Redesigned DRF.com

[garyoz]

Any changes have to be for the better. From their email...

A redesigned and enhanced DRF.com
A redesigned and enhanced DRF.com launches this week, offering easy-to-navigate pages and new features, including:


Expanded video, with Mike Watchmaker's analysis of key weekend stakes and replays of each weekend's best races

Full-color PDFs of each day's Daily Racing Form front page

A new member center, for quick access to subscriptions

Enhanced coverage by track, allowing you to zero in on the racing you want to play and follow
And much more ...

[Tom]

Link to pace figures? :rolleyes:

[andicap]

Im thinking of converting from TSN to DRF Formulator v. 4.1 but its $200-$300 more a year. Got to do so by Dec. 1 or else I have to pay TSN for the month.

Do people here use the Formulator features for trainer patterns, charts, etc.?

[garyoz]

Personally while it has nice functionality, I have found Formulator a black hole of time relative to trainer patterns and do better looking at other data. Of course, it is related to my style of play. I use forumlator basic. I prefer the DRF to Bris/TSN--probably because I'm old school. I also like to see the Beyer's to use as a bet against--also like see read the Closer Look because it also influences bettors (maybe?) for the same reason. Also like to see the abbreviated trainer patterns in the form because too many people think they are meaningful.

[Tom]

DRF has a new book out about trainer patterns, but it sounds like it is focused on F4 to do so. $14.95.

[SmartyMarty]

Im thinking of converting from TSN to DRF Formulator v. 4.1 but its $200-$300 more a year. Got to do so by Dec. 1 or else I have to pay TSN for the month.

Do people here use the Formulator features for trainer patterns, charts, etc.?

300 bucks a year is a problem for you?

yes, it's worth the money provided you know how to utilize the info and features intelligently...

[JustRalph]

300 bucks a year is a problem for you?

yes, it's worth the money provided you know how to utilize the info and features intelligently...

it looks to me like Andi said............ "$300 more" I take that to be over and above what he is doing now.

[ceejay]

Do people here use the Formulator features for trainer patterns, charts, etc.?
I do, Andy, and find it valuable. Some examples:
Crossing Top BSF last out with days since and class
3-and-out patterns and days since
Workout patterns for FTS's
Quick key race ID w/ charts

[Suff]

Any changes have to be for the better. From their email...

A redesigned and enhanced DRF.com
A redesigned and enhanced DRF.com launches this week, offering easy-to-navigate pages and new features, including:


Expanded video, with Mike Watchmaker's analysis of key weekend stakes and replays of each weekend's best races

Full-color PDFs of each day's Daily Racing Form front page

A new member center, for quick access to subscriptions

Enhanced coverage by track, allowing you to zero in on the racing you want to play and follow
And much more ...

I do like the new layout. Reminds me more of the paper version. Though some of the pages beyond the front page are not changed.

I like change. Its refreshing. Added features are always nice. NYRA's recently redone Web site was and is F'ng disaster. And I don't care who's to blame.

DRF...Tomorrow's front page. I like it.
http://www.drf.com/covers/113006.pdf

[Marc At DRF]

Thanks Suff.
Internal pages are sooo not finished up. Hopefully within 48 hours they'll all be rolled out. A lot of this stuff will roll out in the next week or so. The search tool is really going to be something else when it's done (and it's coming in stages, some within the week, some more a couple months later)--you'll eventually be able to type in a trainer's name and the search tool will categorize every story, entry, result, PP that is relevant to the trainer. Obviously, the PPs will require subscription, but it will be something like our watchmail on steroids... It's gonna be helpful, I think.

The video stuff is gonna be fun.

There are some business imperatives but the nice thing about the project is it's pretty feel good--so much of it is really just about modernizing the site to make horseplayers' lives a little more pleasant.

the look and feel of the homepage is very much intentionally referencing the newspaper look and feel, to some extent. We've even sort of de-emphasized the "DRF.com", which is really just a URL. It's the website of the Daily Racing Form, and we're not interested in DRF.com as a brand in itself...

Now if we can just wrap up those pace figures...!

[Tom]

It is certaily an improvement over the old hodge podge.
I like simpe pages - fonts large enough to read, simpe list sof where everything is, and I hate pictures - but this is better than it was, for sure.

[linrom1]

Great job! Now, it looks like a site that I might actually want to visit. What a mess it was before.

[Suff]

Thanks Suff.
Now if we can just wrap up those pace figures...!

Your welcome. I apprecaitte that.

Your trying to do a deal with the Pace Figures outfit? I know the owner, perhaps I could put a good word in?:D if say,,,you consider

We have a big contest going you know. The 5th annual Riders up. You know what would be a great Idea? Make the Aqueduct PDF Saturday and Sunday Cards avaiable to the Contest? No? Its good PR. You must of included some marketing money in the redesign project? Use a wee bit of that?

To much? Maybe just the Saturday cards? You don't sell a heck of lot of Aqueduct inner January-February PDF's do yea? It's not a huge chunk out of your ass.

Worse comes to worse..alot of us have unlimited version.. We make it available and you don't see nothing or hear nothing?

I'll have my assistant Buddha give you a call or PM?..:D He knows the Pace figures peeps very well.

[Marc At DRF]

I'd love to occasionally be able to make racecards free for special events, but our agreement with E-base doesn't allow it. Instead, how about an unlimited quarterly PP Plan (f4) to the winner?

[Suff]

Instead, how about an unlimited quarterly PP Plan (f4) to the winner?

That is very generous Marc. Thank you so much.

DRF Boys!! how bout that!

Thats a $350 dollar item. nothing to sneeze at.

[Bala]

".......DRF Boys!! how bout that......"
I have in the past raved how well the Beyers do on the big days. I do not understand how Andy makes his picks on these days. He should go back and read his own books!!!


________________________________
Ripley: I say we take off and nuke the entire
site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[Steve 'StatMan']

Very Generous! - Thanks Marc & DRF! And Thanks Suff, for asking!

[michiken]

Not that I would give away my personal information just to be able to view the drf site, but the web developer can't even write a cascading style sheet that works with firefox.

This is bad as Youbet supporting Internet Exploiter Only.... this is how the home page looks in my browser.

[cj]

I use FireFox and the page looks fine, so it has to be more than just a browser issue.

[Buddha]

I'd love to occasionally be able to make racecards free for special events, but our agreement with E-base doesn't allow it. Instead, how about an unlimited quarterly PP Plan (f4) to the winner?

Marc, that is a great addition to the prizes. I am sure the winner will appreciate it.

[dylbert]

Thanks for kind contribution to upcoming contest!

I am old school and still like paper form... but do enjoy drf.com material. Breeze Figs weekly freebie payed boxcars for me during Santa Anita meet last summer! So, I recommend this innovative product.

I look forward to new pace figures from Randy Moss. I have followed his work since his Arkansas Democrat days covering Oaklawn Park.

My main suggestion would be more cafeteria-style choices for purchases -- where customers can create custom combinations of products and receive discounts.

[PaceAdvantage]

Yes Marc, thank you and the DRF for donating the unlimited quarterly PP plan! Now I have to go update the home page graphic....lol

PS. Good going Suff! :ThmbUp:

[JustRalph]

Looks great in my Firefox Too.............

[andicap]

Marc,
I've been wondering -- why not throw in a year's subscription to the Simulcast Daily online if you buy a year's subscription to the DRF Formulator Files?
A nice incentive -- gets the Simulcast site out there more (ad sales). .

[Marc At DRF]

We offer a year of DRF Plus coverage with a year of any of our PPs. Simo Daily, sorry, we're trying to make some more money there.

In terms of bundling in general (more "cafeteria style"), a lot of this needs new e-commerce to make that more feasible. Ultimately, yeah, that's the idea.

Right now the sequence for us is to finish rolling out the site redesign, then Randy's pace figures, then new e-commerce and moving Formulator to the web (we'll keep the software version around but will stop updating it altogether). We're shooting for March/April on the last two projects. Fingers crossed, January for Randy's stuff.

If anyone's seeing anything funky on their screen with the redesign, please don't hesitate to e-mail webmaster@drf.com. We haven't seen too much yet, and we were certainly looking hard at Firefox before launch.

[Snag]

Great job! Now, it looks like a site that I might actually want to visit. What a mess it was before.

Now if we could just get the headlines to NOT use the horses name as a PUN line.........LOL. I hate that, but that's just me.

[DeadCrab]

The most dramatic improvement is that the page is no longer dominated by obnoxious banner ads from internet gambling sites that had no business being there in the first place.

Of course, this is likely the result of lsgislation rather than sound business practice.

But now poor Brooke will be waiting tables somewhere in a dreary pub, and all of us are to blame. Yet, I can't help but think ... they finally got rid of all that crap.

Last kiss, Brookie xxxxxxx

[cj]

Somehow, I think Brooke will get through this.