Old thread, old excerpt (about 6 weeks old)...
For the second consecutive year, Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) is announcing a sharp increase in betting handle on its live Thoroughbred racing season.
The 167-day meet, which concluded December 5, saw an "all-sources" total of $393,507,233 wagered, a stunning 8.9 per cent overall rise from the $361,435,208 figure recorded from the 167 dates offered last year.
It comes after a solid 7.0 percent hike in handle seen in 2009 over 2008.
"We are pleased with the sustained gains in handle," said Sean Pinsonneault, WEG's Chief Operating Officer. "To see a seven per cent rise in 2009 and an 8.9 per cent jump this year against the softness in the betting marketplace is significant."
Similar to last year's gains, much of the $32 million-plus increase in betting came from U.S. sources.
http://www.horseraceinsider.com/Pres...again-in-2010/
My reason for bumping this up is that I'm not about to start another Eclipse thread.
This is related.
For all the talk of "saving" the sport, of generating new revenue ummm didn't they kind of blow it with the awards?
I'm staying neutral and I don't want this to turn into an extension of one of those other threads BUT whether or not individuals believe she deserved the award I think most would agree that the big mare gave the sport
some name-recognition.
Where was the press in the non-horsie media?
Why did no one realize that you have to take the ball and run with it?
A few full page, back page ads in Sunday papers (I know, I know but people do still buy / read them) in a handful of major cities, a 30 second spot on a few cable channels that cut across demographic borders...
C'mon. No one thought of that?
I live out here and the whole celebrity thing gets real old but I mean Bo Derek is on the CHRB. Not that she's so extremely famous or anything but she is attractive, articulate, a good spokesperson. The Mig would be fantastic but I'm talking about people non-racing fans would know. There are people in Chicago, in NY... celebrity types - owners - who I would think, if approached, would consider (
) doing an ad of some kind.
The powers that be though... did they do ANYTHING?
Our sport had momentum.
Had.
It happened around the BC, (like it or not) following the 60 minutes piece (I never saw it and I'm well aware some would argue but people I know who think I'm insane for loving the sport suddenly knew her name. Weird.) and it could have happened again this past weekend.
This is from 2 years ago...
http://www.derbytrail.com/forums/sho...hlight=Waldrop
If no one in power is going to do anything more than to ask us for input every couple of years what's the point?
Even the pretty horsie brigade knows that the end game, that the playah is what keeps the sport alive.
We need to take what is marketable and well... sell it!
The sport of kings is a fantastic catch phrase BUT isn't it time to stop the ridiculousness and make it about the payoffs?
I love the idea of using the glamour angle. The only problem is IT WONT WORK.
Make it about what it's about. (Rare Bog, please don't have a field day with that one). Cha ching!
We need to take a page from the Woodbine book or we need a visionary... someone that they'll actually listen to.
If they started now then by the first Saturday in May maybe they would have a plan.
In the meantime? Good for Woodbine.
What do you all think?