GO FRANK GO, GP and the FAIRGROUNDS

[karlskorner]

From T-Times 9/6/05
Gulfstream will work to accommodate Fair Grounds horsemen.

Gulfstream Park officials say they can handle an increase in horses for the 2006 meet as they try to accomodate horesemen who had planned on racing at Fair Grounds before that meeting was cancelled because of Hurricane Katrine.
The hurricane damaged the grandstand, barn area, and racing surface at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, forcing owner Churchill Downs to cancel the 2005-06 meeting that was scheduled to begin 11/24. Churchill Downs is looking into holding an abbreviated Fair Grounds meet at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City.
"We've fielded numerous calls already from Louisiana horsemen inquiring about the possibilityof running at Gulfstream this winter" said Scott Saving, general manager of Gulfstream Park

[BillW]

From T-Times 9/6/05
Gulfstream will work to accommodate Fair Grounds horsemen.

Gulfstream Park officials say they can handle an increase in horses for the 2006 meet as they try to accomodate horesemen who had planned on racing at Fair Grounds before that meeting was cancelled because of Hurricane Katrine.
The hurricane damaged the grandstand, barn area, and racing surface at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, forcing owner Churchill Downs to cancel the 2005-06 meeting that was scheduled to begin 11/24. Churchill Downs is looking into holding an abbreviated Fair Grounds meet at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City.
"We've fielded numerous calls already from Louisiana horsemen inquiring about the possibilityof running at Gulfstream this winter" said Scott Saving, general manager of Gulfstream Park

That's mighty big of them considering they are direct competitors of Fair Grounds. :lol:

[karlskorner]

Better yet, Churchill Downs ( owner of Fairgrounds ) is a direct competitor of Magna ( owner of Gulfstream Park ). Frank Stoanch could have told them to "kiss off"

[BillW]

Better yet, Churchill Downs ( owner of Fairgrounds ) is a direct competitor of Magna ( owner of Gulfstream Park ). Frank Stoanch could have told them to "kiss off"

How would refusing to take business from his competition spite them? I guess this is consistant with driving handle to his competition though :rolleyes: .

[the little guy]

I'm confused....somebody actually believes Frank Stronach is doing a favor to horsemen slated to compete in New Orleans by offering them stall space at Gulfstream? Now that's funny. I hear he is also showing great benevolence to New Orleans based bettors....they can open accounts through X-Press Bets!

Obviously all major circuits would like to recruit horses slated to race in Louisianna this winter, and that includes Gulfstream ( or any Magna facility ) along with certainly NYRA and probably Turfway and the like. Any racing center NOT trying to recruit the displaced outfits isn't doing their job to fill their races as best they can.

Certainly due to location and weather conditions Gulfstream rates to " benefit " most from the tragic situation, and Stronach is right to do what he can to improve the racing there with an influx of NO based horses, but he isn't being benevolent.

[NYBred]

Did you ever hear anything about Danny Peitz? I asked around the Oklahoma and was told he'd left the last week of August.

[midnight]

What's the latest word on Lousiana Downs taking the Fair Grounds dates?

[lsbets]

Churchill should ask Florida to let them run the meet at Calder. You think Frank would back them up?

[Tom Barrister]

Yes, Magna (not Stronach himself) donated $8 million to the cancer funds, and of course it's a tax writeoff from income. Naturally, the donation had its own full-blown press conference, and the carefully-scripted statement ran for a while and plugged MagnaEnt. And no surprise that the research center his donation is helping to build will be called "Magna Building".

It's good that he's airlifting several refugees to an unused property. It's also understandable that he wants to toot the Magna horn and get publicity.

Now he's going to be big-hearted and let the horsemen who were going to go to Fair Grounds come to Golfstream. As though he'd say "Sorry, you can't bring your stock here and generate revenue for Magna. Instead, we'll card shorter fields and cheaper races."

It's like he has some compelling urge to show everybody what a great guy he is.

Too bad he he doesn't get the same urge for the horse players.