Oak Tree Not at Santa Anita??!!

[Deepsix]

Latest news.... my anticipation of an agreement looks like it fizzles. This will make for some interesting times in SoCal.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2010/June/04/Oak-Tree-MI-Developments.aspx

[andymays]

Fabulous Frank plays hardball. The best is yet to come.

What gets me is that Fab. Frank leaves the whole state hanging for months. The uncertainty is costing the state big time as many people are just leaving.

I really don't think Fab. Frank gives a sh*t about anyone else.

Looks like Art Wilson was plugged in after all. ;)

[Deepsix]

Art Wilson guessed right.... from what I read as of yesterday MID gave ESPN an indication at a deal was likely today (online article I read yesterday night).

Looks like Frank will get a warm welcome By CHRB when he meets on the 22nd.

[cj]

How about Oak Tree at Fairplex!

[andymays]

Art Wilson guessed right.... from what I read as of yesterday MID gave ESPN an indication at a deal was likely today (online article I read yesterday night).

Looks like Frank will get a warm welcome By CHRB when he meets on the 22nd.


It's hard to know who to side with in this whole deal because both sides have contributed to the mess we now have.

I personally think Fab. Frank isn't all there. Last time he was here he should have said what he wanted instead of having all this uncertainty.

[toussaud]

OnSA

[andymays]

How about Oak Tree at Fairplex!


It's getting to the point where Horseplayers like myself really don't care much anymore.

Shut the whole state down. :ThmbDown:


Hey Deepsix, it showed up on the Paulick Report all of a sudden. How does that happen? :confused:

[JustRalph]

Does Vic get to Announce Oak Tree this year ?

[InsideThePylons-MW]

I personally think Fab. Frank isn't all there.

Captain Obvious

[andymays]

Captain Obvious

:lol:

Quite a few people still think he's a genius. I think he has a lot of smart attorneys pulling his ass out of the fire every year but Fab Frank........... :confused:

[InsideThePylons-MW]

Shut the whole state down. :ThmbDown:

After 2 decades+ of racing and supporting CA, I've been on the I've finally given up, let them kill themselves train for a while now.

[InsideThePylons-MW]

After 2 decades+ of racing and supporting CA, I've been on the I've finally given up, let them kill themselves train for a while now.

Just thinking about this a little more.

2 years ago I had 20+ horses in the state. I now have 8 of which 2 of those are leaving for Canada next week. 1 mare and foal, 1 racehorse, 2 yearlings and a 2yo is all I'll have left and at least 2 of those will be gone at some point this year.

Just sad.

[andymays]

Just thinking about this a little more.

2 years ago I had 20+ horses in the state. I now have 8 of which 2 of those are leaving for Canada next week. 1 mare and foal, 1 racehorse, 2 yearlings and a 2yo is all I'll have left and 2 of those will be gone at some point this year.

Just sad.

Most people thought that when Frank came out on his last trip he would provide some leardership. Instead they got the opposite.

[BlueShoe]

How about Oak Tree at Fairplex!
Wont work, mainly for the same reason it would not work at Los Alamitos; no turf course. Many more reasons, but that is just for starters. Del Mar would fizzle, all those summer tourist crowds would be gone. Some years ago Del Mar ran a short meet in October, and it was a bust, with handle and attendence down sharply from the summer counts. Inglewood coming up?

[rwwupl]

Wont work, mainly for the same reason it would not work at Los Alamitos; no turf course. Many more reasons, but that is just for starters. Del Mar would fizzle, all those summer tourist crowds would be gone. Some years ago Del Mar ran a short meet in October, and it was a bust, with handle and attendence down sharply from the summer counts. Inglewood coming up?


Yes, Del Mar was a bust when not held at vacation time. But as I recall it was a Harness meet. Without vacationers and Concerts it may have a problem supporting Oak Tree's program.

Hollywood would only be a stopover,for limited time, so Frank holds the aces and he will get what he wants.

[DJofSD]

Ya, they had quarter horse meetings at DMR one time too.

That was then, this is now. Do people really expect on track attendance to carry the water any more? I don't. Interstate wagering will do just nicely. If they get enough on track attendance to cover the cost of personnel then they'll make a profit on parking, food and adult beverages.

If DMR does host it, there'll be some activities displaced. How that will be resolved is unknown. But, I think that most non-racing related exhibits could carry on any ways. (Besides, I think Oak Tree would be over by the time the Great American Train show rolled into town.)

[andymays]

I think Oak Tree is going bye bye for good. It's all in Fabulous Franks control.

[DJofSD]

And after he fixes the t'bred racing problems here in California, he can turn his attention to the BP oil well problem.

[Tom]

Who cares?
No matter WHERE Oak Tree runs, it will be like another meet at THAT track.
There is no freaking OAK TREE. Just stupid OSA initials to screw up databases. Let OT die, for God's sake! It makes as much sense as Clark Kent putting on glasses and pretending he isn't SUperman! :D

[rastajenk]

How about Oak Tree at Fairplex!
OaF!

[Igeteven]

Fabulous Frank plays hardball. The best is yet to come.

What gets me is that Fab. Frank leaves the whole state hanging for months. The uncertainty is costing the state big time as many people are just leaving.

I really don't think Fab. Frank gives a sh*t about anyone else.

Looks like Art Wilson was plugged in after all. ;)

He doesn't Andy, Believe me on this, he is going to make a power play for those racing dates and kill Oak Tree once and for all.

[Robert Goren]

After give this considerable thought, I think I come up a solution. Oak Tree should run at the Meadowlands.:rolleyes:

[Show Me the Wire]

I am not privy to the financials regarding Oak Tree, but after reading the published loss estimates, I don't understand all the hoopla. I understand Oak Tree is a charitable organization and its primary purpose is to help horsemen. However, if the public reports are correct, Oak Tree is not sustainable as the meet losses up to 1 million dollars per year, excluding years it hosts the B.C.

Maybe the economics of losing up to 1 million every year was the impetuous for the permanent move idea of the B.C. to the Oak tree meet. Asking Fab Frank to give up the rights to one of the most profitable days in racing every year is certainly a bold and audacious move, which I am sure didn't sit too well with an owner that needs as much cash flow and profit to bolster his track sagging bottom line.

Moving the B.C. to a permanent site is not a good idea, which has been discussed in several other threads.

Without the B.C. Oak Tree is not viable and I don't blame Fab Frank one bit for protecting his company through the bankruptcy mechanism regarding one of the most lucrative business days of racing being locked into a permanent site for the benefit of a non-viable organization.


It is time for Oak Tree to cease to exist based on its current published losses.

[cj]

It is time for Oak Tree to cease to exist based on its current published losses.

Couldn't the same be said for Magna?

[Bruddah]

Frank and his management "expertise" remind me of the song Gold Finger the man with the Midas touch. However, with Frank it's Stronach Finger the man with the Sh*tty Touch. He has managed to screw up every track he has ever touched. He's turned it from gold to sh*t in every instance.

Honestly, can anyone name me a success story he has produced in racing and don't tell me Gulf Stream. That is one of his major debacles.

[DJofSD]

Frank and his management "expertise" remind me of the song Gold Finger the man with the Midas touch. However, with Frank it's Stronach Finger the man with the Sh*tty Touch. He has managed to screw up every track he has ever touched. He's turned it from gold to sh*t in every instance.

Honestly, can anyone name me a success story he has produced in racing and don't tell me Gulf Stream. That is one of his major debacles.
Does GPX make money? Does it show a profit?

[castaway01]

Does GPX make money? Does it show a profit?

There is no way any tiny profit Gulfstream ekes out (and remember, this is a track that for a while found a way to lose money even with slot machine revenue included) has covered the hundreds of millions of dollars spent to rebuild that whole development.

[DJofSD]

Well then, if I understand the response, his GPX venture has been a success. It's about money, period. But that's not to say I like what has happened or think it is good for the sport.

[Valuist]

How about Oak Tree at Fairplex!

Like it. At least its real dirt.

[Igeteven]

Like it. At least its real dirt.

I live very close to Fairplex, I have no idea what surface it is, looks like concrete from a distance :lol:

[Zman179]

The only reason as to why Frankie threw Oak Tree out was to get his filthy mits on the permanent BC. A few months ago, the BC being at SA on a regular basis was just about a sure thing, now it looks like the BC is having second thoughts.

Way to go, Frank. Looks like he's doing another Frank's Energy Drink. :lol:

[PhantomOnTour]

Maybe they need the time off to RE-INSTALL DIRT!! Hmmmmm....???

[DJofSD]

Could you call it pay dirt?