Hajck Hillstrom
10-26-2008, 05:30 AM
When watching a movie, FEVER PITCH, the other night, I once again listened to the character named Ryan (Brett Murphy) ask Ben Wrightman (Jimmy Fallon) the question of the ages, “You love the Red Sox, but when have they loved you back?”
After decades of languishing as a die hard BoSox fan, I can certainly well relate to the question, and then, after being accused on this site of “loving” the sport of racing, I am forced to asked the question, on what I consider to be one of the premier forums of the sport, “You love racing, but when has it ever loved you back?”
When forum member, “The Hawk,” accused past posters of “helping to ruin the sport I purport to love,” in the thread Rich Perloff finally gets it right, I was somewhat defensive in my reply, “if I ever said I loved racing… I was obviously drunk.”
I’ve always thought myself passionate about the sport, but we can spin it anyway we choose, my question to all posters that read this thread, “When has the sport of Thoroughbred racing ever loved you back?”
I’m not talking to the horsewomen and horsemen on the board, as their emotional ties to the equine is on a completely different level, but let’s peal back the layers of the `73 Whitney winner and primarily address the question to the handicappers that fuel the sport through the windows.
I am preparing an article on the subject that I would hope will find its way on the desk of some racing administrators, and would like the answer to this question from the perspective of some of its most dedicated & intelligent supporters.
Truth be told, in my 35+ years of following the sport, I can honestly say I have experienced reciprocity only one time. When I went to the Kentucky Derby in 2007, I did a one day tour of points east on the Sunday following, which included the Kentucky Horse Park, touring the countryside around Lexington/Versailles, and spending an afternoon at Keeneland.
At Keeneland, I felt the love.
Every door was opened to me, every courtesy conveyed. It wasn’t about squeezing every dime out of my pocket, but more of that we are all in this together. There is something special about how Keeneland treats their patrons, and IMHO, the industry needs to collectively embrace it as its model.
Enough of that, as the point will be elaborated on at another time, but please, if you have an answer to the question “When has Thoroughbred racing ever loved you back?” I would like to hear it.
I’m not talking about the 5 or 6 figure hit either. That is a desired result from your efforts. Divine intervention from the Racing Gods doesn’t count as well. What I want to know is “has a racing administrator ever, even once, recognized your passion for the game and your support of it?” Rarely will you find it outside Kentucky. I believe the biggest single effort I've seen in recent years was demonstrated by Ellis Park’s 4% take on their Pik4 wagers.
Back in 1984, I was one of 87,000 that packed Santa Anita to watch the Big`Cap. As I viewed a sparsely attended infield at this years BC, the sport’s decline is becoming glaringly noticeable.
Truth be told, I don't expect many replies, so even your silence is appreciated. Thanks for stumbling to the bottom of my missive, and by all means do....
After decades of languishing as a die hard BoSox fan, I can certainly well relate to the question, and then, after being accused on this site of “loving” the sport of racing, I am forced to asked the question, on what I consider to be one of the premier forums of the sport, “You love racing, but when has it ever loved you back?”
When forum member, “The Hawk,” accused past posters of “helping to ruin the sport I purport to love,” in the thread Rich Perloff finally gets it right, I was somewhat defensive in my reply, “if I ever said I loved racing… I was obviously drunk.”
I’ve always thought myself passionate about the sport, but we can spin it anyway we choose, my question to all posters that read this thread, “When has the sport of Thoroughbred racing ever loved you back?”
I’m not talking to the horsewomen and horsemen on the board, as their emotional ties to the equine is on a completely different level, but let’s peal back the layers of the `73 Whitney winner and primarily address the question to the handicappers that fuel the sport through the windows.
I am preparing an article on the subject that I would hope will find its way on the desk of some racing administrators, and would like the answer to this question from the perspective of some of its most dedicated & intelligent supporters.
Truth be told, in my 35+ years of following the sport, I can honestly say I have experienced reciprocity only one time. When I went to the Kentucky Derby in 2007, I did a one day tour of points east on the Sunday following, which included the Kentucky Horse Park, touring the countryside around Lexington/Versailles, and spending an afternoon at Keeneland.
At Keeneland, I felt the love.
Every door was opened to me, every courtesy conveyed. It wasn’t about squeezing every dime out of my pocket, but more of that we are all in this together. There is something special about how Keeneland treats their patrons, and IMHO, the industry needs to collectively embrace it as its model.
Enough of that, as the point will be elaborated on at another time, but please, if you have an answer to the question “When has Thoroughbred racing ever loved you back?” I would like to hear it.
I’m not talking about the 5 or 6 figure hit either. That is a desired result from your efforts. Divine intervention from the Racing Gods doesn’t count as well. What I want to know is “has a racing administrator ever, even once, recognized your passion for the game and your support of it?” Rarely will you find it outside Kentucky. I believe the biggest single effort I've seen in recent years was demonstrated by Ellis Park’s 4% take on their Pik4 wagers.
Back in 1984, I was one of 87,000 that packed Santa Anita to watch the Big`Cap. As I viewed a sparsely attended infield at this years BC, the sport’s decline is becoming glaringly noticeable.
Truth be told, I don't expect many replies, so even your silence is appreciated. Thanks for stumbling to the bottom of my missive, and by all means do....