What If "DQ-Gate" Saves Racing?

[Thomas Roulston]

It has pushed the NBA and NHL playoffs out of the sports headlines, hasn't it?

Just a thought.

[Afleet]

had multiple people ask me about it at work today (only a small amount of people work on Sunday); they know I own horses. Sure I will get more questions tomorrow

[PhantomOnTour]

All the sports news shows will discuss it Monday.
Come Tuesday, it will be forgotten

[JustRalph]

Nothing good that I’ve read or heard.


Save racing ? :lol::lol:

[f2tornado]

A lot of casual fans are pretty upset if the social networks are any guide. It probably just sped up the downward trajectory.

[castaway01]

It's a controversy that will be out of the headlines on Tuesday, will get mentioned at the Preakness and Belmont, then again next Derby, and have no other long-term effect good or bad.

[SandyW]

It's a controversy that will be out of the headlines on Tuesday, will get mentioned at the Preakness and Belmont, then again next Derby, and have no other long-term effect good or bad.

Wrong, if West gets out of the horse racing game that he has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in.

http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/the-wests-threaten-to-get-out-of-racing/

[biggestal99]

Wrong, if West gets out of the horse racing game that he has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in.

http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/the-wests-threaten-to-get-out-of-racing/


We are all going to miss them. Don’t let the door hit you in the behind on the way out. Sour grapes of the worse kind.

Allan

[BlueChip@DRF]

It has pushed the NBA and NHL playoffs out of the sports headlines, hasn't it?

Just a thought.

If two Triple Crown winners in a short time can't save the sport, then what can? In this day and age it seems to be all about the drama. Many like to watch, but not many would like to get themselves involved in it.

[AMPHAR]

I have no idea for Horse racing long term effects- I am enjoying the extended coverage beyond the norm. I hope team MS complains loudly AND shows up in Baltimore.

They were robbed. I will have a problem if they complain and don’t show up.

The NFL quality has declined through bad officiating and simply impossible rules to enforce consistently and with video proof displaying the errors on a weekly basis. I hate what it has done to the flow of the game, gave up season tickets in part because of it. However, that league has increased popularity because in some way people enjoy the controversy and resulting debate over the natural imperfections of sports.

[Zman179]

Save racing? This will only ruin it further.

Horse players already know that DQ’s are part of the game, but the problem is that the sport has severe difficulties in attracting new people. So how are new people going to be attracted to a sport where only negative publicity eminates? Answer: new people will stay away from it.

[Thomas Roulston]

Remember when Dan Quayle ended up getting to do that Lays Potato Chip commercial in the wake of his having added an "e" at the end of "potato"?

Think of the possibilities here: A Dairy Queen commercial featuring the three stewards at Churchill Downs being asked: "Stewards at Churchill Downs - did you DQ today?"

[Dream_Police]

West stated this morning that they are NOT going to Baltimore for the Preakness.
Have stated before that this IS NOT about racing fatalities it IS about the fans not knowing what a foul is and what is not a foul given the decisions by the stewards and the inconsistencies of their decisions and what makes it worse is that it is just not a state to state thing but race to race. If it is a foul then it is a foul whether a $5,000 claimer or the Derby and to not do that smacks of favoritism or special treatment for trainers or owners. The perception of being Dirty or Fixed ranks right up there with the fatality issue when it comes to the demise of the sport.

[Valuist]

All the sports news shows will discuss it Monday.
Come Tuesday, it will be forgotten

You were off by one day. I just had the "Get Up" show on and watch the lead in to their program. Almost all NBA and something about the (NY) Giants.

OK, now 15 minutes into the show, they are discussing it.

[BlueChip@DRF]

Save racing? This will only ruin it further.

Horse players already know that DQ’s are part of the game, but the problem is that the sport has severe difficulties in attracting new people. So how are new people going to be attracted to a sport where only negative publicity eminates? Answer: new people will stay away from it.

True. A large chunk of the wagering pool comes from social security checks. Who is going to replace them when they are gone?

[JustRalph]

We are all going to miss them. Don’t let the door hit you in the behind on the way out. Sour grapes of the worse kind.

Allan

And here ladies and gents is the attitude that prevails in racing, no matter the party involved. Owners, trainers and especially customers/players.

This is why the game has gone to shit.

[Scanman]

Just a thought.If two Triple Crown winners in a short time can't save the sport, then what can? In this day and age it seems to be all about the drama. Many like to watch, but not many would like to get themselves involved in it.Spot on BlueChip! Whatever new interest in ownership and/or fan base (if any at all) was completely lost as a result of the DQ in the Derby.

It's doubtful that the sport lost any of the "hardcore" fans/gamblers (which of course are a dying generation). It probably lost quite a few casual fans and absolutely discouraged any new blood from coming into the game.

Classic case of maybe taking one step forward, then definately taking five steps backward.

[Elliott Sidewater]

For what it's worth, I agree with Zman, there is no way this dq is good for racing. Racing has failed to prove appealing to the younger generations. My son is a millennial, and you know what they think? That racing stewards are just like the Republicans in Senate, a bunch of old, out of touch authoritarians who could care less what others think simply because "we make the decisions, dammit". And if you don't like it, it's up your nose with a rubber hose.

But for myself, I have to say that I felt the dq was warranted and that the stewards found themselves in a no win situation. In my opinion, the thought that this dq somehow saves racing is 180 degrees out from the truth.

[Valuist]

Listening to Byk's show today, he was saying the reaction was around 50/50 regarding the DQ. It clearly wasn't 90/10 for either side; the media is at least talking about racing.

What the Derby needs is a dry race track. If they get good weather next year, they will blow away the handle for this year.

[Tom]

Agree. Fast track, $$$ rolls in.
CD did it poorly this year - should never have harrowed the track - leave it sealed.

And if they had not wasted 90 minutes before the race, it could
have been run before the heavy rains.

Just what was the purpose to the day, the Derby, of the BS party?
We should move the Derby to Pimlico, to replace the Preakeness when it moves to Laurel! :lol:

[098poi]

Agree. Fast track, $$$ rolls in.
CD did it poorly this year - should never have harrowed the track - leave it sealed.

And if they had not wasted 90 minutes before the race, it could
have been run before the heavy rains.

Just what was the purpose to the day, the Derby, of the BS party?
We should move the Derby to Pimlico, to replace the Preakeness when it moves to Laurel! :lol:


I wondered about that too. The Masters this year was moved up on Sunday to very early in the day because they knew a storm was coming in. I'm sure they lost a lot of viewers because of it but they really had no choice. I guess there is no point to what ifs and should haves.

[burnsy]

Listening to Byk's show today, he was saying the reaction was around 50/50 regarding the DQ. It clearly wasn't 90/10 for either side; the media is at least talking about racing.

What the Derby needs is a dry race track. If they get good weather next year, they will blow away the handle for this year.

And that’s the problem. This deal being about 50/50 it even panned out that way here. What’s even worse for racing is that horse was the favorite on a day where some people bet once or twice a year. I had to put in bets for my girlfriends sisters. They don’t have a clue. They called after the dq and knew they didn’t win but asked if they get their money back? In other words, they didn’t even know the rules . The only reason people tune in is the Derby is a rite of spring, an annual happening. Something everyone does , most don’t know squat about racing but they know who the fave is. These are the kind of people that are already leery about horse racing. Other than derby day they laugh at it and think people that take it seriously are compulsive gamblers. The ratings were great which in a way will be a curse because racing just pissed off more people in one day then they ever have. The short term affect will be immediate. Wait until the Preakness and Belmont ratings come out. As it was , horse racing couldn’t even bump soccer on Oaks Day. The middle of the card was cut off. And much of the coverage is on the “bench warmer “ NBC channel. If the words “Kentucky Derby” were not part of this, the casual fan would not even give a crap about that day. I’m guessing now that number just decreased for a while at least. I’ve been betting for 40 years and I’m not playing for a while. So I can imagine what people that never really gave a crap will do........ which is anything but.

The other thing that gets me about this game is the attitude. Owners leaving, you already are canceling because you can’t fill cards. Customers complaining, well, you can’t get any new ones and some of the die hards have left too. Time is against you and somehow, some way....... you still think the attitude can be “don’t let the door hit you in the ass”. Lol, when will you wake up? That was the biggest day of your calendar year. I can already hear them, next week, 4 weeks from now at Belmont and next year in May. The casual person, “that game is messed up.”” They disqualified my horse and took my money. “And more importantly than that, their pride and joy of jumping up and down saying, “I won The Kentucky Derby.” Just one more cloud over a game that is slowly running out of prestige and time. Hey horse racing! Wake up! You can’t hold a gun to people’s heads and get them to participate. And 50/50 on something like this is a major kick in the ass.

[AskinHaskin]

And that’s the problem. This deal being about 50/50 it even panned out that way here. What’s even worse for racing is that horse was the favorite on a day where some people bet once or twice a year. I had to put in bets for my girlfriends sisters. They don’t have a clue. ... I’ve been betting for 40 years




More precisely, you are the problem.

Betting for 40 years and still has no idea who the favorite was in the Kentucky Derby run several days ago.


The deal should be about 97-3, with tiny allowances for a few people who lost their butts on the decision.

The relative imbalance (with common sense) that way is far more the problem with racing than are millennials or whatever buzzword is en vogue at the moment.


Racing environs are inundated with the completely clueless and the partially clueless from the sweepers all the way through to upper management. They (obviously) cater to a public that is even more clueless than they are. So it is no wonder that all of those entities put together cannot collectively conceive of the idea of playing to racing's strengths rather than spend months and months each year trumpeting racing's weaknesses to the media and to the rest of the world.

Once and for all, as with any other business, you have to dooooooooo something for the people who walk in the door each day. The average race track has no product and performs no service. The people out in the barns are putting on the show each day while the average track management person does zero to enhance that show during a typical day.

It's the societal equivalent to having a pimp stand around wearing gold chains and looking pimpy for very little purpose.


Belinda Stronach: Doooooooooooooo something for your customers for what would be the first time in your horse racing life!!!

[burnsy]

More precisely, you are the problem.

Betting for 40 years and still has no idea who the favorite was in the Kentucky Derby run several days ago.


The deal should be about 97-3, with tiny allowances for a few people who lost their butts on the decision.

The relative imbalance (with common sense) that way is far more the problem with racing than are millennials or whatever buzzword is en vogue at the moment.


Racing environs are inundated with the completely clueless and the partially clueless from the sweepers all the way through to upper management. They (obviously) cater to a public that is even more clueless than they are. So it is no wonder that all of those entities put together cannot collectively conceive of the idea of playing to racing's strengths rather than spend months and months each year trumpeting racing's weaknesses to the media and to the rest of the world.

Once and for all, as with any other business, you have to dooooooooo something for the people who walk in the door each day. The average race track has no product and performs no service. The people out in the barns are putting on the show each day while the average track management person does zero to enhance that show during a typical day.

It's the societal equivalent to having a pimp stand around wearing gold chains and looking pimpy for very little purpose.


Belinda Stronach: Doooooooooooooo something for your customers for what would be the first time in your horse racing life!!!

Excuse me , yeah , he was 9-2 and Improbable went down to 4-1. But most of the day that horse was taking money. Listen Hackson, hack, don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve given out at least 4 derby winners on that Triple Crown thread if you include MS. I even pointed Improbable was a toss so I was not even paying attention to that non factor. I also posted City Zips sire stats weeks in advance and warned people. Anyone that’s read my handicapping posts knows my info is good by now or they are just lying to themselves. And guess what? I hand it out for free! I actually win more years than I lose so I don’t need to sell my opinion. I don’t even want your opinion on handicapping because I’m quite confident I can run circles around you. The fact is one of the faves got taken down in favor of 64-1. And that’s a sour taste to casuals. I agree with some of what you said too. But don’t try to insult my knowledge. I’ve been here for quite a while. And have successfully predicted many races here. Sorry I didn’t recognize the horse that I predicted had no shot and he didn’t. Any time buddy you want to go against me. Horse racing or NFL , your choice,

[Nitro]

And that’s the problem. This deal being about 50/50 it even panned out that way here. What’s even worse for racing is that horse was the favorite on a day where some people bet once or twice a year. I had to put in bets for my girlfriends sisters. They don’t have a clue. They called after the dq and knew they didn’t win but asked if they get their money back? In other words, they didn’t even know the rules . The only reason people tune in is the Derby is a rite of spring, an annual happening. Something everyone does , most don’t know squat about racing but they know who the fave is. These are the kind of people that are already leery about horse racing. Other than derby day they laugh at it and think people that take it seriously are compulsive gamblers. The ratings were great which in a way will be a curse because racing just pissed off more people in one day then they ever have. The short term affect will be immediate. Wait until the Preakness and Belmont ratings come out. As it was , horse racing couldn’t even bump soccer on Oaks Day. The middle of the card was cut off. And much of the coverage is on the “bench warmer “ NBC channel. If the words “Kentucky Derby” were not part of this, the casual fan would not even give a crap about that day. I’m guessing now that number just decreased for a while at least. I’ve been betting for 40 years and I’m not playing for a while. So I can imagine what people that never really gave a crap will do........ which is anything but.

The other thing that gets me about this game is the attitude. Owners leaving, you already are canceling because you can’t fill cards. Customers complaining, well, you can’t get any new ones and some of the die hards have left too. Time is against you and somehow, some way....... you still think the attitude can be “don’t let the door hit you in the ass”. Lol, when will you wake up? That was the biggest day of your calendar year. I can already hear them, next week, 4 weeks from now at Belmont and next year in May. The casual person, “that game is messed up.”” They disqualified my horse and took my money. “And more importantly than that, their pride and joy of jumping up and down saying, “I won The Kentucky Derby.” Just one more cloud over a game that is slowly running out of prestige and time. Hey horse racing! Wake up! You can’t hold a gun to people’s heads and get them to participate. And 50/50 on something like this is a major kick in the ass.
Burnsy, I believe you’ve made some very valid points. Nice goin!
I’d add some of my own, but I think you’ve covered my sentiments pretty well. Thanks!

[bobphilo]

Well, they say the only bad publicity is an obituary. While that doesn't apply to racing when the publicity is about horse deaths and safety issues. I don't think that a lot of whining by those that didn't like a DQ is going to be such a big deal as far as the public is concerned. That's nothing new. If anything people, who are concerned with horses safety and are disturbed by the recent deaths will probably be glad that the Churchill stewards are finally showing some backbone in a race that has been criticized for being too loose on the rules. Maybe the number who have been saying the Derby is unsafe will grow.
Yes,a lot of people lost money after betting on the 2nd favorite but those that had CH will feel that they have hit the lottery and we all know how the media loves lottery winners.
Actually, once the race is run, most people forget about racing until next years Derby. As far as general media coverage and the public is concerned, this is already yesterday's news

[bobphilo]

For what it's worth, I agree with Zman, there is no way this dq is good for racing. Racing has failed to prove appealing to the younger generations. My son is a millennial, and you know what they think? That racing stewards are just like the Republicans in Senate, a bunch of old, out of touch authoritarians who could care less what others think simply because "we make the decisions, dammit". And if you don't like it, it's up your nose with a rubber hose.

But for myself, I have to say that I felt the dq was warranted and that the stewards found themselves in a no win situation. In my opinion, the thought that this dq somehow saves racing is 180 degrees out from the truth.

They'd be more like the Republicans if they didn't DQ the horse because it's the tradition with the Derby no matter what's right or wrong.

Glad to hear you're not one of those who has taken leave of your senses and still do not understand the solid reasons for this DQ. How does a fair and just decision hurt the sport? More likely, people will see this right decision and will be glad to see that the stewards are finally doing their job in this insane race. This not just a placement issue but shows a concern for safety that this sport BADLY needs to show.

[PaceAdvantage]

For what it's worth, I agree with Zman, there is no way this dq is good for racing. Racing has failed to prove appealing to the younger generations. My son is a millennial, and you know what they think? That racing stewards are just like the Republicans in Senate, a bunch of old, out of touch authoritarians who could care less what others think simply because "we make the decisions, dammit". And if you don't like it, it's up your nose with a rubber hose.

But for myself, I have to say that I felt the dq was warranted and that the stewards found themselves in a no win situation. In my opinion, the thought that this dq somehow saves racing is 180 degrees out from the truth.Yo...how many times do I have to say it - NO POLITICS IN THE HORSE RACING FORUMS.

THANKS!