Crist Article on TV Coverage

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Racing fans don't seem to get this. To them, racing is as popular as the NFL. In reality, it's nothing. Enough of the people that want to see racing either have HRTV or TVG or are at a track/simulcast facility. The ones that aren't using one of those options just don't number enough to warrant a network going through the trouble of putting racing on. Also, with those other sports, you can promote with reasonable assurity who will be there. You can't do that with racing.

I know, thats why racing needs to attack from a gambling perspective and not from this horse is a star come watch. I agree racing needs stars but it needs gamblers a heck of a lot more. Lower takeout would go a lot further for the industry than one good horse.

[Ronnie]

I'm not convinced that its the fault of the networks why it is not on tv.

[tigerfan]

A little over three years ago, I was flipping through the channels and I decided to watch the Florida Derby. I didn't know anything about horse racing. Some horse name Barbaro was suppose to be pretty good...I had heard. Not sure why, but I happened to watch the tv coverage and race. Barbaro and Sharp Humor blew me away. It wouldn't be hyperbole to say it was a watershed event in my life.
Three years later, I care enough to post messages on a horse racing forum, I became a Dee Tee partner and I go to the track/OTB a few times a month. I love this game.
If I wouldn't have watched that race on that random day, I may not have discovered how wonderful this game is.
I'm an optimist and I think somehow it needs to get on TV so more people can have the opportunity to see how amazing this sport is.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by tigerfan

A little over three years ago, I was flipping through the channels and I decided to watch the Florida Derby. I didn't know anything about horse racing. Some horse name Barbaro was suppose to be pretty good...I had heard. Not sure why, but I happened to watch the tv coverage and race. Barbaro and Sharp Humor blew me away. It wouldn't be hyperbole to say it was a watershed event in my life.
Three years later, I care enough to post messages on a horse racing forum, I became a Dee Tee partner and I go to the track/OTB a few times a month. I love this game.
If I wouldn't have watched that race on that random day, I may not have discovered how wonderful this game is.
I'm an optimist and I think somehow it needs to get on TV so more people can have the opportunity to see how amazing this sport is.

This is exactly what happened to me and Smarty Jones.

[King Glorious]

The thing is, it doesn't happen to enough of you to justify what you want. You may also have HRTV or TVG on your cable package and don't know it if you aren't a racing fan and aren't looking for it.

[SundayStar]

espn can show the eddie read but not the haskell? that's just stupid.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by tigerfan

A little over three years ago, I was flipping through the channels and I decided to watch the Florida Derby. I didn't know anything about horse racing. Some horse name Barbaro was suppose to be pretty good...I had heard. Not sure why, but I happened to watch the tv coverage and race. Barbaro and Sharp Humor blew me away. It wouldn't be hyperbole to say it was a watershed event in my life.
Three years later, I care enough to post messages on a horse racing forum, I became a Dee Tee partner and I go to the track/OTB a few times a month. I love this game.
If I wouldn't have watched that race on that random day, I may not have discovered how wonderful this game is.
I'm an optimist and I think somehow it needs to get on TV so more people can have the opportunity to see how amazing this sport is.

yes, stars can attract fans but what keeps it in business is gambling, real gambling, and because its such a poor betting product, so poorly mismanaged, and overly taxed its tough to keep customers.

[booner]

TV coverage doesn't do much to attract fans. 99.9% of the casual fans that I work with watched MTB win the Derby and RA win the Preakness don't want to go to the track with me. But those that have never been to a track that have gone with me have shown more interest. In fact, the ones that went to the track come to me will go to Kentucky Downs at least once a month.

The same happened to me. I never really cared much for horse racing until I physically went to the track. The atmosphere (good and bad) was much better than sitting on my couch watching from afar.

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

I know, thats why racing needs to attack from a gambling perspective and not from this horse is a star come watch. I agree racing needs stars but it needs gamblers a heck of a lot more. Lower takeout would go a lot further for the industry than one good horse.

I wish that were true, but I seriously doubt it. The 4% Pic4 takeout at Ellis Park caused only a small blip in handle. Bettors would rather try to beat a 20% takeout at the track they're used to than a 4% takeout elsewhere.

Likewise with the drop to 11% (?) at Pimlico. (I can't remember the details of the Pimlico takeout promo).

--Dunbar

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I wish that were true, but I seriously doubt it. The 4% Pic4 takeout at Ellis Park caused only a small blip in handle. Bettors would rather try to beat a 20% takeout at the track they're used to than a 4% takeout elsewhere.

Likewise with the drop to 11% (?) at Pimlico. (I can't remember the details of the Pimlico takeout promo).

--Dunbar

Lower takeout would give the players more money. The Ellis and Pimlico deals are hardly representative of what an overall reduction in takeout could accomplish.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I wish that were true, but I seriously doubt it. The 4% Pic4 takeout at Ellis Park caused only a small blip in handle. Bettors would rather try to beat a 20% takeout at the track they're used to than a 4% takeout elsewhere.

Likewise with the drop to 11% (?) at Pimlico. (I can't remember the details of the Pimlico takeout promo).

--Dunbar

Yea, I am sure you are right, racing just needs another Secretariat and all will be back to the way it was (I know you did not say that but it seems to be the prevailing opinion.

I put about 3k through Ellis Pick Four that summer, so on that take it was only about 150 bucks but it sure beat the nothing I would have wagered.

In 2005 I put 100k through the windows, last year I put about 5k, I assure you it had nothing to do with good horses in the sport, it only cost horseman around 17k by my not playing, no big deal, I am small time.

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

Yea, I am sure you are right, racing just needs another Secretariat and all will be back to the way it was (I know you did not say that but it seems to be the prevailing opinion.

There is no single cure-all for racing. But having its stars race longer (and more often) would not be a bad thing.

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

I put about 3k through Ellis Pick Four that summer, so on that take it was only about 150 bucks but it sure beat the nothing I would have wagered.

In 2005 I put 100k through the windows, last year I put about 5k, I assure you it had nothing to do with good horses in the sport, it only cost horseman around 17k by my not playing, no big deal, I am small time.

It sounds like you put a healthy proportion of your 2007 action into the Ellis Pic4. A few others on this board did likewise.

The Ellis 4% Pic4 pools were mostly between $18K-$30K. $30K is a pitiful fraction of the money bet each day on horses. I personally accounted for over 1% of the Ellis Pic4 action that summer, averaging over $300/day into the pool. My betting was a combination of recognizing a good opportunity and seeing a need to support that promotion. It would only have taken another 100 bettors like me to have made that promotion seem a lot more successful.

Gamblers show time after time that odds are of minimal importance to them. I wrote this back in 2007:

In Las Vegas, you now see blackjack players sitting down to play a game where a blackjack pays 6:5 as if it doesn't matter that they are not getting the 3:2 offered nearby. (You'd think they'd regret the $15 they are shorted on a $50 natural!) You see video poker players sitting at a Jacks Or Better game with an 8-5 pay schedule, even though they could easily find a 9-6 pay schedule. It shouldn't have surprised me that horse players would continue to flock to 25% takeout even when 4% takeout is available. But it did surprise me. I thought we as a group were a notch above the casino lemmings.

Since writing that, the 6:5 blackjack game has spread to many more casino pits. 9-6 Jacks-Or-Better video poker is becoming rarer, because most casino patrons will still play if the game is 8-5. I haven't seen anything to show that horseplayers would respond in a significant way to a lower takeout, either.

--Dunbar

[2MinsToPost]

Not bad coverage on the local Fox Sports station of the racing action from WV

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by 2MinsToPost

Not bad coverage on the local Fox Sports station of the racing action from WV

And a good team there as well

super bias speed today at Mnr, I bet heavy on Big Drama, hoping to get 7/5.

[2MinsToPost]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

And a good team there as well

super bias speed today at Mnr, I bet heavy on Big Drama, hoping to get 7/5.

wow, Big D at 3/5 betting favorite. I'm surprised.