Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board

Go Back   Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board


View Single Post
Old 03-20-2024, 01:42 PM   #15
bisket
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,516
Quote:
Originally Posted by dilanesp View Post
I didn't want to say this, but this is right.

Look, we're most likely not going to have racing in California in a few years, except maybe Del Mar and perhaps a fair meet or two. The economics don't work anymore.

But if we ARE to save racing in California, if it is saveable, we can only have one circuit. I would have preferred that this would have included northern California, and that we had done this when Hollywood Park closed, with a return to the pre-1960's single circuit where we move between the South and the North. But the horsemen threw a temper tantrum so we got a Los Al meet nobody wanted instead.

So it's either we let Santa Anita have its chance to consolidate everything in Southern California along with Del Mar, or we close Santa Anita and just go into the death spiral.

EDIT: And BTW, this is mostly a problem of costs (our labor costs are HUGE) and geography (we have to basically operate on our own island because we are so far away from any other major racing circuit, whereas New York benefits from being interconnected with Maryland, Pennsylvania, Florida, etc.). It's not because we are a lefty state (although in the LONG TERM, there's a possibility that we ban horse racing because of our politics).
The economics of racing are returning to a time before mutual pools became legalized and other forms of gambling were illegal. Racing competes with all forms of gambling. It will survive where tax payers think it's important. States that racing is historically important will do what needs to be done to keep tracks open. Racing in California actively didn't want to get involved with casino gambling, and it has come back to haunt them. It allowed politicians to mimic those thoughts. A tax on internet gambling could assist the tracks, but 1st racing needs to actively start looking at alternatives. Instead of looking for alternatives 1st racing's reaction is similar to Benny Hill's comedic schtick, "we stuck our finger in our ear and sang tinga linga loo".
bisket is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
 
» Advertisement
» Current Polls
Wh deserves to be the favorite? (last 4 figures)
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:44 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 1999 - 2023 -- PaceAdvantage.Com -- All Rights Reserved
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.