Shouldn't Racetracks be smarter than this?

[Poindexter]

Today at Los Alamitos they have have 8 races. 7 of them are fairly typical races and then they have the 4th. 4 horses in this race have run and not have been within 12 lengths of the winner. The rest are 1st time starters. Now obviously insiders are going to have a bigger advantage in a race like this than they would in your typical race. I do not understand why racetracks schedule baby races in the middle of the card. By being the 4th race it is part of the early pick 4, the early pick 5 and the pick six, not to mention 3 pick 3's and 2 doubles. Why not make the baby race the 1st race on the card(it is the only 2yo maiden race on the card), so they just kill the early pick 5 and one double and pick 3. This has to hurt their pools. not to mention putting recreational players at a huge disadvantage. It can't be that Los Alamitos is so thrilled by their handle that it is their way or the highway. Why?

[Stillriledup]

I won't bet a pick something w a two year old race that's not races 1 or 2 because of the need to see the betting (with race 2 I can see DD probables) being in race 4 you're giving up too much of an edge to insiders.

[ultracapper]

tough race makes for a potential P6 carry over, one of the most important things race track operators think about every day.

[Some_One]

Every race should be easy to handicap and have a 1/5 shot that is obvious. From the FL Chalkfest thread, they obviously know what bettors want.

[burnsy]

There's a race with more than 4 cheap horses in it? That's news in itself........You can tell I really love that place..... :)

[AndyC]

I won't bet a pick something w a two year old race that's not races 1 or 2 because of the need to see the betting (with race 2 I can see DD probables) being in race 4 you're giving up too much of an edge to insiders.

Check out the attachments for what I call a PickTote. The examples show how the betting in a P-4 has been made to each horse in each race. The first example shows the betting in actual dollars while the second example shows the betting in a win odds equivalent (after takeout). Each example should allow for some of the mystery of blind pools to be eliminated to a large degree.

[Tom]

tough race makes for a potential P6 carry over, one of the most important things race track operators think about every day.

Exactly - the common misconception is that the tracks care about the customer. Surprises me that more MULE races are not cared in the middle.

[thespaah]

Today at Los Alamitos they have have 8 races. 7 of them are fairly typical races and then they have the 4th. 4 horses in this race have run and not have been within 12 lengths of the winner. The rest are 1st time starters. Now obviously insiders are going to have a bigger advantage in a race like this than they would in your typical race. I do not understand why racetracks schedule baby races in the middle of the card. By being the 4th race it is part of the early pick 4, the early pick 5 and the pick six, not to mention 3 pick 3's and 2 doubles. Why not make the baby race the 1st race on the card(it is the only 2yo maiden race on the card), so they just kill the early pick 5 and one double and pick 3. This has to hurt their pools. not to mention putting recreational players at a huge disadvantage. It can't be that Los Alamitos is so thrilled by their handle that it is their way or the highway. Why?
The point is to NOT make it easy.....
You claim this has "hurt" the pools....How so?

[Poindexter]

The point is to NOT make it easy.....
You claim this has "hurt" the pools....How so?

It has to hurt the pools, because anyone with discipline is going to avoid the pick 4 and pick 5 pools or at the very least play it more carefully. I personally passed the early pick 4 and pick 5 that day on a card I liked (because any edge I felt I can get in the pick 4 and pick 5 pools were nullified by this horrible race). I assume that other players make similar decisions. The thing about the baby races is that they do not typically end up with bombs winning. Usually the horse that win have some kind of tote board life. There are of course exceptions.

I am of the belief that if you want to grow the sport, the last thing you want to do is give insiders a bigger edge than they already have.

[AndyC]

It has to hurt the pools, because anyone with discipline is going to avoid the pick 4 and pick 5 pools or at the very least play it more carefully. I personally passed the early pick 4 and pick 5 that day on a card I liked (because any edge I felt I can get in the pick 4 and pick 5 pools were nullified by this horrible race). I assume that other players make similar decisions. The thing about the baby races is that they do not typically end up with bombs winning. Usually the horse that win have some kind of tote board life. There are of course exceptions.

I am of the belief that if you want to grow the sport, the last thing you want to do is give insiders a bigger edge than they already have.


Would the attachments I posted in #6 help with making decisions on baby races in a P-4, P-5, P-6?

[Poindexter]

Would the attachments I posted in #6 help with making decisions on baby races in a P-4, P-5, P-6?

Of course, this information would be invaluable. Are you saying that you have access to this information?

[AndyC]

Of course, this information would be invaluable. Are you saying that you have access to this information?

No, but the tracks do and could easily provide it to the bettors if they thought there was a demand for it.

[Poindexter]

No, but the tracks do and could easily provide it to the bettors if they thought there was a demand for it.

I am all for it.