The race track and the dream world

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

* free admission
* free parking
* 5% takeout
* uniform governing body for racing in the united states
* zero tolerence for illegal drugs
* good affordable food
* friendly and curteous staff
* accurate late changes and equiptment
* claim information before the race is run.
* less tracks = full fields
* no souping up track surfaces on big race days
* free past performances
* rebate programs for loyal customers
* clean facilities
* fan friendly services to customers
* marketing racing on television to attract younger long-term customers
* reliable public transportation for customers ( especially our senior citizens )
* less curious journeys taken by our riding colony ??
* the stewards actually calling a jockey in for questioning a ride (when was the last time this was done ?)
* consistent inforcement of the rules of racing by our stewards
* less last second fluctuation of the won odds in the last seconds and/or after the race has begun.


Feel free to add any of your own additions to this dream world scenerio

Zappi:jump:

[Tom]

* free admission
* free parking
* friendly and curteous staff
* accurate late changes and equiptment
* full fields
* no souping up track surfaces on big race days
* rebate programs for loyal customers
* clean facilities
* fan friendly services to customers
* marketing racing on television to attract younger long-term customers
* reliable public transportation for customers(especially our senior citizens )
* less curious journeys taken by our riding colony ??
* the stewards actually calling a jockey in for questioning a ride (when was the last time this was done ?)
* consistent inforcement of the rules of racing by our stewards
* less last second fluctuation of the won odds in the last seconds and/or after the race has begun.



You're talking Finger Lakes with this many.

[Bruddah]

* free admission
* free parking
* 5% takeout
* uniform governing body for racing in the united states
* zero tolerence for illegal drugs
* good affordable food
* friendly and curteous staff
* accurate late changes and equiptment
* claim information before the race is run.
* less tracks = full fields
* no souping up track surfaces on big race days
* free past performances
* rebate programs for loyal customers
* clean facilities
* fan friendly services to customers
* marketing racing on television to attract younger long-term customers
* reliable public transportation for customers ( especially our senior citizens )
* less curious journeys taken by our riding colony ??
* the stewards actually calling a jockey in for questioning a ride (when was the last time this was done ?)
* consistent inforcement of the rules of racing by our stewards
* less last second fluctuation of the won odds in the last seconds and/or after the race has begun.


Feel free to add any of your own additions to this dream world scenerio

Zappi:jump:

The last time, I saw the world through "Rose Colored Glasses," I was a young Marine in S. Vietnam. :cool: :D

[Bruddah]

* free admission
* free parking
* 5% takeout
* uniform governing body for racing in the united states
x* zero tolerence for illegal drugs
xx* good affordable food
xx* friendly and curteous staff
x* accurate late changes and equiptment
* claim information before the race is run.
* less tracks = full fields
x* no souping up track surfaces on big race days
* free past performances
x* rebate programs for loyal customers (just started this)
xx* clean facilities
xx* fan friendly services to customers
x* marketing racing on television to attract younger long-term customers
* reliable public transportation for customers ( especially our senior citizens )
* less curious journeys taken by our riding colony ??
x* the stewards actually calling a jockey in for questioning a ride (when was the last time this was done ?)
xx* consistent inforcement of the rules of racing by our stewards
* less last second fluctuation of the won odds in the last seconds and/or after the race has begun.


Feel free to add any of your own additions to this dream world scenerio

Zappi:jump:

xx= good
x = fair

[Kelso]

* less last second fluctuation of the won odds in the last seconds and/or after the race has begun.NO late fluctuations ... readily achieved by posting FINAL odds prior to first horse loading into the gate.

[HEADSUP]

[QUOTE=Kelso]NO late fluctuations ... readily achieved by posting FINAL odds prior to first horse loading into the gate.[/QUOT

I think this would be impossible unless they stopped taking action 5 minutes prior to post time....The pools from the track, otb, off-shore betting, adw's are all merged at the time the betting ends, thus at small tracks there will always be fluctuations and at major tracks it will be minimal

Now as to the fantansy list above I would venture that the person who wrote it has NEVER been in business. Just some food for thought....HOW MUCH DOES IT COST A RACETRACK TO HAUL AWAY TONS OF MANURE EVERYDAY?
I would love to see your answers

[MaTH716]

* free admission
* free parking
* 5% takeout
* uniform governing body for racing in the united states
* zero tolerence for illegal drugs
* good affordable food
* friendly and curteous staff
* accurate late changes and equiptment
* claim information before the race is run. ??
* less tracks = full fields
* no souping up track surfaces on big race days
* free past performances
* rebate programs for loyal customers
* clean facilities
* fan friendly services to customers
* marketing racing on television to attract younger long-term customers
* reliable public transportation for customers ( especially our senior citizens )
* less curious journeys taken by our riding colony ?? impossible
* the stewards actually calling a jockey in for questioning a ride (when was the last time this was done ?)
* consistent inforcement of the rules of racing by our stewards
* less last second fluctuation of the won odds in the last seconds and/or after the race has begun.


Feel free to add any of your own additions to this dream world scenerio

Zappi:jump:

Everything in red is important to me and would be an improvement in my opinion. Other suggestions, real suspensions for trainers that break the rules. Make stewards give detailed information available to the public on their rulings. Eliminate synthetic surfaces at the major tracks.

[Kelso]

[QUOTE=Kelso]NO late fluctuations ... readily achieved by posting FINAL odds prior to first horse loading into the gate.[/QUOT

I think this would be impossible unless they stopped taking action 5 minutes prior to post time....The pools from the track, otb, off-shore betting, adw's are all merged at the time the betting ends, thus at small tracks there will always be fluctuations and at major tracks it will be minimalNot impossible at all. The banks handle vastly larger transactions 24x7, and balances (pools/odds) are updated almost instantaneously. The technology exists ... all it takes is a few bucks in infrastructure upgrades and A SINCERE INTEREST BY THE INDUSTRY TO END (AND TO PROVE IT) PAST-POSTING. (I suspect the latter is the higher hurdle.)

[comet52]

You could forget rebates if you want a 5% takeout. Not that you'll ever get one.

Has anyone tried to analyze what the industry really needs to takeout to remain viable - keep horses in training and purses up there and so on?

There's no incentive to lower vig if it won't really make up in volume what's lost as a %. Internet wagering has taken the industry off of life support and if it's viable with 15-20% takeouts, they aren't going to change.

[dav4463]

Lone Star is 0 for 21 on the list!

[fouroneone]

wait wait wait wait.......this has to be one of the most bizzare threads i have ever seen on here. so you want to lower the takeout, have tracks improve infrastructure, increase rebates, remove admission fees and increase free giveaways?

how would you propose to pay for all this?

[fouroneone]

post script - my race track in a "dream world" would have nothing at all to do with gambling but would be packed every day with people like me who just love the sport and the horses.

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

This is meant strictly ...in a dream world in that I realise most of these thoughts are not possible in a business sense and also based on the fact that most race track operators are almost totally out of touch with it's customers. Just a bit of food for thought.

Have a good day and make some $$$$$$ today.

Zappi:)

[fouroneone]

understood

[boomman]

Some of these already taking place, many are POSSIBLE..........


* free admission-already offered at many tracks
* free parking-same as above
* 5% takeout-NO SHOT
* uniform governing body for racing in the united states-LONGSHOT but needs to happen
* zero tolerence for illegal drugs-same as item 4
* good affordable food-the exception other than the rule but can be attained
* friendly and curteous staff-seems to be on the improve
* accurate late changes and equiptment-some tracks excellent, others in dark ages
* claim information before the race is run.would require a rule change in most states as horse is not officially claimed until he runs in the race
* less tracks = full fields-How about less racing dates as opposed to less tracks, so that racing is available live to as many folks as possible
* no souping up track surfaces on big race days-are you listening Butch Lehr? (biggest "culprit" that I know of)
* free past performances-done on special days now, probably all you can hope for
* rebate programs for loyal customers-Give Ian access to every track and this will happen
* clean facilities-improving but not there yet
* fan friendly services to customers-including but not limited to Fan education
* marketing racing on television to attract younger long-term customers-instead of horsemen blocking this ability
* reliable public transportation for customers ( especially our senior citizens ) Can be done, need much more of this made available
* less curious journeys taken by our riding colony ??Not likely to improve any time soon
* the stewards actually calling a jockey in for questioning a ride (when was the last time this was done ?) Some stewards doing this now, more need to
* consistent inforcement of the rules of racing by our stewards-needs to be stressed in RCI training the importance of consistency in stewards calls with specific demonstrations throughout North America
* less last second fluctuation of the won odds in the last seconds and/or after the race has begun. Can and needs to be eliminated-Lock windows at 1 minute, have final odds displayed prior to the off...would instantly raise public's perception of pools being on the level!


Feel free to add any of your own additions to this dream world scenerio

Zappi:jump:

Boomer

[Kelso]

You could forget rebates if you want a 5% takeout.I doubt many bettors would consider this a problem. (Do you think it would be a problem?)


Has anyone tried to analyze what the industry really needs to takeout to remain viable.Whatever the correct amount returned by such an analysis, it would be considerably lower if pools were concentrated into fewer tracks and fewer races.

[whyhorseofcourse]

Why is the claim information not given out before the race anyway?

[Ron]

Why is the claim information not given out before the race anyway?

Can't claims be put in right up until post time and then there's a process to resolve duplicate claims?

[boomman]

Can't claims be put in right up until post time and then there's a process to resolve duplicate claims?

Even though I haven't been a claims clerk in a very long time, if I remember right, the claim box closes at 10 minutes to post. Then if multiple claims for the same horse are submitted, a shake is held to determine which trainer "wins" the horse after the horse has become an official starter in the race.

Boomer

[podonne]

Without knowing a whole heck of alot about the particular tote systems throughout the united states, I do know from being in technology consulting that the racing world is very different from the bank analogy. There are so many different parties involved that are out of the control of the track, its actually pretty amazing to me that they are able to assemble a payout in the 10 minutes or so from the post time to the result announcement.

It's possible to design a system that does this, but you need standardization and a central authority. Banks have a central clearing house for transactions. It would also be very expensive, and to what benefit? You can't count the pools until they are closed, so final odds are useless to bet on. There will always be those last second bettors no matter when you set the cutoff time

[Kelso]

It would also be very expensive, and to what benefit? I think it is absolutely essential to the industry's future growth to end both the perception ... and the reality ... of past posting. Investing in the technology and implementing the processes to do so are as necessary as safe tracks and paved parking lots.

[boomman]

I think it is absolutely essential to the industry's future growth to end both the perception ... and the reality ... of past posting. Investing in the technology and implementing the processes to do so are as necessary as safe tracks and paved parking lots.

How much reality exists I couldn't say, but in talking with 100's of racing fans on this issue over the years, they all HATE it! No one is going to be very happy to see their horse on an uncontested lead at 7/2 only to pay a $6 win mutuel by the time he returns to the winner's circle (on the level or not). It would not be difficult to lock windows at 1 minute to post in the meantime to keep this from happening (especially if the fans are told in advance that this is the reason for it, so that all comingled amounts into the pool are in prior to post time), but as you said, I'm sure the technology exists to comingle current pools more quickly so that horses aren't running down the backside with odds changing on the tote board..............

Boomer