more = less | Georgia may host horse racing

[The_Knight_Sky]

Georgia Horse Racing Resolution Introduced (http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/61237/georgia-horse-racing-resolution-introduced) by Esther Marr

HR 186 would require net revenues and proceeds generated by horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering in Georgia to go into their own unique category of the state budget entitled “Pari-mutuel Wagering Proceeds.”

The revenues from this budget category could only be used to supplement, not supplant, state funding for education grants, scholarships, or loans; voluntary pre-kindergarten programs; and trauma care services. :faint:

[Mineshaft]

if it does pass wonder where the track would be what city?

[5k-claim]

Shipping in to race from Lexington to Atlanta wouldn't be a bad trip.

[Grits]

Easy, easy trip. Still, good luck, on it working out in the GA. legislature. And this would be AFTER the public's voting for or against it.

[depalma113]

Off I95 just north of the Florida border.

[The_Knight_Sky]

Call me skeptical but I think reminds me of the seeds of Texas racing
all over again. A road currently littered with unfulfilled promises.

Back in the late 80's The Birmingham Turf Club met a quick demise,
so I'm not at all sure about this plan for their neighboring state.
One thing I am certain however is that the takeout rates
will automatically be set somewhere between 19% and 29%. :p

If Georgia wants to blaze new trails they should come up with something bold
enough, something irresistible to captivate the nation. As their success
will be dictated by the established horseplayers wagering into their pools.

They cannot start up with a non-existent fan base who know
next to nothing about handicapping and wagering and expect to survive.
Local newbies have two chances to succeed at the modern takeout rates:
Zero and None.

[depalma113]

Horse racing is just an excuse to bring in poker rooms.

[5k-claim]

Good points.

If I were opening a new track I would definitely pay close attention to takeout, and ask the government to please do the same, to be more attractive to the betting population. It would certainly help to open with a splash. But I am not opening a new track.

I can say with confidence that guys from Kentucky would ship down to Atlanta to race if the purses were halfway decent.

Thanks for the daydream.

Now unfortunately, back to reality....

Call me skeptical but I think reminds me of the seeds of Texas racing
all over again. A road currently littered with unfulfilled promises.

Back in the late 80's The Birmingham Turf Club met a quick demise,
so I'm not at all sure about this plan for their neighboring state.
One thing I am certain however is that the takeout rates
will automatically be set somewhere between 19% and 29%. :p

If Georgia wants to blaze new trails they should come up with something bold
enough, something irresistible to captivate the nation. As their success
will be dictated by the established horseplayers wagering into their pools.

They cannot start up with a non-existent fan base who know
next to nothing about handicapping and wagering and expect to survive.
Local newbies have two chances to succeed at the modern takeout rates:
Zero and None.

[Cardus]

Hazzard County is my guess.

[Cardus]

Off I95 just north of the Florida border.

Are you thinking Brunswick?

[Canarsie]

If Georgia passes this it's because the Hope Scholarship Program is in dire trouble.

http://www.top-colleges.com/blog/2011/01/10/georgia-faces-possibility-of-eliminating-popular-hope-scholarship-program/

No politician wants to eliminate such a popular perk that most parents look forward to from the birth of their first child.

[Canarsie]

Are you thinking Brunswick?


Brunswick might be too long a ride from Jacksonville. There's lots of land just north of Kingsland with a nice amount of accommodations and places to eat.

[Robert Goren]

I do not believe any state gets very much tax revenue from horse racing anymore. Nebraska(where I live) barely gets enough to cover the regulatory body's expenses watching over horse racing. If Georgia is looking for a revenue stream, they need to look elsewhere. They aren't going to get it from horse racing. That golden egg laying goose was killed off years ago.

[Grits]

Driving from Hallandale Beach home to Carolina on Monday--12 hours straight thru. It may be that only in the Atlanta metro region would horsemen find a good point for shipping horses down I 75 from Kentucky and I 85 from points north. Too, one could take I 95 down to Florence, SC, then take I 20 into Atlanta. Easy drive there. Horses from Tampa, Calder, Gulfstream or Ocala would have easy shipping northward with Jacksonville, Fl being a hub point.

Forget Georgia's I-95 route, there's only two cities on it, Savannah and Brunswick, and neither scream "horseracing." Savannah's good for Paula Deen fans and beautiful old architecture, that's 'bout it. Maybe along with Tybee, St.Simon's and Cumberland Islands. :lol:

[depalma113]

There is already a horse track going in just south of the Georgia border in Jasper FL. Hamilton Downs will race both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. That pretty much dooms a track in south Georgia on I75. The next logical place would be to put it just north of the Florida border on I95, most likely Kingsland.

It is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Ocala to the Georgia border on I95. That is a much easier ship than the 6 hours going from Lexington to Atlanta. There is a major international airport north of Jacksonville. For the 2 million plus residents of Jacksonville area, it is only a 20 minute or so drive to the border, much easier than an hour or more drive to Jasper. Even from as far north as Charleston SC, it's only a a 3 1/2 hour drive.

Most importantly, both have the major infrastructure, but the land is far cheaper in South Georgia.

I'm sure they would want to open a track in Atlanta, but just north of the FL border on I95 would be quicker to open and has a potential to pull from a very large population.

[5k-claim]

This is fine. But I would still look forward to a track in Atlanta. The ship from Lexington (or Lousiville) to Atlanta would be easier than the one to Mountaineer Park. And that is a trip that is made regularly.

Plus, the state of Tennessee would hopefully get tired of watching horses from the Bluegrass ride through their state and then stop over at Atlanta. (Using the same logic Georgia is using.)


There is already a horse track going in just south of the Georgia border in Jasper FL. Hamilton Downs will race both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. That pretty much dooms a track in south Georgia on I75. The next logical place would be to put it just north of the Florida border on I95, most likely Kingsland.

It is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Ocala to the Georgia border on I95. That is a much easier ship than the 6 hours going from Lexington to Atlanta. There is a major international airport north of Jacksonville. For the 2 million plus residents of Jacksonville area, it is only a 20 minute or so drive to the border, much easier than an hour or more drive to Jasper. Even from as far north as Charleston SC, it's only a a 3 1/2 hour drive.

Most importantly, both have the major infrastructure, but the land is far cheaper in South Georgia.

I'm sure they would want to open a track in Atlanta, but just north of the FL border on I95 would be quicker to open and has a potential to pull from a very large population.