Breeders Cup handle down

[lamboguy]

handle for first day breeders cup handle was down 11% year to year. probably a number consistent with the rest of horse racing year round. they claim that live attendance was up year to year but you really could have fooled me. in the Frontrunner Restaurant where i sat there had to be 25 empty tables, last year there wasn't an empty seat. that is the high rent district, but the parking lot looked less packed and it only took me 10 minutes to get out of the lot this year, where last year it took over an hour.

every race had a full field, they were all great races. i can't really explain the large decline in handle other than probably deteriorating interest in the sport in North America. i notice that other parts of the world have growing racing handles like Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Turkey and other places.they all have higher takeouts as well. http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/88477/bc-day-one-attendance-up-wagering-down?source=rss

[clocker7]

It is no different from the World Series this year. When you present something that the public perceives as lackluster, then less people watch. Is anyone surprised?

Confession: I wasn't exactly dying to drop everything today.

[Stillriledup]

The novelty of this type of stuff has worn off. Breeders Cup wouldn't permit people to use current credentials to get in for free and park for free, so i'm pretty sure that kept regulars away, people used to getting in for free (or half price) and parking for free aren't going to rush there to pay 20s and 40s to pay massive commissions (takeouts) on wagers. Imagine that, charging people 20s and 40s for the PRIVILEGE of betting into a 20 or 25% takeout.

Its amazing they get as many people as they can for the prices they charge to park, enter and bet. You don't pay 20s and 40s to park and be admitted to a casino in Las Vegas, but maybe the racing industry doesn't realize that.

[JustRalph]

Churchill got killed today.....from what I am reading on the net

Down almost 40%

[Bennie]

I think maybe a small percentage can be from the fact that only 4 Breeders Cup races were run yesterday as opposed to former cards where they split the races more evenly between the 2 days. Lets see what happens today with a bigger card.

[Robert Goren]

Maybe it is just me, but I did not see the BC buzz here like in other years. I am one who believes this place reflects a lot of what is happening with bettors.

[depalma113]

There was one less race, so that will affect the numbers.

Also, if people are like myself, maybe they are just tired of the races in California. Why bet when you know the chalk is going to cruise on a speed favoring track at 3-5 odds? There's no money to be made, so no need to bet.

The Breeders Cup is a farce compared to what it once was. The obsession with California has destroyed this once great day of racing and handicapping.

I learned my lesson last year. I'll play, but my contribution to the handle is a third of what I normally play.

[Sparky13]

The reason I don't bet, too many foreign horses.

[Robert Goren]

Churchill got killed today.....from what I am reading on the net

Down almost 40%Churchill has really hurt racing in general. It seemed the straw that broke the camel's back for a lot of people or so it seems to me.

[Grits]

Maybe it is just me, but I did not see the BC buzz here like in other years. I am one who believes this place reflects a lot of what is happening with bettors.

A reflection here? Note the first seven threads in this folder. Three of the seven deal with drugs and cheating. Each bolster the fact--the problems aren't going away. Just the people are. Everyone is really tired of suits doing nothing about cheating.

[burnsy]

It is no different from the World Series this year. When you present something that the public perceives as lackluster, then less people watch. Is anyone surprised?

Confession: I wasn't exactly dying to drop everything today.

Agreed, the two day deal with 4 races on Friday is a farce.

Having it in the same place is great for "industry types" but for fans it spells loser. Part of the "buzz" was the different locations and tracks. People like seeing the different flavors. This puts it in a rut IMO. Ho, hum another one at SA.

The horses don't even seem to be the same quality as they used to be.

These days you need the circus atmosphere just to get the casual excited. I've been thinking the BC would slowly go downhill....slowly but eventually. Unless they change things up.

[highnote]

Maybe HANA's call for a boycott is still on?

[EMD4ME]

There was one less race, so that will affect the numbers.

Also, if people are like myself, maybe they are just tired of the races in California. Why bet when you know the chalk is going to cruise on a speed favoring track at 3-5 odds? There's no money to be made, so no need to bet.

The Breeders Cup is a farce compared to what it once was. The obsession with California has destroyed this once great day of racing and handicapping.

I learned my lesson last year. I'll play, but my contribution to the handle is a third of what I normally play.

Good for them. They deserve to have handle drop. This event wasn't meant to be held in Cali every damn year. Are the Olympics in one city every year?

[windstone]

i agree with sparky, to many foreign horses plus i like to play other tracks and starting around noon (cst) here i am not staying til 7 tonight to bet all the BC races at a west coast track. i left at five yesterday afternoon. five hours of racing is enough for this kid.

[Grits]

I probably shouldn't say it.. NYRA trumped 'em with its Super Saturday.

Yes, this event wasn't meant to be at one venue. Outside, this a.m., its 46 and I'm in the southeast. The temperature in NYC? I don't care. I'd still be there if the BC were at Belmont. One doesn't see Gillette stadium or Lambeau field empty on cold Sunday afternoons.

Been sick of Santa Anita. ...Keeneland and DelMar, what a cluster**** they'll be! :lol:

[JustRalph]

This two day crap is a joke

They need to run all of these races on the same day and cut the time between races down........

someone from DRF tweeted yesterday something like this

" If a newby has been watching the Breeders cup they have watched for the last 2.5 hours and seen 5 min of action"

Tie this together with the article about how the Breeders cup is trying to become the place for the upper crust, and I find myself happy to sit on my wallet.

Check with Nascar on that. See how it worked out for them. The tracks are half empty every race now, and even the well connected Nascar teams are begging for sponsorship every year.