs and other safety measures before finally admitting you thought the drug testing, the core of the release, was a good decision.
Back to my original point, I just don't get why purse structure can't be based on traditional business principles. If CD only wants to contribute X to purses, then they have to live with the smaller fields and lighter handle.
And if the bettors continue to wager on an inferior product, that's the bettors' problem.
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I have some great friends that work for CD and they dont have anything good to say either. When I came to KY, CD was a great place as far as being an owner or trainer. Between them and Keeneland, KY was a real move up from how you were treated in NY or FL. But that has changed dramatically in the last few years. Interestingly enough it has also come as the brass at CD has completely turned over and the horseman element in management of CD that was always strong has been just about eliminated.
I know you will be insulted again but you seem to lack the understanding that a certain % of the money bet belongs to the horseman. The track may take the bet but they do not own the racing product. This isnt like baseball where the owners of the team pay the players. They pay us our share of the money bet in purses, not what they feel like giving us. When they underpay, they have to make up the difference, usually the next meet with increased overnight purses. When they overpay, the purses generally are lowered. if the difference is not that great they usually make no move as it works itself out. The core issue is that CD is trying to funnel wagers to its ADW where they want to pay us a much smaller percentage for purses. They are basically trying to make money off of our take. The ADW is the only growth (though it is mostly just the same money being bet in a different manner) area in the business and we are supposed to be satisfied to take less? That makes no sense from our point of view.
Their safety measures are mostly lip service. Testing for 100 different drugs is a nice idea but hardly earth shattering news since there are at least 5000 known medications used on equines.
I have been based at CD for 10 years, won a lot of races and money there. For the most part the people who work there have been great to me. I have many friends who work there in many different capacities. But the upper management/corporate types who most likely have no idea who I even am are killing the racing there and probably dont even know it. Not to mention that morale among employees and horseman has to be at an all-time low.
When people were railing against NYRA and its management the last few years I just shook my head as many of those same people fully supported the management at CDI. As a horseman there is no doubt that the management of NYRA has a far greater respect for and desire to improve the sport than CDI. If any of this offends you let me apologize in advance.