CRIST: Sets the NY facts straight

[TheSpyder]

The bottom line is getting more people interested in horse racing, more people coming to the races, and more people betting on the races.

This is all about marketing as well as making the product better, period.

If you can't get the people to the races, we need to bring the races to the people. Andy had a great idea about making the pick six available where you buy lottery tickets. Great idea. Why not add the suspence of watching an afternoon of races instead of those stupid ping pong balls.

Another idea as I mentioned earlier is the old grocery store show that gave you a ticket to watch races for prizes in a 30 minute weekly show.

With so many choices for entertainment and sensory overload at every turn, you have to go to the public an somehow make more of their daily life. I wish someone in racing would support a one page horse racing news update in US Today or something like that.

I know living in England horse racing's prominance in daily life is substantial.

I don't think it's an internal solution, it's putting it in the face of Joe public and selling him on the upside what ever that should, could be.

[2MinsToPost]

GREAT READ, this thread. Just this humble novices thoughts.....

- The locals that I know well here, well they have a bad opinion of New York Racing. Why? Well, if ya listen to them they tell you that "Them New Yorker's are all crooks". Now, how can NYRA try to get these stubborn heads to see the light?

- If you manage a "Racino" properly, I don't see why it won't work. With skilled people in their proper positions of power and a CLEAR seperation of the casino atmosphere and the track atmosphere. I feel that is CRITICAL, cause I don't go the track to hear all those machines.

- Advertising the jockeys? Most can't put together a complete sentence (no offense) and they all look the same (again, no offense). The horses, on the other hand.

- Truth be told, at least in Ohio, gambling is eveil in many folks eyes but yet their is a bingo parlor on every street corner. Horse racing is a very pure form of entertainment where one can take a date. He can take his lady friend to the track, buy her a half decent meal and some drinks, and maybe even end the night with more money then he started with.

- My last thought. Folks in postions of power in the industry are doing very little to advertise their product to potential new customers. Sure, slots will draw all kinds, but............................................... ..............if the management does not draw the clear line between THE HORSE RACING EXPERIENCE and the CASINO EXPERIENCE then it is a failure in the making