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Old 07-25-2016, 03:35 PM   #1
RaceTrackDaddy
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Promises of improved racing not fullfilled in PA

Back in the early 2000’s we were promised a savior to horse racing in Pa. I can only reflect the effects or rather negative effects of slot legislation that changed racing into a corporation instead of small business operations.

I worked at the Meadows from 1971 to about 1994 and Adios Week was six days of racing with stake races on five of the six days of racing. Seven or more stake races were the norm back then on days that had stake racing.

We were promised that slot revenue would support the sport and breeding will produced more and better horses.

The results are that Adios WEEK has become Adios WEEKEND with six stake races on this Friday and I assume 14 or more stake races on Saturday.

The mom and pop stables can’t compete with the corporate stables that have hundreds of horses racing against other corporate stables across the country. It is this racing that I abhor where one stable enters half of the 12 entries into the Adios 50.

The decline of harness racing in Western Pa is on display this week at the Meadows. With that property being worth more in value in development, it will soon be history once the state legislators bleed the last amount of profit from racing’s revenue stream (slots profits). Enjoy it while you can.
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Old 07-25-2016, 08:36 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RaceTrackDaddy
Back in the early 2000’s we were promised a savior to horse racing in Pa. I can only reflect the effects or rather negative effects of slot legislation that changed racing into a corporation instead of small business operations.

I worked at the Meadows from 1971 to about 1994 and Adios Week was six days of racing with stake races on five of the six days of racing. Seven or more stake races were the norm back then on days that had stake racing.

We were promised that slot revenue would support the sport and breeding will produced more and better horses.

The results are that Adios WEEK has become Adios WEEKEND with six stake races on this Friday and I assume 14 or more stake races on Saturday.

The mom and pop stables can’t compete with the corporate stables that have hundreds of horses racing against other corporate stables across the country. It is this racing that I abhor where one stable enters half of the 12 entries into the Adios 50.

The decline of harness racing in Western Pa is on display this week at the Meadows. With that property being worth more in value in development, it will soon be history once the state legislators bleed the last amount of profit from racing’s revenue stream (slots profits). Enjoy it while you can.
I was at Penn National, I believe in 2004, when the track announcer let it be known that slots at the track were officially approved. The place broke out with enthusiasm.

I BOOOOOOOOOOOOOED like a child who just saw his favorite baseball player beaned.

Couple of the locals asked why I boooooooed. I told them, the game will go to shit. Races will suck, drop downs will be juiced and win at 1/2. Field sizes will shrink and eventually the slot money will be gone. They need to preserve the sport and grow the sport.

They looked at me like I had 14 heads.

Wish I could see those same people now and 10 years from now when their track is completely gone.

Sad.....
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Old 07-26-2016, 01:51 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by EMD4ME
I was at Penn National, I believe in 2004, when the track announcer let it be known that slots at the track were officially approved. The place broke out with enthusiasm.

I BOOOOOOOOOOOOOED like a child who just saw his favorite baseball player beaned.

Couple of the locals asked why I boooooooed. I told them, the game will go to shit. Races will suck, drop downs will be juiced and win at 1/2. Field sizes will shrink and eventually the slot money will be gone. They need to preserve the sport and grow the sport.

They looked at me like I had 14 heads.

Wish I could see those same people now and 10 years from now when their track is completely gone.

Sad.....
I fell your pain. I checked the entries for Saturday. They will have 17 races with 3 being overnights. A total of 20 stake races for all two and three year olds, both sexes and both gaits. I recall any way it was broken down, you would have about 7 races each night with about 8 horses each for the single designation ie 2yrpf then 7 for 2yrtf, 7 races for etc. That break down by sex,gait and age would have 8 different classes of stakes and many times had more than 7 races competing but just as an average, 56 races used to he held during Adios Week. Not so now.

Hate to blame slots but it sure didn't help the sport at all using the Meadows (and like you mentioned Penn National) but it sure made a few trainers grow their stables more than a couple hundred and race throughout the tracks in the sport. Small time stables have not a chance unless they have other incomes and racing is a hobby.

Oh well, life will go on and there will be a race to bet somewhere on some kind of animal online in the future.
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Old 07-26-2016, 02:18 PM   #4
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Have to correct myself... there are 4 overnights on Saturday making it a total of 19 total stakes for the week.
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Old 07-27-2016, 09:26 AM   #5
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Since we're complaining about PA. racing, another problem, a few months ago they passed a new racing bill that eliminated the 10% surcharge that they were charging ADW's. However, most ADW's still won't take customers from Pennsylvania because of other fees that PA. charges. The end result will be less handle for Pennsylvania racing.
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Old 07-27-2016, 11:04 AM   #6
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Too much Ron Burke also?
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Old 07-28-2016, 05:28 PM   #7
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I hear you Pandy. It's sooner than one would expect the blood letting of the horse fund for other purposes for the commonwealth will cause the death of racing in PA.

They printed my letter to the editor at the Washington Observer. People that abhor the corporate stables of today might agree with me. Those making the cash in those stables will not.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/201..._while_you_can


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Old 07-28-2016, 06:36 PM   #8
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I go back a few years with the Meadows and I don't think things are so gloom and doom. Actually they look assume starting with the 1st race Saturday featuring the World Champion Foiled Again in town.
I remember before slots when the biggest purse for the week was $6,500 and
you know Ron Burke was racing then.
If Mom and Pop can't compete on the big track they should consider trying the county fairs or go over to the Meadowlands they don't have slots and always need horse's to fill the box.
You can't have it both ways folks.
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Old 07-28-2016, 09:43 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Postime
I go back a few years with the Meadows and I don't think things are so gloom and doom. Actually they look assume starting with the 1st race Saturday featuring the World Champion Foiled Again in town.
I remember before slots when the biggest purse for the week was $6,500 and
you know Ron Burke was racing then.
If Mom and Pop can't compete on the big track they should consider trying the county fairs or go over to the Meadowlands they don't have slots and always need horse's to fill the box.
You can't have it both ways folks.
" they should consider trying the county fairs or go over to the Meadowlands they don't have slots and always need horse's to fill the box."
There is a certain irony in that statement.
Once the preeminent harness track on the Continent that opened it's doors to 42,000 people on the first night of operation. A track where in the dead of winter on a weeknight if less than 10,000 people were in the stands it was a bad night. 40 years later, the place can't draw flies and is paying smaller purses than of 35 years ago.
Shame. I don't know what Jeff Gural is thinking right now. If he's waiting for NJ voters to approve casino gambling out side of AC and banking on a casino in the Meadowlands where he can somehow get his hands on a piece of the casino money, I think he'd better consider other options. The State legislature already stripped the Casino subsidies.
There may be a casino at the front door of the Meadowlands racetrack, but I think its a long shot, the track reaps any benefit from the gambling house.

Last edited by thespaah; 07-28-2016 at 09:44 PM.
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Old 07-28-2016, 11:20 PM   #10
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Racing commissions should be more aggressive and maybe pass a rule that one stable can have no more than two entries in the box.

Something else is the casino owners spit out the mandated purses but pay little attention to the backstretch and fan comfort. They know they have to offer racing but if no one is there it works out better for them in staffing.
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Old 07-29-2016, 05:29 PM   #11
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" they should consider trying the county fairs or go over to the Meadowlands they don't have slots and always need horse's to fill the box."
There is a certain irony in that statement.
I was talking with tongue in cheek,
because it's true what RTD was saying but the problem is the tracks without slots are dieing a slow death,(even the great Meadowlands) the ones that do have slots are making big money for a lot of people including the horsemen.
Scioto Downs is booming with slots, the place is packed every night and it is spilling over to Harness Racing.
Bottom line if you don't like the slot tracks, try the ones that don't, see how that works out for you.
BTW I don't feel sorry for M1 they were subsidized by Atlantic City for years they had the big purses, top drivers, where did the crowds and the money go?
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Old 07-29-2016, 07:46 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Postime
" they should consider trying the county fairs or go over to the Meadowlands they don't have slots and always need horse's to fill the box."
There is a certain irony in that statement.
I was talking with tongue in cheek,
because it's true what RTD was saying but the problem is the tracks without slots are dieing a slow death,(even the great Meadowlands) the ones that do have slots are making big money for a lot of people including the horsemen.
Scioto Downs is booming with slots, the place is packed every night and it is spilling over to Harness Racing.
Bottom line if you don't like the slot tracks, try the ones that don't, see how that works out for you.
BTW I don't feel sorry for M1 they were subsidized by Atlantic City for years they had the big purses, top drivers, where did the crowds and the money go?

The Jersey politicians used the money to help build Giants Stadium and for other projects. Once the track wasn't profitable anymore, they wanted no part of it. Even without slot money, the handle is still quite respectable compared to all of the other harness tracks, but they only race twice a week.
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Old 08-02-2016, 12:49 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Postime
I go back a few years with the Meadows and I don't think things are so gloom and doom. Actually they look assume starting with the 1st race Saturday featuring the World Champion Foiled Again in town.
I remember before slots when the biggest purse for the week was $6,500 and
you know Ron Burke was racing then.
If Mom and Pop can't compete on the big track they should consider trying the county fairs or go over to the Meadowlands they don't have slots and always need horse's to fill the box.
You can't have it both ways folks.
I grew up there from the age of 16,from Adios events starting with Albatross to Cams Card Shark as an employee. Fan from then on to 2009 with 2008 being held at Pokie.

I just used the Invitational as all others increased or decreased the same percentage.

In 2006 (before the slots money went into purses as they were building the temporary slot tent), Invites were 12k.

In 2010, with the slots running almost 5 years, Invites paid $27,500 for all gaits and sexes.

The year the ran the table games (yr eludes me but guessing the next yr of 2011) Invites dropped to $22k

Think most invites today (those without 9 horses) are going for $20 grand.

Not a growth of harness racing when the Meadows is raking it in, slots over $100 million a yr (last time I checked, 2008) has to be at least that if not more. Table games do not go into the purse account.

Would love to go back to those $1,250 bottom claimers racing for $600 purses in 1971 when owner, trainer and driver was the same person.
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Old 08-02-2016, 05:52 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by tamaharbor
Too much Ron Burke also?
To my astonishment, Burke had 5 count 'em FIVE horses in the Adios Final.
Alas, none of them were able to pull out a win.
His horses did however, fill out the superfecta ticket.
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Old 08-02-2016, 06:00 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Postime
" they should consider trying the county fairs or go over to the Meadowlands they don't have slots and always need horse's to fill the box."
There is a certain irony in that statement.
I was talking with tongue in cheek,
because it's true what RTD was saying but the problem is the tracks without slots are dieing a slow death,(even the great Meadowlands) the ones that do have slots are making big money for a lot of people including the horsemen.
Scioto Downs is booming with slots, the place is packed every night and it is spilling over to Harness Racing.
Bottom line if you don't like the slot tracks, try the ones that don't, see how that works out for you.
BTW I don't feel sorry for M1 they were subsidized by Atlantic City for years they had the big purses, top drivers, where did the crowds and the money go?
Where did they go? Simple. They went to Yonkers, Pocono, Harrah's Philly and Dover.
Quite frankly I have no stance on slots vs no slots...
I think the slots have done serious damage to horse racing ( both breeds) in general.
But it is what it is....
And you're correct. The Meadowlands absent of casino revenue, is more than likely not going to last another 5 years.
The cost of running a stable is rising while the purse amounts continue to fall. Horsemen and owners cannot justify racing for peanuts.
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