Thanks
Steve has this too. I hear him on ATR saying, "There is a nice race at Delaware". It's what we do. We are enamored with it, we love it. Do we gamble on it, yes. However I find that most of the people I know at the track are not gamblers. You may think this strange, but most all of the are horseplayers. They don't go to casinos or buy lotto tickets.
I think once you are a horseplayer, you are always a horseplayer. I think it's a different mindset. It's all well and good to try and attract young people to the track, but the key is to make them horseplayers. Playing horses is so pure and elemental. It's me playing against you.
I'm not sure about these concerts and late cards and whether they really bring anybody to the races. I look at guys like Nick Tammaro and Doug Sal and think this is still going to be around for awhile. They are young and love the game. I love those guys.
I just think that if I'm 22 and going to a concert at a racetrack I'm looking at doing some drinking and getting laid. If Wise Dan is running, who cares. Just my 2 cents. That is not who we want or need for our future.
I think everyday on-track is gone. It's all event based now and will continue to be. Belmont is a place that will often get 100,000 people and sometimes get 20,000 people but will most likely get 2-4,000 people. That's the way it is. Many people just bet on-line anymore.
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