View Full Version : Online Race Track
karlskorner
03-24-2003, 08:56 AM
www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/5468460.htm
Whitehos
03-24-2003, 03:30 PM
Dover Downs is just about an on line harness track. Sometimes they even have a few fans but its almost intirely simucast.
sq764
03-24-2003, 06:32 PM
What are you talking about? Have you ever been to Dover Downs?
Its sure not The Meadowlands or Belmont, but they will have 500-1000 fans everyday.
karlskorner
03-24-2003, 09:08 PM
When I came home this evening from the track, I re-read the above newspaper article, maybe this is the way racing is heading. When I arrived at GP clubhouse parking this morning at 11:30AM there were less than a dozen cars, usually during the week at least 200-300 cars have parked by this time, the Clubhouse dining room had 5 tables occupied when I went for lunch, usually during the wek 100-200 tables are occupied by 12 o'clock. I went to my seat and looked across the Clubhouse and Grandstand seating, maybe there were 100 people in attendance by 12:30. The DRF charts showe 4080 in attendance (which is taken after the 6th race), they had to count every employee, freebie and re-entries to get that figure. If there were 700 people in the combined area of clubhouse and grandstand, I will eat my program. We are talking Gulfstream Park here in the middle of the season, an 85 degree day with nary a cloud in the sky. When I left I walked to my car with one of the people who writes a tout sheet, he sold 7 sheets today, usually during the week at GP he will sell 100-200 on a weekday.
Racetrack management is the business of everyone who direclty or indirectly makes a living from the thoroughbred industry. Billions of dollars are invested in auxiliary businesses and if racetracks do not operate effectively and efficiently, this can impact everyone and everything. All those suppliers of goods and services to breeding farms, training centers and racetracks are dependent to a greater or lesser degree on the competency of those operating racetracks. Local, county and State governmetns depend on the taxes derived from race tracks as well as many institutions that receive charitable contributions from racetracks.
It is easy enough to say that simulcasting is the answer and maybe it is, if there are only 5-6 tracks operating throughout the country, the rest having closed down withing the next 5 years. Anyone who believes that a track can survive on it's share from simulcasting is sadly mistaken. Of course the other answer is a higher takeout, in order to meet the demands of operating a profitable racetrack
I think eventually all tracks will be racinos. Look how DEL , MNR, CT, WO have thrived just to mention a few. All tracks will have to adopt slots just to compete with the purse structure. At MNR a 4K claimer can carry a purse of 11,000.
People love one armed bandits, they are cash cows. I cannot figure out why. :confused: I am bored after 2 pulls.
ZAFONIC
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