SUN: Racing's media makeover paying off

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

You are delusional to think that horseracing on a regular basis can market itself into 30000 fans. Honestly horseracing is pretty boring if you arent betting or have some sort of rooting interest.

And all of the fantasy revenue you just created goes directly into the pocket of the track, it doesnt help the grow the racing program or do a thing for those that actually do gamble except make things less conveinent.

Stronachs ideas for Gulfstream were ridiclous from the standpoint of the sport of horseracing. Perhaps for the bottom line of Magna they were great ideas but the idea that people are going to go to a mall, wander over to the track and become horseracing players is crazy.

Kill a third of the tracks and dates!

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by freddymo

Kill a third of the tracks and dates!

Biggest red herring out there. If you eliminate Thistledown, River Downs, Mountaineer, presque isle, etc how does that help Belmont and Santa Anita? it is like saying that if MLB got rid of rookie league and single A leagues, MLB would be more popular. The problem isnt and never has been the size or scope of the sport. On the contrary according to many in this thread the 'exposure' to horseracing leads to a fever that the exposed masses catch which makes them become horseplayers.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Biggest red herring out there. If you eliminate Thistledown, River Downs, Mountaineer, presque isle, etc how does that help Belmont and Santa Anita? it is like saying that if MLB got rid of rookie league and single A leagues, MLB would be more popular. The problem isnt and never has been the size or scope of the sport. On the contrary according to many in this thread the 'exposure' to horseracing leads to a fever that the exposed masses catch which makes them become horseplayers.

It makes a huge difference..Maybe not immediately but these horses will ultimately not be raced and the industry will contract to a sustainable level. If each of those tracks have 50 horses that could be raced at a real track that is 300 head racing in a sustainable racing environment. Less trainer, less grooms, less dates, less of everything that shouldnt be.

[freddymo]

More great news from NY.. Apparently by 10/1 the state will choose another slot operator.. LOL and they will open 12 months from that date.. So 10/1/11 slots will be opened for business...SURE

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...ted?source=rss

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by freddymo

It makes a huge difference..Maybe not immediately but these horses will ultimately not be raced and the industry will contract to a sustainable level. If each of those tracks have 50 horses that could be raced at a real track that is 300 head racing in a sustainable racing environment. Less trainer, less grooms, less dates, less of everything that shouldnt be.

So if lower level horses that you already arent betting on arent raced, higher quality racing will abound? If this were sports and there were 30 teams and you contracted 8 teams then yes the quality of player would increase. But this isnt sports and the vast majority of horses at the low levels would not be competitive at a higher level.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

So if lower level horses that you already arent betting on arent raced, higher quality racing will abound? If this were sports and there were 30 teams and you contracted 8 teams then yes the quality of player would increase. But this isnt sports and the vast majority of horses at the low levels would not be competitive at a higher level.

Chuck there is allowance company at these tracks and they would not be at AP or Bel etc but they would HAVE to be raced in claiming/starter conditions..WHY? because the alternatives need to be closed. Then you wouldnt breed some unraced mare that is from an unraced mare to Say Florida Sandy because its only 1000 bucks

The allowance crap at Thistle could race in conditional 10's at AP? Now the fields are larger at AP and the betting becomes more interesting..AND the bettor has few races to spend the gambling buck

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by freddymo

Chuck there is allowance company at these tracks and they would not be at AP or Bel etc but they would HAVE to be raced in claiming/starter conditions..WHY? because the alternatives need to be closed. Then you wouldnt breed some unraced mare that is from an unraced mare to Say Florida Sandy because its only 1000 bucks

The allowance crap at Thistle could race in conditional 10's at AP? Now the fields are larger at AP and the betting becomes more interesting..AND the bettor has few races to spend the gambling buck

Ok Freddy here is a question for you? how many of the owners who race horses at these tracks can or are willing to pay $100 a day to run at the top tracks? That is why they are running there. They all have horse vans and condition books are readily available on the internet.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Ok Freddy here is a question for you? how many of the owners who race horses at these tracks can or are willing to pay $100 a day to run at the top tracks? That is why they are running there. They all have horse vans and condition books are readily available on the internet.

Come on? With less racing purses would increase, handle per race would grow, those owners at Thistle would either be priced out, or some other owner. You would have day rates increase A LOT. You would be racing 10 claimers for 30k all the time not 11k. Racing has to contract, it has to have less of everything including owners that shouldnt be the sport.

Did the inner at Aqueduct really need Hedge Fund(half to Super Saver) racing every 5 days to fill the 7500 whle somewhere there are 20 horses at Turfway that should have been in NY or somewhere substantial help filling the card? And yes if there 12 and 3 on the AE list in a 7500 claimer with only 40 races being run in the country on a wednesday in Feb the Handle and the interest would be very marketable.

[freddymo]

Let's get the nails in the coffin already..We need slots in KY. NY. NJ(tracks) Va. Ga.(for the new track) then racing will finally get what it richly deserves!!

Mountaineer's owner shows loss
By Matt Hegarty
MTR Gaming Group Inc., the owner of Mountaineer racetrack and casino and Presque Isle Downs, had a loss of $3.1 million in the first quarter of 2010, according to financial statements released on Monday, on a sharp decline in revenue compared with the first quarter of last year.

Revenue for the quarter was $91.9 million, down 8.6 percent from revenue of $100.6 million in the first quarter of last year. In a release, officials for the company cited severe winter weather in 2010 and the effects of the recession for the decline. Last year in the first quarter, MTR Gaming had a profit of $800,000.

Both Mountaineer in West Virginia and Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania derive the vast amount of their revenue from casino operations. For the quarter, revenue from parimutuel operations at the tracks was $1.3 million, compared with $2 million in the quarter last year.

Mountaineer trimmed its schedule this year, eliminating live racing in January and February.