Attention Manley, Jackson and all the little Gnomes

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Samm

What really should be done at any track that has slots is... Provide insurance for all who work at the track, that eleviates the state or counties from having the cost on their back. It would IMO balance out rates as you would have non risk jobs and high risk pooled together. Insurance rates for horseman are out of control!! Everyday there are trainers going out of business because of the costs... We have paid over 10,000 a year when we were doing all of the work ourselves... and we were not covered if something did happen.

Insurance would be paid off the top before any percentages were delved out. The slots pull in enough money for us to care for ourselves... so why aren't we. The jocks do need to be protected... so do the rest of us who run the risk everyday for hours upon hours.. not just the one and a half minute ride in the afternoon.

That would also have to include a guy who sells a tout sheet by the entrance.

The jockeys are private contractors....they want the good that goes with that but not the bad.

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

That would also have to include a guy who sells a tout sheet by the entrance.

The jockeys are private contractors....they want the good that goes with that but not the bad.

We are all private contractors... we all decide what we will and won't do... the trainers are contracted by owners... the help is contracted by trainers.... the jocks are contracted by both and the track is the one who is responsible for the conditions of the workplace! We are all responsible.... now if we could get simulcasting money like the jocks did... why is it just jocks?? We all put on the show and should get adequate insurance for all...

there is a top 10% in each catagory.. owner,trainer, jock, groom... they make money... the rest get scraps!

of course the sheet guy should be covered!! what if a horse ran off the track and ran him over?? just cover everybody!!

[Gander]

How about us degenerate gamblers? Shouldnt we get insurance as well considering we keep the circus going? We are the wheels that keep this train spinning and we get nothing but bad customer service and idiot trainers who publicly say people that bet horses are stupid. Wheres my medical? It could come out of the bets I make.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Gander

How about us degenerate gamblers? Shouldnt we get insurance as well considering we keep the circus going? We are the wheels that keep this train spinning and we get nothing but bad customer service and idiot trainers who publicly say people that bet horses are stupid. Wheres my medical? It could come out of the bets I make.

We should be covered as well.

[Honu]

Its not about health insurance , its about catastrophic accident insurance ,its about the private property owner being held responsible for what happens on their property.
Granted nobody is forced to be a jockey but without them the races might be a little harder to handicap if you just let the horses run around freely.
I rode races for 13 years and was never a member of the jocks Guild, I got called a scab because I chose to ride when they all went on strike in 1990-91 because I thought it was unfair to shut down the races and cost other people their livelyhoods.
If a rider who is not a Guild member rides at a place like say Great Lakes Downs where the horses are cheap and so are the purses how in the world would they be able to afford an adequate catastrophic insurance policy?
Racetracks are leaveing themselves along with horse owners and trainers, wide open for lawsuits just so people can get the medical treatment they need when it could all be prevented by having adequate insurance in place.
As I said at the top of this post its not about medical health insurance its about accident insurance , I have no medical health insurance and Im not asking anybody for any but if I chose to go back to riding tommorrow I would want to be sure that if I got hurt while on the job that my medical bills would be covered.

Originally Posted by Gander

How about us degenerate gamblers? Shouldnt we get insurance as well considering we keep the circus going? We are the wheels that keep this train spinning and we get nothing but bad customer service and idiot trainers who publicly say people that bet horses are stupid. Wheres my medical? It could come out of the bets I make.

Gander.. I agree that there should and could be better relations with the patrons but we are in the front lines... I have suggested things to management of tracks that would be good for PR... like when you get rained out.. hand everyone a simulcast program so they will stay. They just chuckle (which pisses me off!) lol Day rates don't cut it... to properly care for a horse you need 45-50 a day and that would not include the trainers fee. So a trainer gets 60 a day... he/she is only worth 10 bucks a day??? You can't make it on 10 a day! Dunkin Donuts gets more than that a day for breakfast! Yes... trainers get 10% of a win but only one trainer can win a race.

[blackthroatedwind]

The jockey's have less right to be insured by the racetracks than we do.

Period.

We pay the bills.

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

The jockey's have less right to be insured by the racetracks than we do.

Period.

We pay the bills.

Cool.... I'll send our bills!! Need your addy!!

The solution to this is simple. Universal health care. Of course, the lobbyists of the big insurance companies would never go for that.

I don't have a problem with customer service at tracks. I rarely interact with employees at a race track. I usually have my form printed from my computer and I typically use the self betting machines. The only person I really talk to is the conscession person and she says $7.56. I hand her a $10 and we say goodbye. What I cannot stand is when you leave your seat and the cleaning people come by and sweep everything in the garbage. Now that really pisses me off.

[Gander]

I dont have all the answers but I have great ideas to improve the industry as a whole. Some may be too far along for horse racing to understand, I am after all in advertising and our industry is about 20 years ahead of horse racing.

The average person can not stand 30 min between races. Thats far too much time. Either cut that down or offer some kind of entertainment between races like a swimming pool or health club/spa. This would also be good for people who are interested in say race 3 but not another race until race 8. It would give them something productive to do to pass the time.

Also, Saratoga race track is a waste 48 weeks out of the year. This could be turned into an ice skating rink in the winter months.

Tracks need to start hiring younger bartenders. College girls would be a great alternative to the usual older men in their 70's. We need to start giving people reasons to come to the track. I know when I go to any bar in Saratoga race track, I get served by grumpy 70 something bartenders. Whats up with that?

Originally Posted by Gander

I dont have all the answers but I have great ideas to improve the industry as a whole. Some may be too far along for horse racing to understand, I am after all in advertising and our industry is about 20 years ahead of horse racing.

The average person can not stand 30 min between races. Thats far too much time. Either cut that down or offer some kind of entertainment between races like a swimming pool or health club/spa. This would also be good for people who are interested in say race 3 but not another race until race 8. It would give them something productive to do to pass the time.

Also, Saratoga race track is a waste 48 weeks out of the year. This could be turned into an ice skating rink in the winter months.

Tracks need to start hiring younger bartenders. College girls would be a great alternative to the usual older men in their 70's. We need to start giving people reasons to come to the track. I know when I go to any bar in Saratoga race track, I get served by grumpy 70 something bartenders. Whats up with that?

Welcome Gulfstream Park!! Nice looking chicky's all over the place and plenty to do... I agree.. we need a pool!!! A nice Thai massage would be great!!

Horse racing is stuck in the realm of the sport being a social event.