Quote:
Originally Posted by the little guy
They run about 20 races, maximum, a week in Hong Kong. Your constant attempts to compare their racing to ours is so idiotic that it's impossible to believe you aren't trolling. I give you credit, it's a decent troll, but it's threadbare at this point.
Move on.
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Your statement about making attempts to compare HK to US is a little concerning. Most people who have taken any kind of writing course have probably done a comparison and contrast exercise. As a journalist, I assume you understand comparison and contrast. If not, that would be a surprise.
It's useful to compare and contrast jurisdictions. If one track is doing better than another a study of contrasts might explain why one is successful while the other is struggling.
HK has 20 races per week. NYRA has, what, about 50 on average?
HK averages about 12 horses per race.
AQU had an average of 7 betting interests today (Saturday, April 20) -- 64 betting interests and 65 horses, if I counted correctly. Race 1 had a coupled entry. Two races were turf races with 9 and 10 horses. The rest of the dirt races had betting interests that looked like this: 5,5,5,7,7,6,7. That's an average of 6 betting interests for Saturday dirt racing at AQU.
On Wednesday, April 17 AQU had just over 6 betting interests per race. Three races had coupled entries with 6, 7, and 7 horses. AQU gets slot subsidies. They can only get 6 betting interests on average per race? Who would want to bet on that product? Apparently, someone.
HK allows NO race day medication. NYRA allows race day medication. Probably not as liberal as KY, though.
HK monitors the stables closely. NYRA? It's amazing how lax security is at the SAR stables.
HK runs mainly geldings in handicap races with some Group 1 and stakes races. NYRA runs modestly-priced claiming races on the low end to world-class stakes races on the high end.
As far as the contrasts go then, perhaps these are the areas NYRA could focus on the achieve more horses per race and larger handle:
1. Reduce the number of race days -- perhaps even run seasonal racing.
2. Allow horses to run uncoupled.
3. Run more turf races by shifting racing between between BEL and AQU regularly rather than seasonally.
4. Ban race day drugs.
5. Create a handicap division.
