You really should be hired as a racing executive... you'd fit right in perfectly.
In plain English and as simple as possible, Parx is a joke because the takeout is ridiculously high.
It doesn't matter if you have a massive population center, insanely large purses (12k claimers running for a $30,000 purse) slots, and table games ... if you keep your takeout at an oppressive level, your track will never have a chance to capitalize on any of it.
If anyone thinks the Parx horsemen and their workers benefit from the high takeout ... they're incredibly stupid.
The high takeout (which have trended much higher all the time) is mainly what has hurt this game for decades after decades ... and slots and table games (welfare checks for horsemen) are band aids. Technological improvements have made it much easier and more convenient to place a bet than ever before ... but that coupled with inflation is where the growth has been.
I'll try to make it even simpler:
Sky high takeout: Everyone loses. The biggest loser is the sport in general.
Low takeout: The track wins. The trainers win. The owners win. The stable employees win. The Jockeys win. The bettors win. The sports grows. And the biggest winner, is the sport in general.
And yes, if you think Rachel Alexandra facing off against two other eventual Grade 1 winners in Flashing and Malibu Prayer in a 3 horse field is the same as match-race between cheap claimers running for a $30,000 purse ... you should be hired as a director of racing tomorrow.
05-23-2013, 09:56 AM
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