The Daily News gives up on horse racing

[jk3521]

No more charts from previous days' racing, only results. To get racing news you must go on their web site. You never used to go to the track without pickiing up the Form and the Daily News to see what Russ Harris picked so you would know what the chaulk players were gonna play. Another example of the sad state of racing..The News used to call itself New Yorks' racing paper.

[tzipi]

Yeah I noticed that. They are putting more sports coverage into the racing section now. It will soon probably will be down to one page with small Belmont/Aqu/Sar entries and Yonkers or Meadowlands results.

[DeltaLover]

Although I have never ever payed any attention to Daily News, Post or any other paper (except DRF of course) I have to say that this is another sign of the decline of horse racing. I always felt amused with horse bettors holding the Post under their arms trying to handicap the race using the picks of the public handicappers.

[Stillriledup]

Racing is not 'daily news' these days. Its kind of like if a tree falls in the forest and nobody heard it, did it really make a sound.

Racing is the falling tree that nobody hears.

[Al Gobbi]

and its just been reported that the NY post has laid off three racing handicappers/writers.

https://twitter.com/DRFGrening/status/343062292235161600

[Tom]

I remember the day Russ Harris took the job and created the racing page. Not the same NEWS as it was then. I see no reason to support the NEWS any longer - the NY POST is by fare the better paper, and they respect horse racing.

RIP Daily News - no support to you morons!

[johnhannibalsmith]

Can't think of the Post without chuckling and thinking of Rick Lang.

[ronsmac]

I remember the day Russ Harris took the job and created the racing page. Not the same NEWS as it was then. I see no reason to support the NEWS any longer - the NY POST is by fare the better paper, and they respect horse racing.

RIP Daily News - no support to you morons!
Don't know how old you are or if you lived in New York in the 80's, if so do you remember ray kerrison and John piesen? were they with the post or Daily News or both? I can't quite remember.

[Stillriledup]

Can't think of the Post without chuckling and thinking of Rick Lang.

Yes, no doubt. Unfortunately, good guy Rick Lang is no longer with us. Always a sad day when a good racetrack guy leaves us.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/former_post_picker_rick_lang_dies_kdHZZmcbl5LsZNnC tlSl2O

[Stillriledup]

Don't know how old you are or if you lived in New York in the 80's, if so do you remember ray kerrison and John piesen? were they with the post or Daily News or both? I can't quite remember.

Piesen Q's!

JP will sell you picks if you want!

http://www.johnpiesen.com/

[Tom]

Don't know how old you are or if you lived in New York in the 80's, if so do you remember ray kerrison and John piesen? were they with the post or Daily News or both? I can't quite remember.

I live in Western NY, but we used get the Post and News here. I bought both everyday to take to work on the evening shift (3-11). I remember Ray well, in the Post. Johnny P, I think it was the Post? I have a book by Johnny. He was a guest speaker at FL one day during winter simulcasting.

[ronsmac]

I live in Western NY, but we used get the Post and News here. I bought both everyday to take to work on the evening shift (3-11). I remember Ray well, in the Post. Johnny P, I think it was the Post? I have a book by Johnny. He was a guest speaker at FL one day during winter simulcasting.
Other than my dad, one of the two was the only person I heard constantly complain about the takeout, as early as 1981. I used to read the news and the post everyday in high school.

[kensc1nj]

Word is the Post laid off Ed Fountaine, Anthony Affrunti and John DaSilva today, and will not have anyone covering tomorrow's Belmont.

updated with DRF link

http://www.drf.com/news/new-york-post-lays-racing-staff-day-belmont-stakes

[Saratoga_Mike]

I live in Western NY, but we used get the Post and News here. I bought both everyday to take to work on the evening shift (3-11). I remember Ray well, in the Post. Johnny P, I think it was the Post? I have a book by Johnny. He was a guest speaker at FL one day during winter simulcasting.

Yes, JP was at The Post. RK actually wrote a column for the news section of the paper, too. Like you, I always preferred The Post over the Daily News.

[tzipi]

Bob Baffert just Tweeted that Ed Fountain one of the main horse racing guys for THE NY POST has been fired! They are really cutting out racing in NY papers.

Wow....just not good! :eek:

edit* just saw someone posted it above also. Sorry

[LAP_520]

This is not good news for the horse racing industry in New York.

A slot casino goes into Aqueduct, now there is "talk" that Aqueduct will not have live horse racing in the "near future"

Instead, it Could be the site of a full casino not run by a Native Indian Nation.

Now two of New York newspapers lay off public handicappers of horse racing and cut back on horse racing info....
:ThmbDown:

[cosmo96]

I'm not from New York, so I really don't know what is going on. All I can say is that I was at Belmont in October, I was at the track on a weekday, and there was large crowd. I went to OTBs, and they were full. It seemed to me their was more interest in racing than the Yankees in the World Series. I go to Saratoga every Summer, and it is packed. I know that for a lot of reasons horseracing has declined since the 40's and 50's. But, I feel that it still very popular. I refuse to be a gloom and doomer.

[Al Gobbi]

Newspaper industry is probably in worse shape that horse racing is. NY Post eliminated 13 positions today and more are possible in coming weeks.

[tzipi]

I'm not from New York, so I really don't know what is going on. All I can say is that I was at Belmont in October, I was at the track on a weekday, and there was large crowd. I went to OTBs, and they were full. It seemed to me their was more interest in racing than the Yankees in the World Series. I go to Saratoga every Summer, and it is packed. I know that for a lot of reasons horseracing has declined since the 40's and 50's. But, I feel that it still very popular. I refuse to be a gloom and doomer.


Saratoga will always be packed but I'm from NY and the OTB's are not as full as they used to be and everyone is older. Very rarely is Belmont packed in Oct. Maybe a day like the Suburban Handicap or Man O War stakes races where a big horse ran might've gotten a crowd on Oct. Those are always good NY races to watch.
I think the papers are cutting down racing for a reason. Do I wish it was the opposite and had to expand their racing pages? Yes but things seem to be going in a decline for racing unfortunately.

[pandy]

Odd that they fired these guys now rather than wait until after the Belmont. In it's heyday the N.Y. Post had excellent thoroughbred and harness racing coverage. Lang, Piesen, Henry Hecht, Kerrison, all good reporters who did a very good job, as did the current team. But years ago the coverage was much broader.

The newspaper business is doomed. I have two sons and they have a ton of friends and I don't think one of them ever buys a newspaper of any sort. The only thing they read are their phones.

[Tom]

I used to pay 35 cents for both papers.
Maybe a quarter....not half the paper today they once were.

Well, I'll not buy either one anymore - screw them both.

[mannyberrios]

I'm not from New York, so I really don't know what is going on. All I can say is that I was at Belmont in October, I was at the track on a weekday, and there was large crowd. I went to OTBs, and they were full. It seemed to me their was more interest in racing than the Yankees in the World Series. I go to Saratoga every Summer, and it is packed. I know that for a lot of reasons horseracing has declined since the 40's and 50's. But, I feel that it still very popular. I refuse to be a gloom and doomer.Well Said

[thespaah]

The Newspaper business is taking a turn down the road to the graveyard.
Ad revenue is much more difficult to come by. With fewer ad sales, money for operations becomes tight. Something has to give.
Unfortunately, both NY Tabloids are giving up on horse racing because they have to. Those writers became expendable.
Sucks.
Well, unless there have been changes at these ( Long Island/NY Newsday and the Newark Star Ledger) New Yorkers can always can pick up one of these.

[pandy]

Newsday cut their racing coverage a long time ago. They still cover racing, but the coverage is not much.

[thespaah]

Newsday cut their racing coverage a long time ago. They still cover racing, but the coverage is not much.
Not surprised.

[tzipi]

Newsday cut their racing coverage a long time ago. They still cover racing, but the coverage is not much.

Yeah they used have a lot of guys and good coverage. It's down to just Steve Matthews now and the Belmont entries.

[pandy]

Matthews is a very good longshot picker. If you like a handicapper who thinks outside of the box, Matthews is that type of picker.

[tzipi]

Matthews is a very good longshot picker. If you like a handicapper who thinks outside of the box, Matthews is that type of picker.

That's what I like about him. Veerry rarely does Steve take the favorite.

[Some_One]

Not surprised, newspapers are obsolete.

[theiman]

In the old days you could be certain the first flash of the odds boards(OTB $), at the NYRA tracks, had Russ Harris's top pick as the favorite. His Best Bet almost always opened odds on.

The only other certainty I remember was at RR and YR, Uncle Frank, an old claiming standard bred always opened 1/2 after the OTB first flash.

[Al Gobbi]

If the current content online is any indication for the print edition they will have Belmont entries with someone's top 3 pick for each race and no result charts for the previous day of racing.

[BlueChip@DRF]

I think it was back sometime in the late 70s or early 80s where Russ Harris had his day and picked all the races for the track 1-2-3 straight. As for longshots, whoever Trackman was for the Daily News could pick 'em. His pick just had to be the only top pick of that race while the M/L was 8-1 or more and not mentioned by anyone else.

[pandy]

Yes, Russ Harris picked all 9 winners on top one day. Although he picked a lot of favorites, he was good at deciding between two horses that appeared closely matched and therefore he picked a high percentage of winners.

[lamboguy]

in Vegas i remember when almost all of the casino's closed up their paker rooms. that was the low of poker. a year later ever hotel started putting them back in their hotels.

the same thing will happen to racing. it just needs a new leader to get the ball rolling.

[burnsy]

This is why i always write about no one caring about racing. People write that theres an interest and there is but its basically the people that play all the time, the general public intrest has been declining for decades. The game keeps getting a smaller and smaller piece of the media. I live in Saratoga and the Saratogians coverage sucks....even that pink sheet could be 10 times better than it is during the meet. Theres like two guys there that are any good. Many papers print no results AT ALL and barely mention horse racing unless its a scandal. People say its being "doom and gloomer"......no, its called reality and facing it. If current fans don't bitch and attempt to force changes....it ain't going to get better. Then again if you do that they may ban you from the track.......lol........its hilarious. Everything is going fine, nothing to see here........yeah, that attitude will get racing back in the spotlight. .....Gee, why do they need "seminars" for new owners( wanna buy a time share):lol: ????? Owner: "Did you see my horse won the other day" Reply:....."where? Its not reported anywhere, even in NYC".....just dandy :bang: Oh yeah, that little chart on page 38........please

[Saratoga_Mike]

Not surprised, newspapers are obsolete.

Right, we can just get our information from the internet - much more reliable.

[Stillriledup]

There's a TWO horse field at Parx in the first race today (slated to go off in 2 mins) and you still have to pay 'full freight' takeoutwise if you want to play.

An NFL bet for a '2 horse contest' is an approximately 5% takeout, for a 2 horse contest in horse racing? 17-20% (depending on jurisdiction).

This, in a nutshell, is part of the problem.

[tzipi]

There's a TWO horse field at Parx in the first race today (slated to go off in 2 mins) and you still have to pay 'full freight' takeoutwise if you want to play.

An NFL bet for a '2 horse contest' is an approximately 5% takeout, for a 2 horse contest in horse racing? 17-20% (depending on jurisdiction).

This, in a nutshell, is part of the problem.

I agree, that's just bad.

[thaskalos]

in Vegas i remember when almost all of the casino's closed up their paker rooms. that was the low of poker. a year later ever hotel started putting them back in their hotels.

the same thing will happen to racing. it just needs a new leader to get the ball rolling.
We've been saying that for a while now...but this "new leader" is no-where to be seen. I, for one, won't be holding my breath...

[Stillriledup]

I agree, that's just bad.

Right. When the Belmont Stakes and their 14 horse field have the same 'rake' as a 2 horse field at Parx, we have to revisit the entire model and question it. No reason to not have a 'sliding takeout scale' so they can adjust, on the fly, a takeout situation.

If Parx announced "half price takeout sale on the first race" would they have gotten twice the handle? Im thinking they probably would have, along with some good will. No discounting how far good will goes these days. Tracks get whatever they can get takeout wise but have acquired zero good will amongst their regular customers.

[Cholly]

I live in the hinterlands and so have never held a NY Post in my hands, but past years I’ve daily enjoyed Ed Fountaine’s “Through The Binocs”…and I will miss it.

He was quick to enliven his brief race descriptions with adjectives like “valiant”, “determined”, and “bravely”, and he was just as apt to award those praises to a low-level claimer as to a graded stakes horse. If he was quick to express admiration, he also never hesitated to point out a lackluster effort, a bad ride, a missed call by the stewards, or a perceived gaffe by NYRA management. And he never, ever let a horse die anonymously on the track—when a horse made the ultimate sacrifice, “Through The Binocs” gave it printed recognition.

In other words, he did all the things we used to expect sports reporters to do. There’s not likely to be anything to take its place. DRF serves its purpose, but they blatantly practice suck-up journalism. Ray Paulick & staff are good reporters, but they’re concerned with the national picture and the business end of racing—not the 5th race on the Aqueduct inner.

I side with Al Gobbi and others above saying this is more about modern media and not so much about any decline in horse racing. The internet enriches our life in many ways, but the kneecapping of print journalism is among its collateral damage.

[pandy]

Good post. Ed's through the binocs was good reporting.

[Tom]

Maybe the groups of unemployeed writers will form a website together.......

[wiffleball whizz]

Always read the post racing section and the XXX adds that littered the page....racing section will be missed by just us and nobody else...such a dying game and this really makes a statement

[reckless]

I agree with an earlier poster that said the newspaper industry is in worse shape than thoroughbred racing, obvious problems aside.

And I agree totally.

Over $10 million was bet solely on the Belmont Stakes in the win pool today, not too shabby.

Murdoch will be separating his world-wide newspaper holdings from his other media properties and will soon sell the newspaper group. This is one reason for the firings. Now, the 16 NY Post employees that were fired will not suddenly make the paper more valuable or profitable, of course, but the bean counters do look long, hard and deep when trying to goose up the bottom line.

[wiffleball whizz]

Anybody that thinks lowering takeout will bring in more fans to racing your sadly mistaken......if Belmont had 70k there today 50k have no clue what takeout even is.....

Just like poker at any given time on a Saturday night 70 percent of people in poker room have no clue what the rake is

[ronsmac]

Anybody that thinks lowering takeout will bring in more fans to racing your sadly mistaken......if Belmont had 70k there today 50k have no clue what takeout even is.....

Just like poker at any given time on a Saturday night 70 percent of people in poker room have no clue what the rake is
It may not bring too many new people, but it may keep some of the current players that are either leaving the game or lowering their handle.

[menifee]

I don't read the Post losing racing as a sign of the decline of racing. There may be other signs, but this is not one of them.

30 yrs ago you had the newspapers. Now you have two 24 hr horse racing channels, paceadvantage, bloodhorse, a million blogs, twitter and a lot of places to get horse racing news. This is more about the newspaper industry than the horse racing industry.

[wiffleball whizz]

It may not bring too many new people, but it may keep some of the current players that are either leaving the game or lowering their handle.

That's a very accurate statement :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

[soupman2]

Until they get some business people the sport is dead. I was at Rockingham this morning to pick up the book. I checked their web site and they said "Gates will open Belmont Day at 10:30" Well, I had a bunch of running around to do and got there at 10:30. But alas, there was a line of 80 and 90 year olds waiting to get in (I'm 62 and they were old to me). An equally (she was so frail I don't know how she could stand) "We're not opening until 10:45 today" But your web site says 10:30. "WE'RE NOT OPENING UNTIL 10:45". I thought it would be a good idea to wait in my car because all the 80 and 90 year olds started to protect the chick and showed they were ready for action...puffing their chest. Now keep in mind I just needed a book. Probably half the people there just needed a book. They should have had people selling the book and DRF in the lobby. And they still have someone collecting $1 to get in for the simulcast.

Now what happened isn't what is wrong, just a symptom of poor management. I have to head out. Someday I'll finish "How I would save racing" rant.

[Stillriledup]

Anybody that thinks lowering takeout will bring in more fans to racing your sadly mistaken......if Belmont had 70k there today 50k have no clue what takeout even is.....

Just like poker at any given time on a Saturday night 70 percent of people in poker room have no clue what the rake is

Even they dont know about takeout, they do notice when they have more money in their pockets and that's what happens with lower takeout. Also, people who bet 2 bucks per race might not know what takeout means, but almost everyone who is a few hundred a race bettor (or bigger) knows all about takeout.

[wiffleball whizz]

Even they dont know about takeout, they do notice when they have more money in their pockets and that's what happens with lower takeout. Also, people who bet 2 bucks per race might not know what takeout means, but almost everyone who is a few hundred a race bettor (or bigger) knows all about takeout.

But SRU they are betting anyway.....I'd love to have the takeout of the pool I took out at Chester on weds....the whole whopping $1540 pick3.....

This game needs some brain surgeon to take over and get a new following

[thespaah]

I don't read the Post losing racing as a sign of the decline of racing. There may be other signs, but this is not one of them.

30 yrs ago you had the newspapers. Now you have two 24 hr horse racing channels, paceadvantage, bloodhorse, a million blogs, twitter and a lot of places to get horse racing news. This is more about the newspaper industry than the horse racing industry.
Spot on...Newspaper managers get feedback from their subscribers. They get the ad people to offer opinions.
The bottom line is advertising. Without a steady and reliable source of ad revenue, the paper dies a slow death. This is happening all over the country.

I like newspapers. I like picking up the papers when I travel. I have a collection of newspapers from just about every market I have been to. It's part of the way I was raised and part of my routine. I will miss them when the presses stop whirring.

[wiffleball whizz]

I remember when the post was a quarter....I think it's $1 now....my father is such a clown he got an iPhone just "cuz he can see the numbers better" doesn't use it for Internet he always bought the post so I got him the new York post app for the iPhone.....the next day he went to parx and bought in for $365 in the 15/30 game and cashed ours for $2100......I said dad why did u buy in for $365 in the game he said cus I just saved him 365 and it was a free shot...!!!

Does anybody here see 1 of the big 3 (nyp,daily news,new York times) closing in next 10 years? Newspapers are a thing of the past

[thespaah]

I remember when the post was a quarter....I think it's $1 now....my father is such a clown he got an iPhone just "cuz he can see the numbers better" doesn't use it for Internet he always bought the post so I got him the new York post app for the iPhone.....the next day he went to parx and bought in for $365 in the 15/30 game and cashed ours for $2100......I said dad why did u buy in for $365 in the game he said cus I just saved him 365 and it was a free shot...!!!

Does anybody here see 1 of the big 3 (nyp,daily news,new York times) closing in next 10 years? Newspapers are a thing of the past
I used to get the Post, Star Ledger and Bergen Record and a pack of smokes for $2.10..That was in the late '80's.
The Star Ledger was 25 cents. Record and Post were 35 cents.
The Times is in the biggest trouble of all.
Seems far fewer people are buying "news that's fit to print". I guess when a paper gets caught writing fake stories or fabricating events, people tend to get a little pissed off.
The Post has always been a screaming banshee for the uninformed.I bought it for the sports and horse racing coverage. Same for the Daily News. In fact I used to refer to the News as "NY's paper for Kindergartners." Again, When I bought the NY Daily News it was for the sports and racing coverage. I liked to read Dick Young and Mike Lupica's columns.
. I sometimes didn't even know what was on the front page.

[NJ Stinks]

I didn't know jack about takeout until I read Ray Kerrison in the New York Post in the 70's.

Craig Donnelly of the Philadelphia Inquirer was the best newspaper handicapper I've seen.

Jack Kiser of the Philadelphia Daily News was a harness guru.

Ray Brienza of the Newark Star-Ledger was a fountain of standardbred information.

These guys and others like them kept me in the game on a daily basis.

No more. Today I bought the NY Post and it was like an old friend died. One page of racing entries and results (no charts) with Vic C.'s picks at Belmont devoid of reasons why. The Belmont article on another page was written by Richard Rosenblatt of AP fame. :(

I've been buying the Daily News or the Post every day since the early '70's. No use going out of my way in the future. Unfortunately, you can't give younger people a newspaper in this country. It is what it is but it sucks.

P.S. Cholly, nice post! :ThmbUp: