Turfway Stigma

Originally Posted by moodwalker

Agreed on all counts.

I don't think I want to buy a 7 figure yearling and run him over that surface if he is bred top and bottom to like the dust.

The Astro-turf trend passed, and this will too.

The more and more I think about it, the more I agree that it is a money thing like you have pointed out so many times.

In the end, the higher-ups don't make the safety of $5,000 claimers their top priority.

This "safer for the horses" thing will be cited as the reason over and over again.

The article written by the Janks woman from Arlington summed it up pretty good for me. If we would stop letting redneck trainers enter horses who have been neglected and can barely stand up, the breakdowns would decrease.

Mood,
Janks spoke what so many people in the business have told me repeatedly.
At the Spa I asked a life long racetrack guy whos trained grade one winners about it and he said the exact same damn thing that Janks said, as if he had read her article.
Bob Fox, now a regular on Steves radio show, replied that he was one of the few outspoken polytrack critics on the record.
Many trainers feel like janks but are afraid to be outspoken about it.
All they need is deeper dirt. And yes mood, catering to the lowest end of your market(cheap claimers) so that they can make more starts makes very little sense to me. At cheap tracks perhaps. But you don't rearrange the whole game to suit the very cheapest group of your overall product.

[tiznowthegreat]

While it's not a great track to visit and watch live racing, I don't understand how people could suggest that the track is done and to stick a fork in it. The handle increased 62% last year with the installation of Polytrack. I see in no way how that signifies the track being done and finished.

[Scurlogue Champ]

Originally Posted by tiznowthegreat

While it's not a great track to visit and watch live racing, I don't understand how people could suggest that the track is done and to stick a fork in it. The handle increased 62% last year with the installation of Polytrack. I see in no way how that signifies the track being done and finished.

I don't think it is anywhere close to done....

I just think it is unfortunate that it exists. But, as always, that is just an opinion. And I could change that opinion in 3 days or 3 years.

[Scurlogue Champ]

Originally Posted by moodwalker

I don't think it is anywhere close to done....

I just think it is unfortunate that it exists. But, as always, that is just an opinion. And I could change that opinion in 3 days or 3 years.

I'll quote myself here.

I think the above post was a bit harsh. I don't think it is unfortunate that it exists as a racetrack.

I think the "state of the industry" as a whole is unfortunate as I outlined earlier in the thread.

I wouldn't like to steal anyone's joy of having a lower level horse win at Turfway, but overall I don't agree with the current state of affairs.

And D. Wayne and Dallas Stewart aren't stabled up there because it is some great place to be.

They are needing wins for their expensive stock against lesser competition.

Anybody got the over/under on how many wins those two combine for over the meet?

[Pointg5]

Originally Posted by tiznowthegreat

While it's not a great track to visit and watch live racing, I don't understand how people could suggest that the track is done and to stick a fork in it. The handle increased 62% last year with the installation of Polytrack. I see in no way how that signifies the track being done and finished.

It increased only because they had less cancellations, also the Winter of 2004-2005 was bad, so they missed alot of days that year, massive snowstorm(for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky hit that year), so the increase is due only to weather related, not because of the business model, I have said this many times...Also, the property that Turfway sits on is very valuable for retail, it sits right off of I-75 and many people are moving out that way, once this Poly-Track fails miserably, they will be a Super Wal-Mart in less than 5 years...

[Scurlogue Champ]

Originally Posted by Pointg5

It increased only because they had less cancellations, also the Winter of 2004-2005 was bad, so they missed alot of days that year, massive snowstorm(for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky hit that year), so the increase is due only to weather related, not because of the business model, I have said this many times...Also, the property that Turfway sits on is very valuable for retail, it sits right off of I-75 and many people are moving out that way, once this Poly-Track fails miserably, they will be a Super Wal-Mart in less than 5 years...

Highest and best use........

It sure isn't Turfway Park.

[pmayjr]

Ok... well say Trufway were to close for whatever reason. Would there be another KY track to take it's place? Trufway is tacky, but I love those crud claimers. I hope it doesn't close.

[tiznowthegreat]

It is incorrect to say it is just because of weather. That was the reason in such a drastic increase, but the handle per day was up quite a bit as well. Like it has been said, there is not much racing going on when Turfway is active in the midwest, and it serves it's purpose as a second tier racetrack for some very good trainers. It is in now way anywhere close to becoming a Walmart in 5 years.

[pmayjr]

Besides... and I swear I'm serious about this.... there's a Walmart already there... like within a half-mile of where the track is. No joke hehe. But is it a Super-Walmart? No. Maybe if it were a Super Wal-mart lol