tracks in full swing

[lamboguy]

today friday Arlington, Baltera, Finger Lakes, Louisiana Downs all open. there are probably 10 more thoroughbred tracks going to open by the end of May. there are 22 tracks open today. its a lot of work to go through all those places, for me any way.

[maclr11]

I think Northlands opens today as well. Lots of 3 1/2's as the foreign worker rules are killing each and every Canadian track.

[soupman2]

Lamboguy- what do you hear about Rockingham's fate now that they have turned down casino gambling yet again.

[lamboguy]

Lamboguy- what do you hear about Rockingham's fate now that they have turned down casino gambling yet again.since they lost by only 1 vote last time, i think they are giving it another shot this year.

[Kash$]

today friday Arlington, Baltera, Finger Lakes, Louisiana Downs all open. there are probably 10 more thoroughbred tracks going to open by the end of May. there are 22 tracks open today. its a lot of work to go through all those places, for me any way.



This post above is why racing is in trouble.Way too many tracks.
:confused:

[iwearpurple]

This post above is why racing is in trouble.Way too many tracks.
:confused:

Wrong.

Baseball does quite well with 30 major league teams, 120+ minor league teams all operating during the summer.

Racing is in trouble because it is not as exciting as other forms of gambling to younger people, and is doing nothing to bring in new fans (participants).

Also, the high vig makes it not as attractive as other forms of gambling.

[Tom]

Tracks need 60-90 different horses every day, and expect them to sit out 2-6 weeks at a time.

A baseball team needs what, 20 days that can play everyday.

Too many tracks.

[soupman2]

since they lost by only 1 vote last time, i think they are giving it another shot this year.

Sad to say they got crushed this week and again the casino was turned down. I think everyone on both sides felt this was the last call. There will be no casino in New Hampshire. I don't see anything in rockinghams future except the "Rockingham Park Condominiums".Maybe they will get an ok to build a simulcast location. They do a pretty good poker and bingo business and us old guys need some place to go during the day.

[thespaah]

I think Northlands opens today as well. Lots of 3 1/2's as the foreign worker rules are killing each and every Canadian track.
what are the basics of those rules?
What's a 3 1/2?

[cnollfan]

what are the basics of those rules?
What's a 3 1/2?

3 1/2 furlong race.

[DeltaLover]

today friday Arlington, Baltera, Finger Lakes, Louisiana Downs all open. there are probably 10 more thoroughbred tracks going to open by the end of May. there are 22 tracks open today. its a lot of work to go through all those places, for me any way.

Sad news, too much racing is one of the major reasons for the decline of both the sport and the game as well...

[burnsy]

Wrong.

Baseball does quite well with 30 major league teams, 120+ minor league teams all operating during the summer.

Racing is in trouble because it is not as exciting as other forms of gambling to younger people, and is doing nothing to bring in new fans (participants).

Also, the high vig makes it not as attractive as other forms of gambling.

I gotta disagree, Baseball is doing ok but its not "killing it" as the national past time like it once did. But people still do follow it like you said. I can see the Tri City Valley Cats here for like 6 or 7 bucks. Horse racing requires more than that before you can place the first bet and 75% of the crowd are families at the Valley Cats.

I think the boxing event and the Kentucky Derby drew some parallels by happening the same night. Both sports are on the back burner until there is a really big event. Boxing won't be talked about after less than a week and horse racing will be secondary long before the 4th of July once the Belmont goes off, even if AP wins the Triple Crown. Baseball still gets huge coverage locally and nationally but is definitely going in the wrong direction itself. What was even worse were the two events themselves, the boxing was not that good and they charged an arm and a leg for it. As for the race, pretty much the same thing. For all the hype and talk the horses were slow and no one really ran great. Three horses pretty much dictated the entire race from the start. I was for the point system at first but without a couple rabbits in there the pace does not lend itself to exciting endings. Boxing is doing poorly and horse racing is not that far behind.

Every product depends on supply and demand which in sports it pretty much equals "fan interest" and the number of participants (not just $ like most businesses). We got 5 horse fields going. How can you tell someone they are wrong about there being too many tracks when you then admit that the vig is too high and no new fans are getting in? The post does not even make sense. Sounds like someone in the racing industry. Bottom line, there are too many tracks, not enough owners and horses and a poor product. You sat there and admitted it, then told the guy he was wrong? :bang: That's everything that's wrong with this game right now, they act like nothing is going on.

[rastajenk]

If there are fewer tracks, there will be even fewer owners and horses. Contraction is a death spiral.

[TravisVOX]

If there are fewer tracks, there will be even fewer owners and horses. Contraction is a death spiral.

Same applies to fans too. The answer is NEVER fewer tracks but rather less racing.

[jk3521]

Same applies to fans too. The answer is NEVER fewer tracks but rather less racing.
That's right. It might be time to cut the number of races run each day anyway ,with the short attention span of the typical gambler. If tracks aren't spread around the country how are new horse players going to be attracted to the game and the beauty of the sport. Certainly not by going to a simulcast facility.

[Robert Goren]

Minor league baseball is not doing all that well. Big TV contracts have bailed out the majors although not all its markets are doing well.
Horse races are pretty much unbettable with 6 or fewer horses. The horse shortage is killing off tracks. Too many tracks, not enough horses. Despite the massive infusion of slot money, the horse population continues to decline. Even tracks that pay huge purses have trouble filling fields. Then there is the problem of the declining number of bettors. Some tracks have filled that void by attracting high volume bettors, but even that model is proving unsustainable. It appears to me that a lot of tracks will forced to close in the next few years. If you don't have neither the horses or the bettors, something has got to give.

[therussmeister]

It seems to me that the tracks with the smallest purses in the region have the biggest fields. I am starting to believe that there are so many short fields because that is what the horsemen want, and if the number of races decline so will the number of horses in training leaving us with the same average field size.

[maclr11]

what are the basics of those rules?
What's a 3 1/2?


The extent of the rule is, is that the Canadian government is not allowing foreign workers in Canada anymore except under very extraordinary circumstances. A large percentage of the backstretch workers at all the Canadian tracks are from the Caribbean. The inability of these workers has caused a massive shortage of grooms and exercise riders. Without these riders and grooms its hard to have enough staff to look after all the barns.

Trainers like Brian Lynch have not sent as much to Woodbine along with Casse and others because of the help situation.

Add in a poor Canadian dollar and the horse quarantine at the border from Arizona and its going to be a rough year for the five major Canadian racetracks. All of which have just recently started, or will start soon.

[Tall One]

That's right. It might be time to cut the number of races run each day anyway ,with the short attention span of the typical gambler. If tracks aren't spread around the country how are new horse players going to be attracted to the game and the beauty of the sport. Certainly not by going to a simulcast facility.


Good post. Until the supply catches up, I'd much prefer the 8, or even a 7 race card in some instances if it meant full fields.

[Robert Goren]

Good post. Until the supply catches up, I'd much prefer the 8, or even a 7 race card in some instances if it meant full fields.There is no evidence that the supply of race horses is going to increase any time soon. In fact, quite opposite is true, the number of foals is decreasing every year. Apparently, there is no longer money to be made in breeding cheap runners. Although for the life of me, I can not understand why with the purses being what they are these days.

[Tall One]

There is no evidence that the supply of race horses is going to increase any time soon. In fact, quite opposite is true, the number of foals is decreasing every year. Apparently, there is no longer money to be made in breeding cheap runners. Although for the life of me, I can not understand why with the purses being what they are these days.



Oh, there's no doubt a 7-8 race card 3/4 day week will soon be on the horizon. Wasn't trying to come off naïve. I live in Lexington and have several friends in the industry. Believe me, its a concern I hear about often.

[wisconsin]

Oh, there's no doubt a 7-8 race card 3/4 day week will soon be on the horizon. Wasn't trying to come off naïve. I live in Lexington and have several friends in the industry. Believe me, its a concern I hear about often.

1945 is calling. 6 race cards were common.

[ReplayRandall]

1945 is calling. 6 race cards were common.
Wasn't there something disruptive going on then......say like the ending of a second WORLD WAR??

[Tall One]

Wasn't there something disruptive going on then......say like the ending of a second WORLD WAR??



Careful Randall..you're turning a blind eye on a Wednesday card with that kind of talk... :rolleyes:

[Tall One]

nm.

[ReplayRandall]

Careful Randall..you're turning a blind eye on a Wednesday card with that kind of talk... :rolleyes:
I thought Wednesday was a dark day......my bad.. :cool:

[thespaah]

3 1/2 furlong race.
Jeez....Oops..Just missed another one....

[nijinski]

We could use a blue eyed "Chrome" at every track

.Koda Chrome finished third in his career debut May 7 at Belterra Park in Ohio, but to say it wasn't splashy would be an understatement.



The 3-year-old colt owned and bred by Karen Babcock of Echo Hill Farm in Kentucky is from one of only two known lines of the frame overo gene, which produces a colorful combination of markings and one or two blue eyes.


Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/91856/horse-of-different-color-third-in-his-debut#ixzz3ZWbwcnR5