Take A Newbie to the Track Day?

[elhelmete]

Just curious how many of us here have done this...intentionally invited (and even paid for) a true newbie to attend a day of live racing at your local racetrack?

[turninforhome10]

Any Wed or Thurs I have off, I would be willing to take on a newbie at Penn National. PM me for any interest.

[sovereign]

I've done this with my co-worker last July. He really enjoyed it at Belmont. He plays $5 Show bet parlays. But he doesn't yet know how to handicap or even read a form. He depends on the guys at work to handicap for him. If anything, he'll play the heavy favorite for show because he is being influenced by the wrong person.

Me: always looking for 4-1 or more best sing bet of the day for a win bet
Gerry: always plays the heavy favorites in the doubles and the favorite on top in exotics
Enrique: a numbers guy, always plays 4/5 exacta box and funny names

We plan to go see the Belmont Stakes this year.

[Mr. Nobody]

Have done it several times. No one has ever asked to go back. OTBs are depressing, and there's too much time between races at the live tracks so people universally get bored, even at great tracks like Saratoga and Santa Anita.

[elhelmete]

I'm lucky in that I live near Santa Anita (although I would still do it anywhere) and it's a beautiful place to take someone. Del Mar ain't bad either and IMHO Hollywood is more decent than it gets credit for.

My staff is about 90 people and I do 1-2 group outings a year. Anywhere from 15 to 35 people attend. Of that group, maybe 70% have been first-timers. If they're new, I usually buy them a $5 voucher or something. Santa Anita takes fantastic care of us.

Now, four years into this, a hard core group of about 10 of us bought into a syndicate and we go a lot. Maybe 2-4 non-syndicate people usually join us when we run a horse.

In all, if I think about it, I have probably "converted" two to four people who were previously non-fans/players into fans/players.

[PhantomOnTour]

I'm lucky in that I live near Santa Anita (although I would still do it anywhere) and it's a beautiful place to take someone. Del Mar ain't bad either and IMHO Hollywood is more decent than it gets credit for.

My staff is about 90 people and I do 1-2 group outings a year. Anywhere from 15 to 35 people attend. Of that group, maybe 70% have been first-timers. If they're new, I usually buy them a $5 voucher or something. Santa Anita takes fantastic care of us.

Now, four years into this, a hard core group of about 10 of us bought into a syndicate and we go a lot. Maybe 2-4 non-syndicate people usually join us when we run a horse.

In all, if I think about it, I have probably "converted" two to four people who were previously non-fans/players into fans/players.
Right on :ThmbUp:

I too have taken a few newbies. Most never return. Last year i went with a group of newbies to Evangeline Downs for a Fri night card. Sat in the clubhouse (admission is free but you have a $20 food and bev minimum...no problem).
We had fun betting and won some money, but the service and amenities in the clubhouse were enough to make most of them never come back. Very few live tellers, like two. Newbies dont know how to use the SAMs, and i don't have time to take each one up there myself. It's very easy for a newbie to tell the clerk they want $4 across on #6, not so easy with a machine and it's vast menu. Drinks took forever...i mean foreverrrrrrr.
Despite the money won, and it wasn't too much (maybe $25 profit for each of us) i don't see the majority of that group returning.
There's more to it (for a newbie) than just winning.

[Figaro]

Still consider myself a newbie even though my first visit to the racetrack was back in 1989. I've been dabbling with horses and poker for years; however, it wasn't until last year I truly got consumed with the "dark side" of horses and gambling.

As a newbie, I will be taking some "absolute newbies" to Woodbine for the Queen's Plate on Sunday June 24th here. Everyone gets dressed up and the ladies wear those fancy hats just like they do for the Kentucky Derby.

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/party/style/womens-attire

I encourage this day for newbies because there just tons of beautiful women or "eye candy" for your single male friends to gawk at the racetrack. :ThmbUp: LOL