Racing is an afterthought

[cj]

New name at Equibase:

Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races

[Stillriledup]

:(

[Robert Fischer]

New name at Equibase:

Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races


hey 'tleast they aren't trying to fool anybody :ThmbUp:





Also credit is due for a new Logo that doesn't completely emasculate the Track name, albeit with a significant font and size discrepancy.:rolleyes:
Fond memories, but reality, and the Future look bleak.

-------------------------
MEMORY LANE (from present back in time):

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http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/9261/hollywoodifshecould.png****
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http://knowledgewarehouse.org/images/ctr_logo_vert.gif




http://www.oddjack.com/charles-town-races.jpg

[turfnsport]

go to http://www.calderracecourse.com/

and you are hit with a slot machine

[Rico8812]

Gotta go with what pays the bills.

[JustRalph]

New name at Equibase:

Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races

They have been running radio ads for the last two weeks in the Baltimore area........

[jballscalls]

calder is now called calder casino and racing i believe in that order

[Greyfox]

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

[proximity]

to equibase's credit, the kept the track under the "c's" in the scratch listings.

and why didn't they change penn national too??

[proximity]

and on a positive note, ct actually has a new website www.hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com (http://www.hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com) that actually doesn't take forever to bring up live racing and simulcasting info like the old site did.....

[Rook]

to equibase's credit, the kept the track under the "c's" in the scratch listings.

and why didn't they change penn national too??

No credit should be given. If they had half a brain they would realize that exactly zero of their customers would be clamoring for the name change to Hollywood Casino, but that a whole pile of horseplayers like CJ and I would be a pissed at the change.

[BillW]

No credit should be given. If they had half a brain they would realize that exactly zero of their customers would be clamoring for the name change to Hollywood Casino, but that a whole pile of horseplayers like CJ and I would be a pissed at the change.

Equibase is subordinate to the tracks (tracks are 50% owners). I doubt that they had a vote.

[proximity]

No credit should be given. If they had half a brain they would realize that exactly zero of their customers would be clamoring for the name change to Hollywood Casino, but that a whole pile of horseplayers like CJ and I would be a pissed at the change.

i personally have decided to start calling it charles town races and blackjack and i'm planning on heading down tomorrow (friday) to check out the chaos.

[Rook]

Equibase is subordinate to the tracks (tracks are 50% owners). I doubt that they had a vote.

Somebody is a moron or some committee consists exclusively of morons. I'm going to make the reasonable assumption that both the track and Equibase fit that description.

I'm more than a little familiar with CT. Over the past 52 weeks I have bet $515,857 there. I am going to start my own personal boycott. For every day that they list CT as Hollywood Casino in the Equibase scratch page, I'm going to place my action elsewhere or spend a little more time with my kids.

Yes, it's a bit of a petty reason to boycott a track but horseplayers have to stand up when they are being treated like third class citizens to the slot zombies.

[BillW]

I am going to start my own personal boycott.

Your ire is well placed! :ThmbUp:

[JustRalph]

Hey Rook.........can I get ten bucks until payday ? :lol: :lol:

[takeout]

i'm planning on heading down tomorrow (friday) to check out the chaos.I went up last night to see the “train wreck” first hand.

The grandstand is completely closed off except for the first 3 rows. (I have no idea why.) The poker tables inside have displaced not only all of the horseplayers that used to hang upstairs but the few ticket sellers as well. There are 2, count ‘em, TWO self-serve betting machines in the whole grandstand.

They’ve cut back on help so much that it’s a farce trying to get anything from the snack bar downstairs, which BTW was the ONLY PLACE on the track side that you could get anything except for the clubhouse restaurant upstairs. The outside apron was full of people (where else are they going to go now?) and there wasn’t one booth out there selling so much as a bottle of water or a coke and no outside ticket sellers either.

I really don’t know how they could make it any plainer that they don’t want horseplayers there. I think I’ll take the “hint”. ;)

[Robert Goren]

You can bet they are working day and night to drop the race track part entirely. There is no such as a race track with a casino. It is a casino saddled with a race track.

[Robert Goren]

Somebody is a moron or some committee consists exclusively of morons. I'm going to make the reasonable assumption that both the track and Equibase fit that description.

I'm more than a little familiar with CT. Over the past 52 weeks I have bet $515,857 there. I am going to start my own personal boycott. For every day that they list CT as Hollywood Casino in the Equibase scratch page, I'm going to place my action elsewhere or spend a little more time with my kids.

Yes, it's a bit of a petty reason to boycott a track but horseplayers have to stand up when they are being treated like third class citizens to the slot zombies. They couldn't care less.

[Rook]

They couldn't care less.

Then that gets back to the point of them being morons. Horse racing may be a minor part of their business, but while they operate one, if they had any sense they would do their best to increase revenues since their expenses are going to be the same.

Daily doubles make up a small part of my horse race betting but when I bet them, I do my best to make money at them rather than betting on crappy horses.

A business that goes out of its way to show contempt for its customers deserves contempt in return. This CT boycott is similar to the one I have on the local garden center that decided last year that people who buy Christmas trees would rather have them be named Holiday trees.

[proximity]

I really don’t know how they could make it any plainer that they don’t want horseplayers there. I think I’ll take the “hint”. ;)

i take it they still haven't put the wire back up either?

i'm still going to go and check it out anyhow.

there will at least be some better overlays without rook in the pools!!

[46zilzal]

Interesting parallel with the way many tobacco companies are now into food companies as the handwriting was on the wall there too.

[JustRalph]

and now from left field................

Interesting parallel with the way many tobacco companies are now into food companies as the handwriting was on the wall there too.

[46zilzal]

and now from left field................
diversification when one aspect of their business has a down turn.

Parallel?

[Brogan]

to equibase's credit, the kept the track under the "c's" in the scratch listings.

and why didn't they change penn national too??

At Equibase, tracks are listed in alphabetical order by their 3-letter code even though the full name is displayed.

I didn't figure this out on my own, I complained way back when I perceived one of their lists to be in semi random order...and they gave me the explaination.

[Rook]

Interesting parallel with the way many tobacco companies are now into food companies as the handwriting was on the wall there too.

There would only be a parallel if Philip Morris had changed the name of Marlboro to Kraft cigarettes after they changed the corporate name to Altria. But unlike the racing folks, Altria is not run by a bunch of morons.

They recognize the value of a brand. Calling a racetrack a casino on Equibase is the height of stupidity, when a lot of these racetrack customers wouldn't be caught dead in such a place.

[thaskalos]

Calling a racetrack a casino on Equibase is the height of stupidity, when a lot of these racetrack customers wouldn't be caught dead in such a place. If there were "alot of these racetrack customers" left...maybe they would still call it a racetrack...

[Brogan]

At Equibase, tracks are listed in alphabetical order by their 3-letter code even though the full name is displayed.

I didn't figure this out on my own, I complained way back when I perceived one of their lists to be in semi random order...and they gave me the explaination.

Of course, now that I've gone and looked at Equibase again, it seems that some of their lists are in track code order and and some are in track name order.

:bang:

[takeout]

i take it they still haven't put the wire back up either?Yep. Still no wire. :lol: i'm still going to go and check it out anyhow.Hopefully, being as it’s a Friday, maybe they’ll pull out all the stops and open a booth outside or something. :bang: :faint: there will at least be some better overlays without rook in the pools!!I think Rook WAS the pools! :D

[proximity]

Hopefully, being as it’s a Friday, maybe they’ll pull out all the stops and open a booth outside or something. :bang:

just got back.

they must have read your post as they had beer, sandwiches, and mutuel clerks outside. unfortunately the weather didn't totally cooperate and it started storming midway through the card.

the casino was a little cramped and the blackjack a little too rich for me at $50 and $100 minimums.

as for the handicapping, i'll just say that i wish i would have joined rook in boycotting the card. :mad:

[trackrat59]

I am no stranger to CT myself. Would go no less than 2 times a week on a regular basis. Stopped that a while ago.

My racing buddy would always complain about how CT could not care any less about the horse player. Long lines at the two snack bars, nasty chick at the walk up bar and so on. He really flipped a few years back when they put in the new tote board that you can't read because it's so small. I told him it was on sale, last one on the floor.

I figured out to run over to the slot side quickly, get what I want to eat and drink and then head back to the ponies. I would always shake my head at the long line still standing at the snack bar on the horse side while I had already snagged my grub on the slot side.

I will miss the two nice little older ladies at the snack bar upstairs that would sell me my popcorn. I hope they are still employed. Maybe I'll see them dealing black jack. :rolleyes:

Clearly no respect for the horse player at CT.

It's a shame. I LOVED the old CT. The paddock at that time was better too.

:(

[proximity]

my only real problem with pen gaming tracks (and this may seem petty to all of our california posters) is the simulcasting.

ct's night simulcasting was weak. evd, ls, and pen were about the only tracks they showed.

and pen needs to get a second row of tvs for the clubhouse and also needs to just simply get organized. if your website says you're simulcasting fp at 8:30 then i expect to see it on a tv by 8:00. if you're showing emd at 9:00, then it should be on a tv by 8:30. players shouldn't have to constantly be bugging the snack bar staff to call downstairs to get lone star on half way through the card. don't list a track on your simulcast schedule if you're not going to be putting it up on at least one clubhouse tv with at least half an hour to first post.

[proximity]

also one more thing before i try and shut up about this topic.

charles town (or whatever it's called now) as it relates to equibase.... should actually be PRAISED because relative to first post time, they have their early scratches and changes posted on equibase faster than ANY other track.

in fact, only 8 tracks (all with early posts) had any changes on equibase prior to ct's changes being posted at 11:09 today. no changes were listed for slotless bel and mth until 11:35 and 12:27. afterthought?

another "hollywood casino" track, penn national, doesn't even have anything up yet. i'd rather they change the name on equibase to hollywoodcasinoatpennnational if it means they'll get the scratches and changes listed earlier.

[takeout]

they had beer, sandwiches, and mutuel clerks outside.Must’ve heard you were coming. ;)

Did you happen to check out the upstairs grandstand? :bang:

I hate the name change. Took me two days to find the result charts at BRIS. :faint: I’ve never had to scroll down before. Thought someone just messed up and hadn’t put them up yet. Even the charts just say Hollywood Casino now. :ThmbDown:

[takeout]

Clearly no respect for the horse player at CT.
It's a shame. I LOVED the old CT. The paddock at that time was better too. :(Man you nailed it with that post. I’ve talked with people up there that have said the exact same things. Used to be a pretty neat little place back in the day. All of that is gone now.

Of all places, why in the hell did they put those poker tables where they did? I think their placement pretty much says it all. :mad:

[miesque]

Ok this name change is now officially ticking me off. I have gone to Equibase several times today and where I expect to see Hollywood Park I see Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races (taking up two lines I might add) and then Hollywood Park beneath it. There already was a freaking Hollywood on the damn track list, they haven't bulldozed it yet. :mad:

[proximity]

Of all places, why in the hell did they put those poker tables where they did? I think their placement pretty much says it all. :mad:

they should have built a big poker room in the corner by the 5 1/2 furlong pole where track collector always illegally parks his car!!

they should get rid of most of that grandstand and make a nice clubhouse that extends out to the window and has lots of tvs, a nice bar, tables, and plenty of self wagering terminals.

[PurplePower]

Somebody is a moron or some committee consists exclusively of morons. I'm going to make the reasonable assumption that both the track and Equibase fit that description.

I'm more than a little familiar with CT. Over the past 52 weeks I have bet $515,857 there. I am going to start my own personal boycott. For every day that they list CT as Hollywood Casino in the Equibase scratch page, I'm going to place my action elsewhere or spend a little more time with my kids.

Yes, it's a bit of a petty reason to boycott a track but horseplayers have to stand up when they are being treated like third class citizens to the slot zombies.I am packing tonight preparing to drive to Charles Town from Lexington on Sunday and start this year's Groom Elite 101 class there. We will be having class in their stable area kitchen as the old simulcast area is under construction converting it into a card room area. We also will be having box lunches in the kitchen instead of going to the casino buffet as the buffet went up from $7.99to $12.99 for the group. And, it will be better for the grooms to have class in more comfortable surroundings of their stable area.

I continue to be amazed at the number of horseplayers (and track administrators and hardboot purist, etc.) that rail on casino companies operating racetracks. We pound the fact that the racetracks do not "promote", "take care of their customers", "run their operations like a business", "give rebates to..",etc. nauseatingly etc. Then when a racetrack operator does JUST THAT we whine and complain because we have to look under "H" to find a track instead of "C".

We say they "disrespect racing". Gentlemen (said loosely of course), if it was not for Hollywood Casino and Penn National Gaming (an organization I have issues with for other reasons) none of you would be betting on Charles Town Racing, much less over 1/2 a million in one year.

"Dec 25, 1994 - Charles Town Races has been here 60 years through thick and thin through the Depression horseman Dick Watson said and this causes it to go. The closing means devastation for the town whose fast food strip like its economy is built around the race track" From TIMELINE OF CHARLES TOWN RACEES (http://www.google.com/search?q=history+of+charles+town+racetrack&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=aQC&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbs=tl:1,tll:1994,tlh:1994&ei=oXQ5TKCdCMP6lwez3dXSBw&ved=0CEUQzQEwBQ)

When tracks are paying $30,000 a day in purses (like CT, Waterford Park- now Mountaineer Park, Delta Downs, and on and on were before slots at tracks) trainers (and jockeys) made more money betting on one race than they did winning 10 races "honestly" in one month. Those tracks were generally considered "unplayable" because of the "inside information" necessary to know when to bet what horses. Horses used to go to CT "to die". Now they have a high profile program that participates in programs to provide "after racing" homes for their racehorses.

I could go on, but it's 4 AM and I'm not finished packing. If you are not a member of HANA, consider joining. They had audiences with Keeneland and Equibase (I was at an Equibase meeting) among others, and horseplayers ideas were listened to and acted upon.

I'll let y'all know what I hear in the stable area.