What Kind of Hit Will Racing Take If Barbaro Dies?

[alysheba4]

there will be zero loss of fan base / wagering $$$ because of barbaro...... the people who will never watch another horse race again are the folks who come outta the woodwork once a year for the derby.



p.s i am not brushing aside the heartbreaking barbaro tragedy...... he was my favorite horse since 1987 and the preakness was a punch in the gut for me.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by alysheba4

there will be zero loss of fan base / wagering $$$ because of barbaro...... the people who will never watch another horse race again are the folks who come outta the woodwork once a year for the derby.



p.s i am not brushing aside the heartbreaking barbaro tragedy...... he was my favorite horse since 1987 and the preakness was a punch in the gut for me.

I agree 100%.

[randallscott35]

This article is pretty much what you can expect here on in.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/15033159.htm


BY the way, I would like to see additional fan base too. Not just old guys at the OTB everyday. Yes, I realize they aren't going anywhere.

[alysheba4]

randall, you are late tonight........no summer school for you this year

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by alysheba4

randall, you are late tonight........no summer school for you this year

Is that a shot or a joke? I'm laughing.

No actually I had to go in the last 3 days for curriculum work. No summer school for me, unless you consider studying the ponies work. I need the summer to be ready for September....Saratoga just a few weeks away.

[alysheba4]

no, no shot bro...... my uncle has been teaching high school here in so cal forever, so i know when summer school starts plus i thought you live in the east

[randallscott35]

I was just kidding sheba. Yeah I'm in Jersey but I don't teach summer school....Maybe at some point in the future, but not yet.

[sumitas]

The article eloquently sums up where we are at this stage of the game. A very unacceptable place to be with a whole lot of room for improvement.

tx for posting it.

[Suffolk Shippers]

Originally Posted by alysheba4

there will be zero loss of fan base / wagering $$$ because of barbaro...... the people who will never watch another horse race again are the folks who come outta the woodwork once a year for the derby.



p.s i am not brushing aside the heartbreaking barbaro tragedy...... he was my favorite horse since 1987 and the preakness was a punch in the gut for me.

Im not even sure you lose the wood work people...the fact is, America loves a winner and if the Derby winner has some kind of compelling story, or dramatic victory, they are immediately ushered in as America's Darling animal for five or six weeks.

Regardless of how Barbaro turns out, next year, 18 or 20 3 year old will launch from the gate at Churchill Downs and become the "next big thing" when they win it. Its just as likely when they win, they become a horse like Funny Cide, Afleet Alex or Smarty Jones. A fun, popular, easy to root for animal. America lives for that stuff and falls in love with that.

I'm not a wood worker, I love the game, every day of the year. But, like Alysheba says, this is just a kick in the gut. One that really hurts.

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by alysheba4

there will be zero loss of fan base / wagering $$$ because of barbaro...... the people who will never watch another horse race again are the folks who come outta the woodwork once a year for the derby.

p.s i am not brushing aside the heartbreaking barbaro tragedy...... he was my favorite horse since 1987 and the preakness was a punch in the gut for me.

Agree with Alysheba (who shares one of my all-time favorite horses). In fact, I'll go one further. Regardless of what happens to Barbaro from here out, the result will be a net increase in horseracing's fan base. Racing hasn't had this kind of exposure in decades, and much of it has been on the positive aspects of the care and love the stars receive. If Barbaro were to be put down tomorrow, his death would be a 1-2 day story whose impact was much softened by the great effort that went into saving him.

The bottom line is that year-to-year, horseracing is barely on the radar of even avid sportsfans. I doubt if 1% of the people at a World Series game or a Super Bowl would recognize the name Ghostzapper. And fewer still would recognize St Liam. So much for our last two HOY's. Of course, those already in the game DO recognize those names. But those in the game see breakdowns on a regular basis. In the current environment, a story like Barbaro's, where compassion and heart are the main ingredients, will probably have a (small) net positive impact on horseracing.

--Dunbar