What is Racing's Biggest Current Hurdle?

[PSH]

I still believe there needs to be better co-ordination amongst the various state racing jurisdictions. I realize that each state is its own entity which in itself creates multiple problems (medication, takeout, etc.) but it would be nice to see some effort amongst the states (especially those that are close to one another) not to write similar type of stakes on top of one another on the same weekend which has the effect of watering down the competition...

Licensing is a nightmare keeping up with each jurisdiction.....

As Steve stated earlier the boutique model is quite attractive compared to the rest of racing. Saratoga, Keeneland are unique meets and the beauty of the venues along with the shortness of their meets and quality is what makes them special. Can that be duplicated elsewhere? Probably not but a move in that direction seems to be worth exploring... Baseball seems to have reinvented itself by getting rid of the large stadiums and replacing them with smaller more attractive facilities. Racing 4 days a week with fuller fields is more attractive than 6 days a week (California). We probably need to think about closing more racetracks and having less days...

Purses. Churchill Downs is sort of dying here without passage of casinos. Belmont on a THursday in June has maybe 3,000 people on site. Philadelphia has purses that are quite attractive when compared to other sites. All of this needs to be sorted out and is part of the evolution process i guess. What is going to happen to Hollywood and Aqueduct/Belmont going forward?

PSH