Which tracks will close in the next 15 years?

[andtheyreoff]

Just wondering what tracks you think will close in the near future.

Vote for as many or as few as you want.

[Trotman]

Hastings, Fort Erie, Turfway are 3 that stand out.

[JustRalph]

damn....how long did it take you to setup this poll ?

[Turkoman]

Just wondering what tracks you think will close in the near future.

Vote for as many or as few as you want.

The way things are going, a bunch of them will be in bad shape!

[The_Knight_Sky]

That's quite a list of tracks.
At least half of them need to shut down. Or else, lower their takeouts to the bare minimums.

The one track that I think will probably be phased out is not on that list.
Atlantic City race course - the track that Bob Hope and his brat pack cronies built. That's a shame because I do think that Aycee can be a vital part of a revival in the future.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4581868030_a19f5c3d89.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_knight_sky/4581868030/)

[Robert Goren]

Turfway and Ellis are gone for sure. It will take a major miracle to save Monmouth. There are bunch of very small tracks like Columbus(almost didn't run this year) that likely to close. Once someone figures out how Racinos can get rid of the racing side of the business, the flood gates will open. Predicting when and where in the next five years or so is next to imposable, but in ten years a racino will be a rare bird.

[Turkoman]

Nice picture.

[BombsAway Bob]

Thanks for putting Suffolk on the top of the heap...
list...

[joanied]

I voted for a lot of them...it's incredible how many tracks we have...I didn't even realize it until I saw that list:eek:

[Grits]

damn....how long did it take you to setup this poll ?

LOLOLLLLLLLLLLLLL:lol:

Would've been a lot quicker to make the short list and add "which from this dozen or less do you think will be left standing?"

[onefast99]

[QUOTE=Robert Goren]Turfway and Ellis are gone for sure. It will take a major miracle to save Monmouth. There are bunch of very small tracks like Columbus(almost didn't run this year) that likely to close. Once someone figures out how Racinos can get rid of the racing side of the business, the flood gates will open. Predicting when and where in the next five years or so is next to imposable, but in ten years a racino will be a rare bird.[/QUOTE
MP will be fine.

[wle]

At the rate things are going at Pinnacle...I'd make it closer to 15 days, not years :(

[andtheyreoff]

[QUOTE=Robert Goren]Turfway and Ellis are gone for sure. It will take a major miracle to save Monmouth. There are bunch of very small tracks like Columbus(almost didn't run this year) that likely to close. Once someone figures out how Racinos can get rid of the racing side of the business, the flood gates will open. Predicting when and where in the next five years or so is next to imposable, but in ten years a racino will be a rare bird.[QUOTE/]
MP will be fine.

Facts, Robert Goren, and Monmouth don't mix well.

[schweitz]

Manor Downs is already gone.

[BillW]

Manor Downs is already gone.

Damn this poll is good!

[Robert Goren]

[QUOTE=onefast99][QUOTE=Robert Goren]Turfway and Ellis are gone for sure. It will take a major miracle to save Monmouth. There are bunch of very small tracks like Columbus(almost didn't run this year) that likely to close. Once someone figures out how Racinos can get rid of the racing side of the business, the flood gates will open. Predicting when and where in the next five years or so is next to imposable, but in ten years a racino will be a rare bird.

Facts, Robert Goren, and Monmouth don't mix well.Time will tell who is right about Monmouth Park. Maybe they can up a outside funding source, as of right now they don't have one. Until they do I will stand by my prediction.

[castaway01]

[QUOTE=andtheyreoff][QUOTE=onefast99]Time will tell who is right about Monmouth Park. Maybe they can up a outside funding source, as of right now they don't have one. Until they do I will stand by my prediction.

You've only posted your prediction 1000 times on here now, with the same inaccurate BS every time. Maybe another 1000 more and it will come true. Then you can come dance on the grave, as you seem to be dying to do.

[Robert Goren]

[QUOTE=Robert Goren][QUOTE=andtheyreoff]

You've only posted your prediction 1000 times on here now, with the same inaccurate BS every time. Maybe another 1000 more and it will come true. Then you can come dance on the grave, as you seem to be dying to do.It may be BS, but please enlighten me as to what I has said that is inaccurate. The governor has already said the state of NJ will not operate it next year. I have not heard of anyone trying to lease it for next year. If someone does, maybe it has a chance. Perhaps someone on this board knows of someone that I haven't heard about.

[ronsmac]

All of the above.

[Beachbabe]

Ohio aint lookin' too good according to this poll.

[thespaah]

[QUOTE=castaway01][QUOTE=Robert Goren]It may be BS, but please enlighten me as to what I has said that is inaccurate. The governor has already said the state of NJ will not operate it next year. I have not heard of anyone trying to lease it for next year. If someone does, maybe it has a chance. Perhaps someone on this board knows of someone that I haven't heard about.
He said no such thing. Gov Chrsitie wishes the racing industry to operate on it's own...Menaing, without casino subsidies.

[horses4courses]

Not being very familiar with the vast majority of these tracks, maybe those who are can speak up in support of them?
I rarely handicap, or bet on, those tracks, so who am I to vote yea or nay?

Outside of the major tracks and racing centers, it is hard to understand how these places stay in business.

Let's pretend for a minute.
Imagine a governing body overseeing horse racing on a national level.
They rate the tracks in categories A-D (A being the highest ranked).
The tracks gain their ratings through a variety of factors, mainly quality of product offered, and financial viability.

If this governing authority took over in, say, 2012 and compiled it's ratings list of tracks within a year, it could set a deadline for all D-rated tracks to up their status to a C, or go out of business by that chosen date.

I know that this is all fantasy, and will never happen, but it's nice to imagine.

Here is my A list:
Arlington, Aqueduct, Belmont, Churchill, Del Mar, Fairgrounds, Gulfstream, Hollywood Park, Keeneland, Monmouth, Oaklawn, Santa Anita, Saratoga.

The Bs and Cs are open to debate. The Ds won't be affiliated to this national organization, and won't receive marketing or finances from it.
If they can operate independently, good luck to them, but they won't receive national attention (will not be simulcasted or bet on ADWs).

All conjecture, I know.
If only we lived in a perfect world...... ;)

[GatetoWire]

We all want Monmouth to live on but unless the current climate in NJ changes drastically it will have a tough time surviving.
NJ racing without purse supplements or slot revenue will never be able to survive when it's surrounded by slot fueled purses in DE, PA and NY.
The horsemen will have no choice but to race where the money is and Monmouth will turn into a shadow of what is today.

The handle will decrease due to the poor racing and they will be in a death spiral just like Laurel and Pimlico are in now.

Low handle will lead to lower purses and weaker fields which leads to even lower handle....until it hits the bottom.

If Maryland racing didn't have the one day Preakness handle to fund the rest of the year both Pimlico and Laurel would have already closed. The handle day to day cannot support a viable purse structure that can allow them to compete with PA and DE.

[Robert Goren]

It is not the lack of horses that the problem, it is the lack of horse players that is.

[Tom]

Damn this poll is good!
This could be a script for a horror-TV summer replacement show!
The Track Hit List

Tracks on the list suddenly start closing.....WHO will be next?

IIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

[horses4courses]

This could be a script for a horror-TV summer replacement show!
The Track Hit List

Tracks on the list suddenly start closing.....WHO will be next?

IIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Eureka!!

You hit the jackpot, Tom!

Sell TV your idea of turning death within the horse racing industry into a..........wait for it....(drum roll).....a.......

REALITY SHOW

You could get very rich off of this, and horse racing hits prime time TV.. :eek:

[GatetoWire]

It is not the lack of horses that the problem, it is the lack of horse players that is.

True....but we are not going to create new players overnight....so for now we are left with each track battling to gain our attention.

Monmouth had a great summer meet because they attracted the horse players attention....full fields.....great racing.

In today's climate the tracks without slot money can only compete if they have superior racing that produces a handle that will attract a national audience.

Eventually all the tracks without slots may be unable to compete. We may have so few horse players that we will only be able to really support a few tracks that host full fields of world class racing.

[46zilzal]

Hastings, Fort Erie, Turfway are 3 that stand out.
two out of those three are going to have new front offices.

[Some_One]

I voted for a lot of them...it's incredible how many tracks we have...I didn't even realize it until I saw that list:eek:

And thats the problem with racing, too many tracks, too many races.

[David-LV]

Turfway and Ellis are gone for sure. It will take a major miracle to save Monmouth. There are bunch of very small tracks like Columbus(almost didn't run this year) that likely to close. Once someone figures out how Racinos can get rid of the racing side of the business, the flood gates will open. Predicting when and where in the next five years or so is next to imposable, but in ten years a racino will be a rare bird.

Robert,

One question?

Do you ever make a bet or are you just a s---t stirrer ?

__________
David-LV

[Robert Goren]

Robert,

One question?

Do you ever make a bet or are you just a s---t stirrer ?

__________
David-LV I am very small better. I am retired and follow horse racing closely. It is not hard to see what is wrong with the game. Almost none of the track give a hoot about the gambler. All I hear about is the horsemen. Time will tell if I am right about Monmouth Park. I think it probably find away to run next year although that is far from certain. Beyond that the future is pretty bleak. I have seen a concrete plan for it. I have a lot of bitching about NJ politics and how the casinos run thing there. Some people commenting about how local governments won't allow OTBs or OTWs to open. None of which will change anything. You and fellow NJ racing supporters need to come up with a plan that the NJ politicians will get behind. A racino isn't going to fly and neither is another subsidy form the casinos. Calling me names isn't going to change that.

[Robert Goren]

[QUOTE=Robert Goren][QUOTE=castaway01]
He said no such thing. Gov Chrsitie wishes the racing industry to operate on it's own...Menaing, without casino subsidies.He stated that it would be leased next year. In any case has anyone with any power come with a plan that would allow for Monmouth park to run without subsidies or turning it into a racino. Anybody that thinks that local governments are suddenly going welcome OTWs with open arms has been smoking some mighty fine weed.

[onefast99]

[QUOTE=thespaah][QUOTE=Robert Goren]He stated that it would be leased next year. In any case has anyone with any power come with a plan that would allow for Monmouth park to run without subsidies or turning it into a racino. Anybody that thinks that local governments are suddenly going welcome OTWs with open arms has been smoking some mighty fine weed.
The NJSEA can't comment on any plan they may be working on as of this moment, why? Because they are bound by the casino revenue agreement until December 31st 2010. I am sure they are working on something that will be put in front of the Governor in time for the horseman to get things in order to run at MP in May 2011. Don't forget the $1m a day plan was hatched overnight and everyone was able to prepare for this years meet and it ended up as a decent one. You are spot on about the OTW's it isn't easy to find locations for them but a new tactic may be used where the host town receives a share of the revenue. This is being discussed and will be brought up at the next gaming summit in late September. As of this moment I do not know what those incentives would entail.

[Canarsie]

[QUOTE=castaway01][QUOTE=Robert Goren]It may be BS, but please enlighten me as to what I has said that is inaccurate. The governor has already said the state of NJ will not operate it next year. I have not heard of anyone trying to lease it for next year. If someone does, maybe it has a chance. Perhaps someone on this board knows of someone that I haven't heard about.

Boy you really are clueless. Does any Governor stand by what they say 100% of the time? :bang:

Stick with Nebraska please Sweeney and Christie need each other for 4 years. Sweeney has a hard enough time with his own party now and the Republicans from Monmouth (most of them) are on the tracks side.

Monmouth talks it's a money county and trends Republican.

[The_Knight_Sky]

Nice picture.

Thank you.
It's a historic track with beautiful people such as Carol Cedeno for instance:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4580267604_efc7690740_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_knight_sky/4580267604/)



Aycee racing in the autumn would work for several reasons.
It makes too much sense to throw away Atlantic City race course.

NJ horsemen need more racing opportunities throughout the year
The one week spring meet was surprisingly well attended by the locals in 2010
The mid-atlantic horsemen have additional opportunities to make the easy ship
The owner Greenwood Racing holds a Racing License - not an OTW license for the facility
Monmouth Park must be unburdened from carrying the entire load of the NJ thoroughbred industry

[mountainman]

At some point, states will cut casino franchises loose from racing. It's inevitable. No dad can insist forever that guys dating his sexy daughter drag her plain sister along on dates.

[Tom]

The question being asked will soon be, "What does the track do for the casino side? Why do we need it?"

They don't.


pssst, Bobby.....NEVER say anything negative about Monmouth...it is hallowed ground! :rolleyes::lol:

[Canadian]

Once someone figures out how Racinos can get rid of the racing side of the business, the flood gates will open. Predicting when and where in the next five years or so is next to imposable, but in ten years a racino will be a rare bird.


I bet you it won't be.

[billyball]

What about Canterbury? This is an article from August 30th 2010 Minneapolis Star & Tribune.

Horse track is up against the odds

One of the state's top thoroughbred breeders fears Canterbury could close in three years if it doesn't increase purses. A vigorous lobbying effort is planned to get state OK for slots.

It broke Jamie Ness' heart to sell his Minnesota home. The South Dakota native found his calling as a horse trainer at Canterbury Park and made his reputation there, but when he crunched the numbers, the Shakopee track simply did not pay high enough purses for him to make a living.

~~read the rest at the link~~


http://www.startribune.com/sports/101771023.html?page=1&c=y

[billyball]

Another article about Canterbury.


Posted: Thursday, August 26, 2010 11:32

Drug positives at Canterbury Park spike this summer




by Frank Angst

In reading the long list of recent penalties handed to trainers who violated medication rules this summer at Canterbury Park, some might wonder if there is a single honest horsemen remaining at the Shakopee, Minnesota, track, but those horsemen believe changes in testing that were not communicated to them created the problem.

Just since July 23, Minnesota Racing Commission stewards have announced 48 drug positives, 45 in Thoroughbreds and three in Quarter Horses. Horsemen and the track suspect testing procedure or equipment changes have necessitated changes in withdrawal times that they say have not been forwarded to them.

After the Canterbury meeting started on May 14, there were three drug positives in June, a rather average month. But track officials and horsemen say that number spiked to at least 57 in July and could go as high as 60.

~~read the rest at the link~~


http://thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2010/august/26/drug-positives-at-canterbury-park-spike-this-summer.aspx

[Canadian]

One thing that is hurting but in the end might help some of these tracks is the tanking economy. The land that the tracks are on will not be as appealing as it once was for developers.

[Steve 'StatMan']

The Thoroughbred Race Track Ghoul Pool.

[The_Knight_Sky]

The Thoroughbred Race Track Ghoul Pool.


There should be a similar poll created for each and every Harness Track also.

That's a lot of competition staying trying to stay afloat in the modern market.

[Aerocraft67]

Looks like Suffolk is the bottom of the heap. I compared this list to the HANA list, which is ranked by player favorability. This list (80) is longer than HANA's (69), and does not include Canadian tracks. HANA lumps California racing fairs together.

Suffolk (#64 on HANA, #1 here) and Pinnacle (#68 on HANA, #3 on closing) rank poorly on both lists, but a few tracks are inversely correlated, if you will. That is, the tracks have favorable HANA scores yet are regarded as most likely to close. Ellis Park is #2 on the likely-to-close survey list, yet #6 on HANA's favorable-to-play list. Retama is #6 on the likely-to-close list, yet #10 on the HANA list. Some other HANA/closing ranks:

Sam Houston 24/13
Hollywood 15/17
Turfway 11/19

I notice Retama has 10-cent trifectas and 12% takeout on small horizontal wagers. I guess these conspicuously bettor-accessible measures reflect desperation more than aggressive measures to attract punters?

The 82 survey respondents selected 1321 tracks, an average of 16 tracks each.

[tzipi]

Manor Downs is already gone.

Manor Downs held Live Aid 2 and The Greateful Dead concerts. Another race track blown into the wind of history.

[GatetoWire]

Very few Harness Track will close......almost all of them...except for the Meadowlands and the Chicago tracks are all Slot fueled Racino's.

It's sad that the one track (the Meadowlands) that could actually support a solid Harness meet can't compete now because the horse population is now spread out at slot tracks in PA, NY and DE.

All the best horses now race at slot fueled tracks whose own handles couldn't even cover the purse money for 1 race let alone a whole card!!!

[The_Knight_Sky]

Very few Harness Track will close......almost all of them...except for the Meadowlands and the Chicago tracks are all Slot fueled Racino's.

All the best horses now race at slot fueled tracks whose own handles couldn't even cover the purse money for 1 race let alone a whole card!!!





Which is very problematic for the future of horse racing.
The growing saturation of casino gaming in each region is not likely
to allow for these same lofty purse structures.

The piece of the pie will be shrinking for sure.

Currently not many racinos are planning for their future by promoting their horse racing product. Something that will be required to stay afloat as soon as five years from now - or less.

Installing slots on the racetrack offers a chance to right horse racing's ship.
But the window of opportunity is closing rapidly.

[tzipi]

Installing slots on the racetrack offers a chance to right horse racing's ship.
But the window of opportunity is closing rapidly.

Does Philly or Penn National have the casino? If Philly does well they did $65,000 in on track handle today and $55,000 yesterday. Slots righting their ship?

[Steve 'StatMan']

Does Philly or Penn National have the casino? If Philly does well they did $65,000 in on track handle today and $55,000 yesterday. Slots righting their ship?

Both have casinos. Also Presque Isle, the 3rd Pa. TB track, has slots.

[Robert Goren]

Penn National maybe the sorriest excuse for a race track in the history of the sport. Their problems with gambling issues such as past posting have been discussed here many times.

[proximity]

Does Philly or Penn National have the casino?

pen has a casino and the words "penn national race course" are even printed right on the chips!!

[turfnsport]

True....but we are not going to create new players overnight....so for now we are left with each track battling to gain our attention.


The problem is, it is rare they do anything to get our attention, at least in a positive way.

[andtheyreoff]

For the 32 who voted for Laurel, you, alas, have been proven correct.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/racing-news/2010/november/03/maryland-jockey-club-plans-to-cease-live-racing-at-laurel-park.aspx

[Rackon]

Although nothing in racing is certain, any predictino of demise for Hoosier Park and Indiana Downs are vastly premature. Purses are way up, and the casinos, especially at Hoosier are doing well. There are kinks to work out, but the fall HP meet was excellent.

[bisket]

don't be suprised to eventually hear that pimlico will be rebuilt, and will have a casino..... keep in mind that racing in md has turned a profit just about every year.

[thaskalos]

Although nothing in racing is certain, any predictino of demise for Hoosier Park and Indiana Downs are vastly premature. Purses are way up, and the casinos, especially at Hoosier are doing well. There are kinks to work out, but the fall HP meet was excellent.I would be more enthusiastic about the effect of the racinos on our sport, if I could find even one case where the racing product "caught up" to the elevated purses there.

IMO...wherever casinos are present, the racing is terrible - from a handicapper's point of view - with Penn National, Hoosier, and Mountaineer probably being the worst.

[Rackon]

But from an owner/breeder's POV, it is the best it's ever been, and the quality of fields is better over-all.
The first few years of B racing at HP was much - MUCH - worse.

Keep in mind that the harness meets are a big part of these two tracks.

Besides, where other than HP could I stand next to Baffert and watch the Lady's Secret? Now THAT was fun.

[thaskalos]

Besides, where other than HP could I stand next to Baffert and watch the Lady's Secret? Now THAT was fun.Was his wife there too? That would have made it even more fun! :)

[Cardus]

Without Zenyatta, how will Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar survive? I shutter to think.

[GatetoWire]

But from an owner/breeder's POV, it is the best it's ever been, and the quality of fields is better over-all.
The first few years of B racing at HP was much - MUCH - worse.

Keep in mind that the harness meets are a big part of these two tracks.

Besides, where other than HP could I stand next to Baffert and watch the Lady's Secret? Now THAT was fun.

I agree that the owners, trainers, jockeys etc make out like bandits with casino funded purses but what Magna is telling you is that if the track owners don't get a cut of the slot money that they can't make ends meet.

Even if the purses rise in Maryland, Magna is telling you that the handle on the races will not support the infrastructure to race at Laurel and Pimlico year round.

It's great that we can funnel slot money into the everyone's pockets but do we really need Laurel/Pimlico, Charles Town, Penn National, Delaware Park, Philly Park, Monmouth and NYRA all within a 5-6 hour drive of each other?

Slots just skew the natural market by propping up tracks that can't support themselves.

Economics should dictate that we have 3 tracks only.
NY, Philadelphia and Baltimore/Washington are the only population basis large enough to support the tracks.

These extra slot fueled tracks just weaken the overall industry by diluting the horse population making every track's product mediocre.

[KingChas]

Which tracks will close in the next 15 years?

We might not even recognize these names 15 years from now.

New Poll,
Who's going to the YumYum Casino Racecourse in upstate NY for the month of August in 2025?
:eek:

[KingChas]

Wall-Mart Downs and Casino.
Full 4 horse fields,4 live races every Friday for the month of June.
Can't wait....................... :faint: :lol:

[cj's dad]

Is going to cancel live racing in 2011. A 40 day meet at Pimlico around the
Preakness.

Laurel Park to be open for OTB purposes only.

Idiots !! Laurel Park is MUCH nicer than Pimlico and situated in a better location. The track can have a chute added to make a 1 & 3/16 race runnable.

[dccprez]

...Apparently there are a handful of people who need to double the dosage of whatever it is they're taking;

- Churchill, Saratoga, Belmont and Gulfstream have votes.

Saratoga?!?! The Cash Cow of NYRA? Seriously?

Belmont Park? Really? A Triple Crown venue, NYRA's "big boy", the absolute GIANT of American race tracks...

(...although I guess that you could say that if NYRA flouders then all of the NYRA tracks would disappear which would include both of the above...)

The other two have their own built-in "no-fail" factors...

I know that this is all speculative and, I think, intended to be "in fun". I also recognize that in order to be fair, ALL of the tracks need to be listed. But to actually vote for them? Maybe those were "joke" votes...But I can't see those four going by the wayside unless racing and wagering are elminated in totality. Right?

[The_Knight_Sky]

A 40 day meet at Pimlico around the Preakness.




Well at least Pimlico is adapting to the hand they've been dealt.

I've mentioned this before....
A marriage between Pimlico and Monmouth Park with a spring-summer
Elite meets would help each other in the short-term.

Since Laurel may not have slots in the interim, NJ won't either.
That means a major reductions in live racing dates in both states for 2011.

A dual Spring (Pimlico) - Summer (Monmouth Park) meet would keep the continuity in the mid-atlantic and stir up national interest that is otherwise not possible.

[Robert Goren]

...Apparently there are a handful of people who need to double the dosage of whatever it is they're taking;

- Churchill, Saratoga, Belmont and Gulfstream have votes.

Churchill like all Kentucky tracks are in trouble. As soon as next year they might be down to two. Any track that is or becomes a racino is on the endangered list. Unless there is a major shift in the way race tracks do business, there will be very few tracks in 15 years. It is all about the shrinking customer base.

[The_Knight_Sky]

.... there will be very few tracks in 15 years.

It is all about the shrinking customer base.



It's all about gluttony. There should never have been 176 racetracks built
in the U.S.A in the first place. How can horse racing be a sport of national interest if the American customers are fragmented in 176 pieces.

As of 2005 (http://www.ifhaonline.org/wageringDisplay.asp?section=12&CK=E&YR=2005&key=56) :

Number of Race Courses: 176

Number of Races
TOTAL 105,289

Different horses having run
TOTAL 94,265

[cj's dad]

If you like laurel Park , which I do !

Maryland Jockey Club to curtail operations

Group to cut live racing at Laurel, shift to 40-day racing at Pimlico

Maryland's horse racing interests have warned for years that the industry's long tradition would come to an end without the legalization of slot machine gambling in the state.

They just never imagined the slots casino would rise in the parking lot of Arundel Mills mall — instead of at the thoroughbred tracks. But that is exactly what is planned after Anne Arundel County voters passed a ballot measure Tuesday approving the mall casino 10 miles from the Laurel Park racetrack.

The Maryland Jockey Club, the operator of Laurel Park and Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course (http://findlocal.baltimoresun.com/pimlico/home/na/pimlico-race-course-baltimore-venue), spent millions of dollars in a failed effort to defeat the ballot question. On Wednesday, the Jockey Club reiterated plans to significantly curtail its racing operations, a move that horsemen, breeders and industry supporters say could deal a death blow to the state's thoroughbred tradition.State officials, including Gov. Martin O'Malley (http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/politics/government/martin-omalley-PEPLT007459.topic), have made overtures about saving the dwindling industry, and racing officials said they would explore ways to keep it viable, but a plan has yet to emerge. Some are pinning their hopes on David Cordish, the Baltimore developer of the mall casino, buying the tracks and turning them around. But the owners say the tracks aren't for sale.
The Jockey Club's plan, which must be reviewed by the state's racing commission, would be to eliminate live racing at Laurel Park and turn the facility into an off-track betting site. It also would close a Bowie training center. And it would run a 40-day annual meet at Pimlico around the Preakness Stakes — a schedule too short to sustain the industry in the state, according to racing boosters.

more here:


http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-slots-horse-racing-20101103,0,6971068.story

[Rackon]

I agree that the owners, trainers, jockeys etc make out like bandits with casino funded purses but what Magna is telling you is that if the track owners don't get a cut of the slot money that they can't make ends meet.

Even if the purses rise in Maryland, Magna is telling you that the handle on the races will not support the infrastructure to race at Laurel and Pimlico year round.

It's great that we can funnel slot money into the everyone's pockets but do we really need Laurel/Pimlico, Charles Town, Penn National, Delaware Park, Philly Park, Monmouth and NYRA all within a 5-6 hour drive of each other?

Slots just skew the natural market by propping up tracks that can't support themselves.

Economics should dictate that we have 3 tracks only.
NY, Philadelphia and Baltimore/Washington are the only population basis large enough to support the tracks.

These extra slot fueled tracks just weaken the overall industry by diluting the horse population making every track's product mediocre.

I can only speak for Indiana tracks, since that's what I have most knowledge about and know the gory details of its history here.

Our parimutual law was passed in tandem with our riverboat statutes, and we're structured a bit differently from some states. Hoosier horsemen, surrounded by parimutual states, worked for 30 years to get a track in Indiana. In our size market, there should have been one track. And there was. Life was good.

A few years after HP was established, political maneuvering got a second track approved, which many of us opposed. Pie was still same size, now divided into many more pieces, not good without making pie bigger. Expanded gaming was coming no matter what the tracks did, we tried to make sure the land casinos were at least gonna be at the tracks. Even though 2 tracks near Indy is one too many, it's a fact.

We'd be doing fine, except the idgit legislature thinks a casino license is woth $250 mil each.