New TOC President Lou Raffetto to be interviewed this morning.

[andymays]

The Tracks have asked for approval on a low takeout Daily Double of 15.43% and a decrease in the exacta takeout. It's been 15 days since the request was sent but still no response from the TOC. Maybe he will say something about that on the radio this morning.

At 7:45 am he’s on with Jason Levin. The show goes from 7am to 8am pst.

http://racingjason.com/

He is also on with Roger Stein during his show from 8:00 am to 9:00 am pst.

http://www.am830klaa.com/

[DJofSD]

Who is the new guy? What's his background -- lawyer by any chance?

[andymays]

Who is the new guy? What's his background -- lawyer by any chance?

He knows his way around a Track and has had many jobs in racing. We met with him a couple of weeks ago and he is a likeable guy. The big question is whether or not he can call the shots on his own. He's running out of time.

[affirmedny]

He knows his way around a Track and has had many jobs in racing. We met with him a couple of weeks ago and he is a likeable guy. The big question is whether or not he can call the shots on his own. He's running out of time.

he's a good guy but so was the captain of the Titanic

[andymays]

Disappointing comments from Lou. :bang:

[rwwupl]

Lou,

When you complain that the letter to the TOC about the track proposal to lower the take out got into the public arena, you said that was silly and not right. Most would say that was transparency at work, and that is good. What is wrong with the tracks wanting to make the game more attractive to the customers? That is a diversion from the real issue.

Calling the proposal silly is kind of presumptuous of the TOC when the TOC does not have the responsibility of the tracks. Indicating that the TOC will evaluate "what makes sense" is sort of saying the tracks do not know what they are doing.

1072 is showing "purses up, handle down"... it is unsustainable...the record is CLEAR. Could costs to maintain horses in California be at the root of the problem? Why not work on that, instead of passing excess on to the customers?

If the TOC thinks that they are the ultimate leader of California racing, then lets look at the record since 1072 was installed at the first of the year. The leadership of the TOC leaves a lot to be desired per the record.

Lou, the TOC policies are self serving and do not consider the industry as a whole.

Please get with reality

Roger

[takeout]

he's a good guy but so was the captain of the TitanicWell stated. The TOC has got to go.

[DJofSD]

How 'bout a little 1960's style cheer: hey hey, ho ho, the TOC has go to go! Hey hey, ho ho, the TOC has got to go!

[Stillriledup]

Is there any text of what he said, or do i have to listen to the show archive? Thanks.

[andymays]

http://www.insidesocal.com/horseracing/

Excerpt:


The TOC continues to ignore the fact that horse racing needs three separate entities to succeed -- the owners, the bettors (fans) and the race tracks. It's a beautiful sport when all three are working together, but it can be frustrating and harmful when one of the three is looking out only for itself.

The TOC needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Lower the takeout before it's too late. We're not watching the movie "Wall Street." Unlike what Gordon Gekko told us, greed is not good.

[jelly]

I heard Lou on the radio and he sounded like a whiner,kept saying Cal. takeout was just as erroneous as other tracks. :sleeping:


He didn't think lower takeout would increase handle.

Only willing to talk about takeout because of preasure from tracks and players.

Sounds like he's amenable to lowering two-horse wagers but not three horse wagers.

On the pk 5 he hasn't been told what to say yet.

Not interested in open and transparent negotiating's.


I don't think Lou will last long out there.Good luck Andy.

[andymays]

One of the great things about interviews with the TOC is that the Leaders, whoever they might be, never fail to disappoint 90% of the people listening or reading the interview. The interviews by Lou were no exception.

Lou said “Three Leg wagers are the lowest or near the lowest in the Country.” WRONG!

Trifectas and the P6 takeouts are the 18th lowest in the Country. Superfectas are 19th. P4’s and P3’s are 23rd and 24th. If you’re going to talk takeout you should have your so called “advisors’ brief you on the facts Lou. Maybe Obama will loan you his teleprompter.

Lou said “handle has done well at Del Mar.” WRONG AGAIN!

(Figures are from Equibase charts and done by a Horseplayer with the initials of R.N.)

Wednesday 2010 handled about 7,405,409 while the same day this year handled only 6,192,392. How is that good Lou?

Thursday 2010 handled about 7,097,914 while the same day this year handled only 6,185,627. How is that good Lou?

Friday 2010 handled about 8,453,037 while the same day this year handled only 7,730,653. How is that good Lou?

Saturday 2010 handled about 15,946,003 while the same day this year handled only 11,665,385. How is that good Lou?




Finally Lou, in the earlier interview you took a little shot at Joe Harper making light of a quote from him. You owe him and Del Mar an apology. Just because he went public supporting his Customers by advocating lower takeout by saying “all we have to do is flip on a switch” doesn’t mean he should be ridiculed for saying that. Joe has become a Hero to many Horseplayers who have never heard any Executive from a major racing jurisdiction speak that way. WRONG AGAIN Lou!

You also took a shot at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita and called their proposal “silly” and that “nobody ran the numbers”. What’s silly Lou is that you walk in without knowing what you’re talking about and knock a good faith proposal. A proposal by the way that seems pretty fair to me. As far as the Exactas go we would like to see them lowered by 2% but we would appreciate it if the TOC gave back 2% of their new found entitlement. You know you were spinning the deal by saying “The TOC will give back 1% if the Tracks give 1%. Shame on you Lou! What’s wrong with a little shared sacrifice Lou? What’s wrong with treating the other sides of the “Triangle” with some sense of fairness? Maybe it’s time that the Tracks united with their Customers and the majority of Owners and Trainers who feel like the TOC is an adversary and not a partner?

Lowering the Daily Doubles to 15.43% is an awesome idea, not just because it’s a super low takeout but it will significantly increase handle on those pools and attract more Customers to California Racing.

Del Mar asked for lower Daily Doubles and Exactas at the beginning of the meet. The TOC has thrown them under the bus because they think everything is great and the purses are great. Handle aint so great Lou! It’s obvious that the TOC doesn’t care.

C’mon Lou, we had such great hopes for you. There’s nothing stopping you from correcting the record and doing the right thing today Lou. As I said in an earlier email “do the opposite of whatever your so called “advisors” tell you.

Sincerely,

Andy

[cj]

For years and years all I ever heard about Lou Rafetto is what a great guy he is. If he is one of the "great" guys, we are in big, big, BIG trouble.

[rwwupl]

One of the great things about interviews with the TOC is that the Leaders, whoever they might be, never fail to disappoint 90% of the people listening or reading the interview. The interviews by Lou were no exception.

Lou said “Three Leg wagers are the lowest or near the lowest in the Country.” WRONG!

Trifectas and the P6 takeouts are the 18th lowest in the Country. Superfectas are 19th. P4’s and P3’s are 23rd and 24th. If you’re going to talk takeout you should have your so called “advisors’ brief you on the facts Lou. Maybe Obama will loan you his teleprompter.

Lou said “handle has done well at Del Mar.” WRONG AGAIN!

(Figures are from Equibase charts and done by a Horseplayer with the initials of R.N.)

Wednesday 2010 handled about 7,405,409 while the same day this year handled only 6,192,392. How is that good Lou?

Thursday 2010 handled about 7,097,914 while the same day this year handled only 6,185,627. How is that good Lou?

Friday 2010 handled about 8,453,037 while the same day this year handled only 7,730,653. How is that good Lou?

Saturday 2010 handled about 15,946,003 while the same day this year handled only 11,665,385. How is that good Lou?




Finally Lou, in the earlier interview you took a little shot at Joe Harper making light of a quote from him. You owe him and Del Mar an apology. Just because he went public supporting his Customers by advocating lower takeout by saying “all we have to do is flip on a switch” doesn’t mean he should be ridiculed for saying that. Joe has become a Hero to many Horseplayers who have never heard any Executive from a major racing jurisdiction speak that way. WRONG AGAIN Lou!

You also took a shot at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita and called their proposal “silly” and that “nobody ran the numbers”. What’s silly Lou is that you walk in without knowing what you’re talking about and knock a good faith proposal. A proposal by the way that seems pretty fair to me. As far as the Exactas go we would like to see them lowered by 2% but we would appreciate it if the TOC gave back 2% of their new found entitlement. You know you were spinning the deal by saying “The TOC will give back 1% if the Tracks give 1%. Shame on you Lou! What’s wrong with a little shared sacrifice Lou? What’s wrong with treating the other sides of the “Triangle” with some sense of fairness? Maybe it’s time that the Tracks united with their Customers and the majority of Owners and Trainers who feel like the TOC is an adversary and not a partner?

Lowering the Daily Doubles to 15.43% is an awesome idea, not just because it’s a super low takeout but it will significantly increase handle on those pools and attract more Customers to California Racing.

Del Mar asked for lower Daily Doubles and Exactas at the beginning of the meet. The TOC has thrown them under the bus because they think everything is great and the purses are great. Handle aint so great Lou! It’s obvious that the TOC doesn’t care.

C’mon Lou, we had such great hopes for you. There’s nothing stopping you from correcting the record and doing the right thing today Lou. As I said in an earlier email “do the opposite of whatever your so called “advisors” tell you.

Sincerely,

Andy

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lou Raffetto,

Fact checks are important. We do have high hopes that Lou Raffetto will bring independent and clear thinking to the future of California racing, not just the warmed over excuses of the failed leadership of the recent past of the TOC.

We were disappointed to hear on radio Saturday, 8-6-11, more of the self serving reasoning that promotes the TOC position at the expense of others.

There is only one way that California racing will stop this slide into second rate status, and that is all interests must be served… with respect to each others position and everyone pulling for the good of the overall industry, not just their special interest.

The racetracks and their customers have made it clear what is necessary for them and this is no time to play obstructionist and urge you to get on board.

Lou, We still have high hopes for you, but do your own thinking. The racetracks or their customers are not the problem.

The TOC remains the problem and not the solution.

You could make a difference.

Sincerely,

Roger Way, HANA, California

roger@hanaweb.org

909-982-2405

[andymays]

For years and years all I ever heard about Lou Rafetto is what a great guy he is. If he is one of the "great" guys, we are in big, big, BIG trouble.

He totally went to the dark side yesterday. Just sent this out by email.


By the way Lou and company, the rankings by wager can be found at the link below. Have your “advisors” read it. It is a valuable resource. How is it that a group (H.A.N.A) with an annual budget of around $3,000 staffed by Volunteers can know this stuff but people in key positions in California Racing don’t? H.A.N.A. didn’t make the chart so they could know the takeout rates, they did it so spinmeisters like you and the TOC can know the facts before they speak to the public. As Ricky Ricardo once said to Loucy “you got some splainin to do” Lou!

What is the annual budget of the TOC? How big are those salaries?

Best,

Andy

HANA 2011 Track Ratings (click on the category of bet at the top to see where each Track Ranks)

http://www.horseplayersassociation.org/hanatrackratingsbytritakeout2011.html

[anotherCAfan]

Andy and Roger:

Don't know if you saw this article (http://www.insidesocal.com/horseracing/2011/08/it-was-a-good-first.html) from Los Angeles newspaper writer Art Wilson, off of his blog.

It pretty much jives with what you're saying. Keep up the pressure on the TOC...

[andymays]

Andy and Roger:

Don't know if you saw this article (http://www.insidesocal.com/horseracing/2011/08/it-was-a-good-first.html) from Los Angeles newspaper writer Art Wilson, off of his blog.

It pretty much jives with what you're saying. Keep up the pressure on the TOC...

Thanks, he quotes me in the article. ;)

[andymays]

Yesterday Del Mar was up about 725k but down over 6 million for the week according to Equibase. To be fair the Great Mare Zenyatta ran on Saturday last year so that explains the huge drop on Saturday. The bottom line is that down is down and it sure isn’t Del Mars fault. They asked for a reduction in Daily Doubles and Exactas at the beginning of the meet. Six days later Hollywood Park and Santa Anita sent out a proposal asking for the same thing. We now know that the TOC thinks the proposal was “silly” according to their President. What we have here is another meet with purses up and handle down. According to their President the purse accounts are overflowing with money. That’s all that matters right?

Where is the CHRB Chairman and Vice Chairman and why aren’t they speaking out in support of the Tracks and the Customers? Late last year the Vice Chairman told us that when they raised the takeout going to the Track would be more entertaining. It would be kinda like going to a Lakers game or a Dodgers game. Then the Chairman told us that the raise in takeout was great and that we would have more fun at the Track after they raised it. This year has been about as fun and entertaining as a kidney stone. You would think that they would weigh in on this dispute and help resolve it given their vocal support of SB 1072 last year. Why are they silent?

Del Mar had a big shot to break even with last year or show an increase in handle if the TOC had done what they asked. And it’s not like they only asked once. Joe Harper has asked publicly about every two days.

The drop in handle is all on the TOC.


Thanks,

Andy