What Do We All Have In Common?

[pmayjr]

Playa,
If you can make a lil backside bbq happen I'd most appreciative (the way I phrased this sounds really bad lol).

Hailrazor,
Don't feel bad. I've also been in school for about 6 years with nothing to show for it either. But in another years I'll finally get my 2 year degree lol.

[randallscott35]

Pmay, is that you on the right in your avatar? Are you actually K-Fed?

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

Pmay, is that you on the right in your avatar? Are you actually K-Fed?

That's Jamiroquai...

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

That's Jamiroquai...

Of "Virtual Insanity" Fame?!!! Great song.

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

Of "Virtual Insanity" Fame?!!! Great song.

Even a good video...http://youtube.com/watch?v=KQonPfZpRLY

[pmayjr]

As for the decline of Midwest racing, there's positives and negatives:

Negatives- Great Lakes Downs shutting it's doors. Places like Aksarben and Sportsman's Park also closing their doors since the 90s.

Positives- Prairie Meadows. Due to Casino gaming being added, that track has flourished and has had 2 additions. I hate their field sizes, but the track is doing fine.

Canterbury- The place closed for about 5 years in the early 90s, but re-opened in '95, and has steadily earned more revenue every year. Eventhough they've failed on a number off occassions to get slots added to the track (partly due to a giant Indian Res. casion 5 miles down the road from it), they did add the largest poker/casino card game room (black jack, pai gow, etc etc) which has added a lot of $$$ to the purses. On summer nights, the place is packed, with mainly a younger demographic as well.

The Chi-town tracks at least seem to be holding their own. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I guess that at least covers "Upper Midwest" tracks.

As for Great Lakes Downs. I hope it can be resuccitated like Canterbury was in the Mid 90s. Magna might be willing to sell it for pretty cheap since they closed it (I'm assuming because they couldn't get slots put in the place?). So Let's see what new (and hopefully local) ownership can do with the place...

[pmayjr]

Hhah I missed those last posts because I was busy ranting about the state of Upper Midwest racing.

Anyway,
I'm the guy on the left. The Jamiroquai guy (they're actually a group... everyone thinks it's just one guy) is on the right.

To put in it perspective of the 8 questions originally posted as the subject of the site-
I'm 25... white, been going to school on and off for years (hence my 6 years without a degree). Watched horse racing casually for most of my life, got seriously into and the betting in my teens when Canterbury re-opened in the mid 90s.

But since I'm single, and work a lot, it affords to me to go on trips to see my favorite bands and play in handicapping contests occassionally. When Jamiroquai came to the U.S. for the first time since 9/11... yes that 9/11. They were scheduled to play a show in NYC that night, and have a subsequent U.S. Tour afterwards. It all (the tour) got cancelled because of 9/11, and their plane got grounded for 2 weeks after, so they couldn't leave the country.

They hadn't come back to the U.S. since, because they didn't do a new album, and they've never been that popular here. I mean everyone knows them for "Virtual Insanity" and "Canned Heat" (the song that Napolean Dynamite does his famous Vote for Pedro dance to). But these guys are my favorite group by far. So when they came back to the U.S, I wasn't gonna miss 'em. I saw their 2 shows in NYC, and then their show a week later in Chicago.

I post on Jamiroquai fan sites... kinda like the equivalent to derbytrail for horse racing fans. So through a person I met off the site, the person got me on the guest list for an afterparty at Bed in NYC after the 2nd show. That's where I got my pic with JK (the lead singer or "Jamiroquai guy") and the rest of the band members. Thrill of a life time, and the most genuine smile I've ever had lol.

And yes... in hindsight... he does look a little K-Fed-ish" in the pic lol

[pmayjr]

Haha btw Mera,
TY for the offer over a year ago for lettin me and my friends crash at your place when we went to see JMQ in Chi-town.

The concert was pretty good. But it was tough to beat the high of seeing them in NYC the week before, meeting the band, and meeting a lot of great people froma a fan website that I had talked to for years before finally seeing them and my favorite band all at once.

The story gets kinda f'd up... it was good time and all, but the stuff that happened around it was messed. I'll tell you about it sometime. It would be like typing a novel, and I'll already typed 2 of them in my last 3 posts lol. Myabe at Arlington this summer lol?

It's easy to say a love of horse racing, but I think there is more to it than that. This could be an interesting thread for the group to comment on. Some of these you may agree with and some you surely won't.

Let me generalize about the people on this board for a moment, again these are generalizations. Here are 8 items to consider:

1. Overwhelmingly the people on this board are white, I'd put it in the 90% range. Yet when I go to the track, other than Saratoga, a good portion of the clientele are minorities. White.

2. Most of the people on this board are college educated, at least the ones of age who could be. I would put that number in the 80% range easy. That says something about the competency of the people here and their general work ethic outside of the hobby of horse racing. College Educated

3. Most of the people here were exposed to horse racing at an early age. While this seems obvious, I would say there are a lot of people that grow to like horse racing even if they weren't exposed to it early--but those people, to me, are less likely to have the kind of passion to seek out a message board on the subject. Agreed.

4. The majority of posters on here are from the coasts, especially the east and a good portion from the Chicago area. This is anecdotal, but it says something that generally speaking the south is less well represented here. Obviously, some of the best racing comes from the areas where most posters are, but demographics play into this....The retirement crowd of Arizona and Florida are not Internet savvy, and even if they are horse racing fans, they aren't seeking out a message board to post. Yeppers.

5. Which leads me to age. Steve might have more stats on this but I'd say 75% of posters are between 25 and 50. Which quite honestly makes sense, but I do think the the patronage of the track is older than this on average, especially on a lonely day in March at the big A. Agreed.

6. The majority of the posters came from the ESPN board, that much is true. But the new group is here by word of mouth, or through Steve's radio show. Advertising of some other kind could surely boost our numbers, but would it water down the content?...The many new friendships made on here were the result of only a few people. Speaking for myself, one of the nice things that Mike did was introduce me to Steve and Kevin. Saratoga has become a haven for these meetings, as I've been able to meet many others and strike up a friendship with Pais even though I only got to hang out with her for one single afternoon in Toga. Stumbled in on my own.

7. Most of the people here bet 8-10 times what a normal patron at the track will bet. I say most, especially the Selection board crowd on here. Sure there are 5$ bettors, but I'd say a good portion are betting more serious sums of money. Could be the general ability levels here and comfort with making larger wagers b/c of much more study into day to day racing. Could be we have a crowd here who are "bigger" gamblers in general. Could be we have more disposable income to be betting...don't believe it's this one by the way. I'm a cheapass

8. Most of the under 40 crowd are not married. Especially the men on here. Why is the bigger question? Maybe b/c our hobby is not conducive to meeting women, which is undoubtedly true. More likely, b/c serious gamblers do not often make good mates. I think they are less likely to want commitment and are independent types in general. Plus, handicapping, if you are serious about, is a time consuming process. Married. As my friend once said to me, "Why are you getting married? It's like breaking into jail."

Now, how far off am I? Randall

[disappearingdan_akaplaya]

Originally Posted by pmayjr

Playa,
If you can make a lil backside bbq happen I'd most appreciative (the way I phrased this sounds really bad lol).

Hailrazor,
Don't feel bad. I've also been in school for about 6 years with nothing to show for it either. But in another years I'll finally get my 2 year degree lol.

no problem makin it happen and well have a good time. wish i coulda met up with ya during the CC@cby, coulda met ya and got ya tll the free booze and food ya wanted that weekend. shame its not@cby again this year, they really take care of the people involved