The Hialeah Casino Situation and Other Venting

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by tector

Earth to Merlinsky:

Hialeah has nothing to do with racing any more and never will. Grow up already--Santa Claus is not coming to town.

Signed,

The Rest of the World

The Rest of the World to tector,

We don't pay attention to horse racing like we used to and think OTBs are for dirty old ne'er do wells. Maybe racing should do something different than it's been doing, like finding a way to screw up anything it has going for it. Boy wasn't that Seabiscuit movie good? Loved the book too. We sure do respond to horses, human stories, romance and excitement. We'll pay $10 for a ticket to a movie about horse racing and $20 for the dvd. If you did it the right way, we'd put that money down on a bet and watch a real race. Shame about that air of desperation and "can't or won't do" attitude some of you guys have.

Signed,
People That Avoid the Actual Sport and the Gambling That Supports It Cuz It Shoots Itself in the Foot on a Regular Basis, Unless the Kentucky Derby is on TV or There's a Triple Crown on the Line

[MISTERGEE]

Calder would probably already be closed if it wasnt for the infusion of slots and poker $

[tector]

If you want to see the future of thoroughbred racing at Hialeah, check out AC.

If that gives you a boner, then you are truly hard up for the days of yore, which are dead dead dead.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by tector

If you want to see the future of thoroughbred racing at Hialeah, check out AC.

If that gives you a boner, then you are truly hard up for the days of yore, which are dead dead dead.

As Steve said on ATR, the tracks act as entities unto themselves. This is about Calder making a decision that affects them--sure, a lot of businesses do it and really how can you blame them? Doesn't make it right, and doesn't mean it's the direction we need to continue to go as a sport. The tracks need to be working together where they all succeed, and instead, as I said earlier, it's cannibalization. I don't believe it diminishes their opportunities for financial success to support other racetracks, I think it increases it, and I think they're fools to continue to be so isolationist.

Is this really about looking back to the days of yore, or is it about looking to the future? This isn't just about one track. It's an industry wide issue. One track looking at another track as an enemy. It's a symptom of a greater problem. It just happens to involve Hialeah, and if you have to have a poster child, why not this one? Sure there are issues of Hialeah's own making, but sure seems like a lot of outside forces are determined to step in to give them a good shove whenever possible.