DMR: purse accounts in good shape, but ...

[The_Knight_Sky]

Handle figures are down 10 percent on-track and through all sources, including satellite wagering in California and nationwide, and account wagering providers. “We’re off about 10.5 percent and about 6.5 percent is because of fewer races,” Ernst said. :confused:

“We elected to eliminate a race on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays just to make sure we have fuller fields.”

Ernst said that on-track handle is also down approximately 10 percent.

Before the meeting, Del Mar announced it would run eight-race programs on Wednesdays and Fridays, compared with the nine-race programs run in 2009. When the meeting began, the track began carding nine-race programs on Sundays instead of the 10 that were discussed earlier this year. The barn area is not at capacity, with several Southern California Thoroughbred stables electing to stay at Hollywood Park for the summer.

Despite the drop in handle, Del Mar has still underpaid purses slightly, Ernst said. “We’ve sat down a few times and looked at our [purse] projections, and we’re in good shape,” he said.

http://www.drf.com/news/least-six-lined-clement-hirsch

__________________

I thought "fewer races" lead to bigger fields which in turn fuels higher handle figures. Or so I have been led to believe.

[DJofSD]

Well la-de-da.

DMR management can rationalize things all they want but at the end of the day, their cards suck. We're how many days into the meeting and I have yet to make a wager on a race at DMR. The east coast meetings are offering better races -- at least for this punter. Fuller fields, more competitive races and, oh ya, real dirt.

I don't mean to bust your chops KS but DMR is circling the drain.

[The_Knight_Sky]

I don't mean to bust your chops KS but DMR is circling the drain.




Well pick your poison:

Del Mar's reluctance to convert to a dirt track.

Failure to implement a Pick 4 at the 15% Takeout rate.
Something that has been proven to work at Monmouth.

Pinning hopes on Zenyatta racing but once in The Clement L. Hirsch (again)
and being named "Horse of the Meet". ;)

[carlonr]

Well la-de-da.

DMR management can rationalize things all they want but at the end of the day, their cards suck. We're how many days into the meeting and I have yet to make a wager on a race at DMR. The east coast meetings are offering better races -- at least for this punter. Fuller fields, more competitive races and, oh ya, real dirt.

I don't mean to bust your chops KS but DMR is circling the drain.

People seem to forget that a bad meet (financially) for Del Mar is a great meet for most places!

[InsideThePylons-MW]

People seem to forget that a bad meet (financially) for Del Mar is a great meet for most places!

People seem to forget that if the Del Mar meet is bad....How bad are Santa Anita with no BC this year and Hollywood going to be?

:eek:

Not only that....as seems to be the norm now in CA....Del Mar is comparing numbers from this year with numbers last year that include "bad days" which were dropped from the schedule this year (so far they compared/replaced a dropped Monday with a Saturday) . So basically the numbers are much worse than they appear.

[Jeff P]

Well pick your poison:...
It's about to get worse (for players) than you can possibly imagine.

Del Mar's management is part of a joint effort to get John A. Perez, the Speaker for the California Assembly, to tack amendments calling for a takeout increase of up to 15% over existing levels on to Bill 2414.

This effort is now "justified" because of the way California's tracks, horsemen, and the CHRB decided to interpret Los Al's falling handle numbers in the wake of their takeout increase. Hint: They ignored handle per calendar time period and voted to keep Los Al's takeout increase in effect based on numbers massaged to emphasize handle per race.

Los Al's calendar time period on track handle was off 27% after their takeout increase.

Del Mar's calendar time period on track handle is off 10% without a takeout increase. Hollywood Park was similar.

Anyone care to speculate what Del Mar's on track handle numbers are going to be next year after they get their wish?:

A takeout increase of up to 15% over existing levels?

If you care about takeout at all visit the HANA Blog and take the time to contact California's elected officials. Tell them you want them to consider ideas for growing the game (like HANA's amendments) added to Bill 2414 instead of a takeout increase:
http://blog.horseplayersassociation.org/


HANA Sign Up Link:
http://www.jcapper.com/HANA/SignUp/HANASignUpForm.asp?source=0



-jp

.

[BillW]

15%??

Do you have that figure right? Are you saying they are reserving the right to have up to a 15% increase in takeout anytime they wish?

23/20 = 1.15

[andymays]

23/20 = 1.15

15% over existing levels.

[BlueShoe]

15% over existing levels.
This has to be a typo, right, or the proposal was misquoted? 30% take on wps and 35% on exotics? Or does it mean 15% of the current 15.43 and 20.68, which would make it roughly 18% and 24%? The latter figure would finish California racing, the first figures would kill it immediately.

[BillW]

15% over existing levels.

Yep

[The_Knight_Sky]

The latter figure would finish California racing,
the first figures would kill it immediately.




It's the latter figure.
A slow death is the way California Racing wishes to go.

Isolationism isn't good for the racing in that part of the country.
Compound that with people refusing to do what needs to be done in California
and if they are doing something, they're proceeding the wrong way.

They now have a mountain of mistakes to correct.

And yes, I do believe that if one racing circuit continues to operate
in a haphazard fashion some other racing circuit(s) will benefit from their misdeeds.

[Stillriledup]

Existing levels are approx 15 and 20. They're going to raise it to 30 and 35?

Wow, good luck with that.

[Tom]

Encourage them top do it. Support it fully. Send cards and letters demanding a hike.

Sacrifice the idiots and next year, we will have a perfect bunch of fools to hold up to the rest of the tracks and say "Told you so."

California racing is not necessary by any means.
In fact, I would prefer they had zero tracks running. More horses for the East.

[DJofSD]

As an aside, I'll mention that I started to play golf about 1 year ago. It's fun and a challenge.

I bring it up b/c, like all other sectors, golf has been hit with down turns too. I am on a number of mailing lists for different courses and reservation systems. Green fees are being reduced as an incentive and they are being advertised. And, as far as it concerns me, the reduced fees are working. I've played a couple of rounds in the last week instead of going to the practice range.

[BillW]

Existing levels are approx 15 and 20. They're going to raise it to 30 and 35?

Wow, good luck with that.

The word is that 2 horse combos (exactas and DD's) are going to be raised 2% from 20.68% to 22.68% or an increase of 9.67%. Takeout on 3 horse and above combos will be raised 3% from 20.68% to 23.68% for an increase of 14.5%.

[Jeff P]

DJ,

Who do you think you are?... Throwing radical ideas out there based on common sense and economics. <G>


-jp

.

[rrbauer]

Slightly OT, but have you taken a close look at the turf course at the clubhouse turn? It is really chewed up and only 2 weeks into the meet.

[DJofSD]

Ain't I a stinker?

And what is good, too, is the moderate weather we're having in San Diego. Makes it very nice to be able to play on the inland courses and not have to play in hot, hot temperatures.

[Deepsix]

The turf course is some exotic crabgrass and it typically gets chewed up, as you mentioned. It'll look real barren as the next couple weeks progress. It's this way every year. Before the hybrid crabgrass it was worse.

[The_Knight_Sky]

Del Mar's management is part of a joint effort to get John A. Perez,
the Speaker for the California Assembly, to tack amendments calling
for a takeout increase of up to 15% over existing levels on to Bill 2414.-jp




It was all fine and dandy some 10 days ago with the hat contests
and Ms. Cougar Del Mar 2010 and the return of Pat Valenzuela.

This meet is now doing a complete 180 degree reversal from that opening week.

The news of imminent increases in takeouts cannot possibly
be helping create positive waves where the Turf meets the Surf.
And it shows.

[Stillriledup]

It was all fine and dandy some 10 days ago with the hat contests
and Ms. Cougar Del Mar 2010 and the return of Pat Valenzuela.

This meet is now doing a complete 180 degree reversal from that opening week.

The news of imminent increases in takeouts cannot possibly
be helping create positive waves where the Turf meets the Surf.
And it shows.


If the turf meets the surf, where does the plastic meet?

The plastic meets the ?

anyone good at rhymes?

[DJofSD]

Only spastic's bet plastics.

[Dan H]

Gee, it sure sucks to be at Del Mar.

[rwwupl]

I think this is a good idea...What is holding the horseplayers up? :cool:


Jeff P wrote:
If you care about takeout at all visit the HANA Blog and take the time to contact California's elected officials. Tell them you want them to consider ideas for growing the game (like HANA's amendments) added to Bill 2414 instead of a takeout increase:
http://blog.horseplayersassociation.org/


HANA Sign Up Link:
http://www.jcapper.com/HANA/SignUp/...rm.asp?source=0