Anyone ever get a response from Drew Cuoto

[Cangamble]

Regarding why they won't make a deal with Premier Turf Club????? I wonder if it is worth it. He can't use rebating as an excuse as Elite and HPI (even though the rewards are minute) rebate to their clients on the California product.

Here is his email:

Drew J. Couto, dcouto@toconline.com

[Cangamble]

http://www.dmtc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29225&sid=92c9a9d15d63b5c4469128057ffb9afd

Unreal. I was just asking why California and Drew Cuoto won't do business with Premier Turf Club.

[boomman]

Drew appears (despite his continual denials) to have his own private agenda against PTC. He will NEVER approve them, and is not acting in the best interest of his organization AGAIN (not that that's unusual):mad:

Boomer

[Jeff P]

It is my opinion that those who currently run the thoroughbred racing industry believe deep down they are entitled to treat the player like shit and we will always come back for more.

I exchanged several emails with Mr. Couto over the past 60 days. The amount of disdain he expressed towards me the player-customer in his emails about subjects like PTC getting approval in CA, rebates for CA residents, lowering takeouts industry wide to compete with other forms of gambling, and even offering full card simulcasting on track in CA was eye opening to say the least. His responses to things I sent him about where the game is broken and how things the thoroughbred racing industry does (like withholding signals) alienates customers and results in a chain reaction that includes lower handle and purse cuts indicate that I was talking about things he didn't want to hear about from pond scum like me... er, I mean the paying customer.

In the end our email exchange solved nothing. He isn't about to change his stance on maintaining the status quo (where track management and organizations like the TOC and the THG can continually alienate customers.) And I certainly am not about to embrace the status quo because I really do think the game is broken (and could be brought back into the public limelight with a strong kick in the right direction.)

It is my opinion that if change is ever going to occur it will only occur through brute force. An organization like HANA will have to sign up tens of thousands of members and get them to follow through with pre-announced weekends of "zero handle" at selected tracks. Sadly, nothing short of that will ever convince those running racing that players (customers) are worth listening to.

-jp

.

[lamboguy]

del mar product is sub par any way. i don't play it, and know lots of others that don't play it either. let them get a nice little drop in handle, see some purse cuts, and have a few of their friends lose some cushy meaningless jobs, they will change.

[trying2win]

NOTES:

--A lot of us that wrote an email to Drew Couto (as was noted earlier) got mainly a form letter. I got no further response back from him.

--I just found something about DC as well. After going to the TOC website at www.toconline.com (http://www.toconline.com) and clicking on the line 'The Organization' then clicking on the line "Staff and Consultants' in the dropdown menu, you can read a little story about DC. One thing I didn't know until now is that he is also a lawyer. Hmm...should I be surprised at some of the tactics he has and is employing to antagonize horse players and smaller ADW operators? PTC is not the only American-based ADW company that is being denied by the TOC to carry the signal for California thoroughbred racing.

--BTW CANGAMBLE...great post at the DMTC site. Especially the line about 'corruption'. Gee, I wonder who complained about that line and got it removed by a DMTC forum moderator or adminstrator ...any guesses? :D.

--Great post as well Jeff!

--I don't understand why anyone in their right mind would turn down a request from several ADWS to carry the California signal? I mean it stands to reason that there would be a lot more revenue coming into the California thoroughbred tracks, what with the added benefits to tracks and horsemen. Anyone got any theories for what appears to be an aspect of stifling additonal competition for the bettors' dollars? Looks mighty suspicious to me.

[Indulto]

It is my opinion that those who currently run the thoroughbred racing industry believe deep down they are entitled to treat the player like shit and we will always come back for more.

I exchanged several emails with Mr. Couto over the past 60 days. The amount of disdain he expressed towards me the player-customer in his emails about subjects like PTC getting approval in CA, rebates for CA residents, lowering takeouts industry wide to compete with other forms of gambling, and even offering full card simulcasting on track in CA was eye opening to say the least. His responses to things I sent him about where the game is broken and how things the thoroughbred racing industry does (like withholding signals) alienates customers and results in a chain reaction that includes lower handle and purse cuts indicate that I was talking about things he didn't want to hear about from pond scum like me... er, I mean the paying customer.

In the end our email exchange solved nothing. He isn't about to change his stance on maintaining the status quo (where track management and organizations like the TOC and the THG can continually alienate customers.) And I certainly am not about to embrace the status quo because I really do think the game is broken (and could be brought back into the public limelight with a strong kick in the right direction.)

It is my opinion that if change is ever going to occur it will only occur through brute force. An organization like HANA will have to sign up tens of thousands of members and get them to follow through with pre-announced weekends of "zero handle" at selected tracks. Sadly, nothing short of that will ever convince those running racing that players (customers) are worth listening to.

-jpJP and others,
Is there anything you could add to the followng to a) exert more pressure, b) generate more outrage, and c) actually make it really funny and worthy of publishing on the HANA blog site?A Tale of Two Turned-off Turf Investors

or

A conversation overheard between two California horseplayers located fifty miles away from the nearest simulcast center and four times that distance from the nearest open racetrack:

JOE: You know, Moe, this is the time of the year when guys like us should be in our glory. Great racing at Saratoga and Del Mar with just enough time between races to play Monmouth and Arlington as well.

MOE: Yeah, Joe, some people think of 'Toga and Del Mar as boutique meets, but I think of late July and August as racing's buffet season when we get to pick and choose from a smorgasbord of appetizing events.

Joe: I figured this in-home, on-line betting deal was going to be the cat's meow -- no more long drives, comfortable surroundings, all conveniences at arm's length, a better view than you'd get with the best binoculars, as many replays as you can watch, …

MOE: Guess what -- Watch & Wager just became Drop and Drag. TVG dropped a bomb on the ADW non-exclusivity experiment and dragged TrackNet down to its TrackKnees.

JOE: That’s called playing hardball, Moe. The ADWs and the Horsemen may be competing, but it’s the average horseplayer that’s getting beaned. California racing now goes unwatched without wagers from horseplayers in and out-of-state -– in part because the horseman’s group that must approve ADW licenses and contracts here is refusing to approve the ADW called Premiere Turf Club (PTC).

MOE: Yeah, Joe, we used to be known for going topless, but now we’ll be known for going betless. Account holders at XpressBet and Twinspires will have to open TVG accounts to bet not only Del Mar, but also Oak Tree; or else sit out several months of super racing.

JOE: Actually, Moe, those ADWS to which TVG is willing to sub-license signals, like YouBet, can also offer those tracks.

MOE: Would TVG sublicense PTC?

JOE: Well, they have for Keeneland, Monmouth, and Emerald Downs, so why not Del Mar?

MOE: Alright, so who are the guys responsible for holding up the works?

JOE: The guys are the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC). They're a tock without a tick because they won’t give PTC the time of day.

MOE: Why not? Aren’t Keeneland and Monmouth major tracks also?

JOE: Yes, and the Breeders’ Cup also does business with PTC, and it doesn’t get any more major than that.

MOE: So what’s the problem?

JOE: Oh, didn’t I tell you? PTC gives cash rewards to its customers.

MOE: You mean rebates, right?

JOE: Yes, but rebates on wagers on California tracks happens to be the exclusive province of whales. You know, bettors who push millions of dollars through the pari-mutuel pools annually. These big betting boys (and girls) bet predominantly through off-shore rebate shops, like Racing and Gaming Services (RGS) and Elite Turf club -- both located in St. Kitts -- but some also play California tracks through NYRA Rewards or NYS-OTBs and get rebates; as do players at “private” ADWs.

MOE: Why are rebates such an issue?

JOE: You’ll have to judge for yourself. There’s a great article here that explains how they work: http://horseplayersassociation.blogspot.com/2008/07/opinion-low-takeouts-are-our-friend.html (http://horseplayersassociation.blogspot.com/2008/07/opinion-low-takeouts-are-our-friend.html)
They’re great for those who can get them, but you’re at a definite competitive disadvantage if you can’t.

What would really be fair would be lowering takeout directly for all players; at least to what the rake is in Hong Kong. That would level the playing field for everybody. Absent that, PTC is the smaller player’s only hope of competing against whales.

MOE: OK, what has the TOC got against PTC?

JOE: Well, that’s what all of us who would like to become PTC customers -- and to bet every track in North America through them -- want to know. All we know is that Drew Couto is the man in charge (MIC) over there and he won’t say why he won’t approve them to anyone willing to share that information in public. He is on record publically as being against rebates, but he’s apparently not against them for whales.

And it seems that's true whether he’s wearing his TOC hat (he’s the prez) or his Thoroughbred Horsemens’ Group (THG) hat (he’s the VP), because the THG also let CRC and CD signals go to RGS and Elite, even while they were shutting out all onshore ADWs.

MOE: Hey, what I’d like to know is where was the TOC (which no longer supports ADW exclusivity) when TVG was trying to get that contract approved in the first place?

Hmmm.

JOE: And didn’t Mr. Couto have reservations at CHRB meetings about letting Churchill Downs via its ADW, Twinspires, back into California after CDI sold Hollywood Park to a land developer who expects to close the track after next season? Wonder what made him change his mind?

Hmmm.

MOE: You'd think heading up two organizations would give him a heads up. Does he wear both hats simultaneously when watching simulcasts?

JOE: Dunno. I’ve never seen the man; just read about him on-line. Comes off a little clueless to me. Maybe the TOC should be Drewless in Del Mar.

MOE: Funny, when you mentioned a guy named Drew was a man in charge with a hat, it made me think of the cartoon character Quick Draw McGraw.

JOE: You mean that lanky, but dimwitted mustang sheriff who if he ever got his gun out of the holster, would usually shoot the wrong man?

MOE: That’s the one.

JOE: Well, the first cartoon character that comes to mind for me is Mr. Magoo because of the myopic way the TOC is inhibiting handle growth.

MOE: Oh I remember … the short, nearsighted old dude who refuses to admit he has a problem and makes others think he’s a lunatic as he leaves chaos in his wake.

JOE: You got it. I suppose the two could be combined into an analogous amalgam called Quick Drew Magoo instead of the TOC.

MOE: Well, whoever or whatever it represents, it’s nonsensically standing between me and playing the game I love.

JOE: Get used to it, Moe. The powers that be in racing could care less what you and I think.

Moe: Some way to run a business; ignoring your customers.

JOE: It’s worse than that. To ignore us would mean they were at least aware of us. These guys don't even know we exist.

MOE: Magoo?

JOE: Oblivious to disaster and shooting the wrong guys as well.

MOE: I get the picture.

JOE: Drew too quickly?

MOE: An own-foot-shooting bullseye!

JOE: The TOC Fiddles while California Horseplayers Burn.

MOE: I think it’s more like Hey Diddle Diddle, with the horseplayer caught in the middle.

[rrbauer]

NOTES:


--I don't understand why anyone in their right mind would turn down a request from several ADWS to carry the California signal? I mean it stands to reason that there would be a lot more revenue coming into the California thoroughbred tracks, what with the added benefits to tracks and horsemen. Anyone got any theories for what appears to be an aspect of stifling additonal competition for the bettors' dollars? Looks mighty suspicious to me.

Maybe, maybe not as far as "in their right mind". Suspicious--sure. Consider the states covered by TVG and Ubet. Both California-based companies. If requests are being received from ADW's with territories that overlap TVG and/or Ubet territories then there's the risk that approving the new ADW will cut into the business of an already established Calif-based ADW. So, some convenient excuse is used to deny the new ADW the Calif signals. TVG and/or Ubet are protected.

Horse racing remains stymied by it's commitment to the status quo whatver the issue. As much as I detest what the TOC and the THG are doing to disrupt commerce, at least they are "making waves". That is more than horseplayers seem capable of doing!

[Indulto]

I just received my first addendum. Hopefully others will also come forward.FLO: I couldn't help but overhear you two boys and I just have to say that anybody who comes off when they're clueless is having one hell of a time.JOE: Hey, Flo, long time no see.

FLO: Kinda hard to see with your eyes crossed.

MOE: How 'bout a drink, Flo?

FLO: No Kool Aid for me boys. All this nonsense your Quick Drew caricature generates about protecting California residents from the evils of rebating while they appear to be protecting the revenue streams of the offshores as well as existing ADWs sure sounds like collusion to me.

JOE: Hey, Flo, not so loud.

MOE: You mean they all ran into one-another?

FLO: I said COLLUSION, not collision. It means conspiracy.

MOE: Like Watergate?

JOE: More like Heaven's Gate.

FLO: I'll take the fifth.

JOE: You mean you actually know something?

FLO: No, I'm talking about that fifth of Scotch of Moe's.

MOE: Nothing doing, I need all the fortification I can get until I can make my next bet, and who knows when that'll be.Originally Posted by Indulto
A Tale of Two Turned-off Turf Investors</FONT>

or

A conversation overheard between two California horseplayers located fifty miles away from the nearest simulcast center and four times that distance from the nearest open racetrack:

JOE: You know, Moe, this is the time of the year when guys like us should be in our glory. Great racing at Saratoga and Del Mar with just enough time between races to play Monmouth and Arlington as well.

MOE: Yeah, Joe, some people think of 'Toga and Del Mar as boutique meets, but I think of late July and August as racing's buffet season when we get to pick and choose from a smorgasbord of appetizing events.

Joe: I figured this in-home, on-line betting deal was going to be the cat's meow -- no more long drives, comfortable surroundings, all conveniences at arm's length, a better view than you'd get with the best binoculars, as many replays as you can watch, …

MOE: Guess what -- Watch & Wager just became Drop and Drag. TVG dropped a bomb on the ADW non-exclusivity experiment and dragged TrackNet down to its TrackKnees.

JOE: That’s called playing hardball, Moe. The ADWs and the Horsemen may be competing, but it’s the average horseplayer that’s getting beaned. California racing now goes unwatched without wagers from horseplayers in and out-of-state -– in part because the horseman’s group that must approve ADW licenses and contracts here is refusing to approve the ADW called Premiere Turf Club (PTC).

MOE: Yeah, Joe, we used to be known for going topless, but now we’ll be known for going betless. Account holders at XpressBet and Twinspires will have to open TVG accounts to bet not only Del Mar, but also Oak Tree; or else sit out several months of super racing.

JOE: Actually, Moe, those ADWS to which TVG is willing to sub-license signals, like YouBet, can also offer those tracks.

MOE: Would TVG sublicense PTC?

JOE: Well, they have for Keeneland, Monmouth, and Emerald Downs, so why not Del Mar?

MOE: Alright, so who are the guys responsible for holding up the works?

JOE: The guys are the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC). They're a tock without a tick because they won’t give PTC the time of day.

MOE: Why not? Aren’t Keeneland and Monmouth major tracks also?

JOE: Yes, and the Breeders’ Cup also does business with PTC, and it doesn’t get any more major than that.

MOE: So what’s the problem?

JOE: Oh, didn’t I tell you? PTC gives cash rewards to its customers.

MOE: You mean rebates, right?

JOE: Yes, but rebates on wagers on California tracks happens to be the exclusive province of whales. You know, bettors who push millions of dollars through the pari-mutuel pools annually. These big betting boys (and girls) bet predominantly through off-shore rebate shops, like Racing and Gaming Services (RGS) and Elite Turf club -- both located in St. Kitts -- but some also play California tracks through NYRA Rewards or NYS-OTBs and get rebates; as do players at “private” ADWs.

MOE: Why are rebates such an issue?

JOE: You’ll have to judge for yourself. There’s a great article here that explains how they work: http://horseplayersassociation.blogspot.com/2008/07/opinion-low-takeouts-are-our-friend.html (http://horseplayersassociation.blogspot.com/2008/07/opinion-low-takeouts-are-our-friend.html)
They’re great for those who can get them, but you’re at a definite competitive disadvantage if you can’t.

What would really be fair would be lowering takeout directly for all players; at least to what the rake is in Hong Kong. That would level the playing field for everybody. Absent that, PTC is the smaller player’s only hope of competing against whales.

MOE: OK, what has the TOC got against PTC?

JOE: Well, that’s what all of us who would like to become PTC customers -- and to bet every track in North America through them -- want to know. All we know is that Drew Couto is the man in charge (MIC) over there and he won’t say why he won’t approve them to anyone willing to share that information in public. He is on record publically as being against rebates, but he’s apparently not against them for whales.

And it seems that's true whether he’s wearing his TOC hat (he’s the prez) or his Thoroughbred Horsemens’ Group (THG) hat (he’s the VP), because the THG also let CRC and CD signals go to RGS and Elite, even while they were shutting out all onshore ADWs.

MOE: Hey, what I’d like to know is where was the TOC (which no longer supports ADW exclusivity) when TVG was trying to get that contract approved in the first place?

Hmmm.

JOE: And didn’t Mr. Couto have reservations at CHRB meetings about letting Churchill Downs via its ADW, Twinspires, back into California after CDI sold Hollywood Park to a land developer who expects to close the track after next season? Wonder what made him change his mind?

Hmmm.

MOE: You'd think heading up two organizations would give him a heads up. Does he wear both hats simultaneously when watching simulcasts?

JOE: Dunno. I’ve never seen the man; just read about him on-line. Comes off a little clueless to me. Maybe the TOC should be Drewless in Del Mar.

MOE: Funny, when you mentioned a guy named Drew was a man in charge with a hat, it made me think of the cartoon character Quick Draw McGraw.

JOE: You mean that lanky, but dimwitted mustang sheriff who if he ever got his gun out of the holster, would usually shoot the wrong man?

MOE: That’s the one.

JOE: Well, the first cartoon character that comes to mind for me is Mr. Magoo because of the myopic way the TOC is inhibiting handle growth.

MOE: Oh I remember … the short, nearsighted old dude who refuses to admit he has a problem and makes others think he’s a lunatic as he leaves chaos in his wake.

JOE: You got it. I suppose the two could be combined into an analogous amalgam called Quick Drew Magoo instead of the TOC.

MOE: Well, whoever or whatever it represents, it’s nonsensically standing between me and playing the game I love.

JOE: Get used to it, Moe. The powers that be in racing could care less what you and I think.

Moe: Some way to run a business; ignoring your customers.

JOE: It’s worse than that. To ignore us would mean they were at least aware of us. These guys don't even know we exist.

MOE: Magoo?

JOE: Oblivious to disaster and shooting the wrong guys as well.

MOE: I get the picture.

JOE: Drew too quickly?

MOE: An own-foot-shooting bullseye!

JOE: The TOC Fiddles while California Horseplayers Burn.

MOE: I think it’s more like Hey Diddle Diddle, with the horseplayer caught in the middle.

[Indulto]

Finally, a decent conclusion.JOE: Why doesn't the CHRB do something about it?FLO: What do the TOC and the CHRB have in common?

MOE: They're Californians.

JOE: The're all horse owners.

MOE: Not Bo Derek or that government guy.

JOE: They still control the board.

FLO: Yeah, Bo was the Terminator's best move since he muscled his way in there.

JOE: How so?

FLO: Now they'll have to re-open the video at those board meetings or else all the people who want to catch a glimpse of Bo will pack every place they meet.

Moe: What's so good about that?

FLO: We'll be able to watch their eyes when they talk.

JOE: You must be an Eagle's Fan.

MOE: When did the conversation switch to football?

JOE: It didn't. These Eagles are the band that sang the song "You Can't Hide Your Lying Eyes."

MOE: Oh yeah, "My oh my you sure know how to arrange things."

FLO: Wish I could say the same 'bout you boys, but I'm afraid you may be a little too slow on the draw. Ol' Quick Drew's got you beat seven ways to Sunday from San Diego to Saratoga.

JOE: I sure wish horseplayers were willing to band together and somehow get these guys to make the game fun again.

MOE: Yeah, let us bet on whatever track we want, and watch any race live or whenever we want, and wager through whomever we wish to maintain an account with.

FLO: Boys, you're invited over to my place tonight for a little on-line visit to a blog site run by some folks who call themselves HANA and, Moe, if I hear anything from you about seven sisters, you're not comin' in.
* * * * *
I just received my first addendum. Hopefully others will also come forward.FLO: I couldn't help but overhear you two boys and I just have to say that anybody who comes off when they're clueless is having one hell of a time.JOE: Hey, Flo, long time no see.

FLO: Kinda hard to see with your eyes crossed.

MOE: How 'bout a drink, Flo?

FLO: No Kool Aid for me boys. All this nonsense your Quick Drew caricature generates about protecting California residents from the evils of rebating while they appear to be protecting the revenue streams of the offshores as well as existing ADWs sure sounds like collusion to me.

JOE: Hey, Flo, not so loud.

MOE: You mean they all ran into one-another?

FLO: I said COLLUSION, not collision. It means conspiracy.

MOE: Like Watergate?

JOE: More like Heaven's Gate.

FLO: I'll take the fifth.

JOE: You mean you actually know something?

FLO: No, I'm talking about that fifth of Scotch of Moe's.

MOE: Nothing doing, I need all the fortification I can get until I can make my next bet, and who knows when that'll be.[/QUOTE]Originally Posted by Indulto
A Tale of Two Turned-off Turf Investors

or

A conversation overheard between two California horseplayers located fifty miles away from the nearest simulcast center and four times that distance from the nearest open racetrack:

JOE: You know, Moe, this is the time of the year when guys like us should be in our glory. Great racing at Saratoga and Del Mar with just enough time between races to play Monmouth and Arlington as well.

MOE: Yeah, Joe, some people think of 'Toga and Del Mar as boutique meets, but I think of late July and August as racing's buffet season when we get to pick and choose from a smorgasbord of appetizing events.

Joe: I figured this in-home, on-line betting deal was going to be the cat's meow -- no more long drives, comfortable surroundings, all conveniences at arm's length, a better view than you'd get with the best binoculars, as many replays as you can watch, …

MOE: Guess what -- Watch & Wager just became Drop and Drag. TVG dropped a bomb on the ADW non-exclusivity experiment and dragged TrackNet down to its TrackKnees.

JOE: That’s called playing hardball, Moe. The ADWs and the Horsemen may be competing, but it’s the average horseplayer that’s getting beaned. California racing now goes unwatched without wagers from horseplayers in and out-of-state -– in part because the horseman’s group that must approve ADW licenses and contracts here is refusing to approve the ADW called Premiere Turf Club (PTC).

MOE: Yeah, Joe, we used to be known for going topless, but now we’ll be known for going betless. Account holders at XpressBet and Twinspires will have to open TVG accounts to bet not only Del Mar, but also Oak Tree; or else sit out several months of super racing.

JOE: Actually, Moe, those ADWS to which TVG is willing to sub-license signals, like YouBet, can also offer those tracks.

MOE: Would TVG sublicense PTC?

JOE: Well, they have for Keeneland, Monmouth, and Emerald Downs, so why not Del Mar?

MOE: Alright, so who are the guys responsible for holding up the works?

JOE: The guys are the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC). They're a tock without a tick because they won’t give PTC the time of day.

MOE: Why not? Aren’t Keeneland and Monmouth major tracks also?

JOE: Yes, and the Breeders’ Cup also does business with PTC, and it doesn’t get any more major than that.

MOE: So what’s the problem?

JOE: Oh, didn’t I tell you? PTC gives cash rewards to its customers.

MOE: You mean rebates, right?

JOE: Yes, but rebates on wagers on California tracks happens to be the exclusive province of whales. You know, bettors who push millions of dollars through the pari-mutuel pools annually. These big betting boys (and girls) bet predominantly through off-shore rebate shops, like Racing and Gaming Services (RGS) and Elite Turf club -- both located in St. Kitts -- but some also play California tracks through NYRA Rewards or NYS-OTBs and get rebates; as do players at “private” ADWs.

MOE: Why are rebates such an issue?

JOE: You’ll have to judge for yourself. There’s a great article here that explains how they work: http://horseplayersassociation.blogspot.com/2008/07/opinion-low-takeouts-are-our-friend.html (http://horseplayersassociation.blogspot.com/2008/07/opinion-low-takeouts-are-our-friend.html)
They’re great for those who can get them, but you’re at a definite competitive disadvantage if you can’t.

What would really be fair would be lowering takeout directly for all players; at least to what the rake is in Hong Kong. That would level the playing field for everybody. Absent that, PTC is the smaller player’s only hope of competing against whales.

MOE: OK, what has the TOC got against PTC?

JOE: Well, that’s what all of us who would like to become PTC customers -- and to bet every track in North America through them -- want to know. All we know is that Drew Couto is the man in charge (MIC) over there and he won’t say why he won’t approve them to anyone willing to share that information in public. He is on record publically as being against rebates, but he’s apparently not against them for whales.

And it seems that's true whether he’s wearing his TOC hat (he’s the prez) or his Thoroughbred Horsemens’ Group (THG) hat (he’s the VP), because the THG also let CRC and CD signals go to RGS and Elite, even while they were shutting out all onshore ADWs.

MOE: Hey, what I’d like to know is where was the TOC (which no longer supports ADW exclusivity) when TVG was trying to get that contract approved in the first place?

Hmmm.

JOE: And didn’t Mr. Couto have reservations at CHRB meetings about letting Churchill Downs via its ADW, Twinspires, back into California after CDI sold Hollywood Park to a land developer who expects to close the track after next season? Wonder what made him change his mind?

Hmmm.

MOE: You'd think heading up two organizations would give him a heads up. Does he wear both hats simultaneously when watching simulcasts?

JOE: Dunno. I’ve never seen the man; just read about him on-line. Comes off a little clueless to me. Maybe the TOC should be Drewless in Del Mar.

MOE: Funny, when you mentioned a guy named Drew was a man in charge with a hat, it made me think of the cartoon character Quick Draw McGraw.

JOE: You mean that lanky, but dimwitted mustang sheriff who if he ever got his gun out of the holster, would usually shoot the wrong man?

MOE: That’s the one.

JOE: Well, the first cartoon character that comes to mind for me is Mr. Magoo because of the myopic way the TOC is inhibiting handle growth.

MOE: Oh I remember … the short, nearsighted old dude who refuses to admit he has a problem and makes others think he’s a lunatic as he leaves chaos in his wake.

JOE: You got it. I suppose the two could be combined into an analogous amalgam called Quick Drew Magoo instead of the TOC.

MOE: Well, whoever or whatever it represents, it’s nonsensically standing between me and playing the game I love.

JOE: Get used to it, Moe. The powers that be in racing could care less what you and I think.

Moe: Some way to run a business; ignoring your customers.

JOE: It’s worse than that. To ignore us would mean they were at least aware of us. These guys don't even know we exist.

MOE: Magoo?

JOE: Oblivious to disaster and shooting the wrong guys as well.

MOE: I get the picture.

JOE: Drew too quickly?

MOE: An own-foot-shooting bullseye!

JOE: The TOC Fiddles while California Horseplayers Burn.

MOE: I think it’s more like Hey Diddle Diddle, with the horseplayer caught in the middle.