Valuist
07-15-2003, 10:23 AM
For all the criticism Stronach and Magna receive, I can't figure out why CDI doesn't get more. They've completely ruined Hollywood, turning it into a bland, unbettable plant. I used to think Duchossois was an egomaniac; now I see how quickly Arlington has deteriorated since CDI bought it from him. In the past year, AP has been wracked by scandals and idiotic decision making. So who does CDI hire to run Arlington? Clint Goodrich. This is the same guy who limited Santa Anita to 3 exactas a day with a minimum bet of $5. Why? "To protect the public from themselves," said Goodrich. Goodrich isn't saying much now in light of the numerous late money wagering scandals that have hit AP in the past month. Here is some of the brilliant decisions made by Goodrich since taking over:
1. Raise the admission to $6. This is outrageous. I urge anyone in the Chicago area to patronize an OTB until this is dropped.
2. Expand the time between races from 25 to 30-32. Earlier in the meet I got home on Sunday at 7:00 after the 9 race card concluded. 30 minutes is too long between races. How are new fans ever going to stay interested with that much dead time?
3. Eliminate the video race library. You used to be able to view tapes of horses previous races. This has been eliminated.
4. Eliminated early bird wagering at the Trackside facility adjacent to the track. They do still offer it for a couple hours on Saturday morning, but that's it.
5. Close the main building for simulcasting after Hol's 7th or 8th race. If you want to bet anything after that, you have to drive over to the Trackside building.
Arlington also has had a problem with small fields; maybe not as bad as Hol, but still a problem. Calder is another track that cards way too many races, and is content to trot out 6-7 horse fields in most non Mdn Clmng races. Even Churchill, while still a good track to bet, has fallen a bit in quality the past couple years.
If I was a financial analyst, my rating on CDI would be "SELL".
1. Raise the admission to $6. This is outrageous. I urge anyone in the Chicago area to patronize an OTB until this is dropped.
2. Expand the time between races from 25 to 30-32. Earlier in the meet I got home on Sunday at 7:00 after the 9 race card concluded. 30 minutes is too long between races. How are new fans ever going to stay interested with that much dead time?
3. Eliminate the video race library. You used to be able to view tapes of horses previous races. This has been eliminated.
4. Eliminated early bird wagering at the Trackside facility adjacent to the track. They do still offer it for a couple hours on Saturday morning, but that's it.
5. Close the main building for simulcasting after Hol's 7th or 8th race. If you want to bet anything after that, you have to drive over to the Trackside building.
Arlington also has had a problem with small fields; maybe not as bad as Hol, but still a problem. Calder is another track that cards way too many races, and is content to trot out 6-7 horse fields in most non Mdn Clmng races. Even Churchill, while still a good track to bet, has fallen a bit in quality the past couple years.
If I was a financial analyst, my rating on CDI would be "SELL".