California-A Message to Racing Fans - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

jelly · 02-01-2011, 05:23 PM

A Message to Racing Fans
Thoroughbred racing in California is just that. We don’t and can’t rely on slot machines or government subsidies for the success of our business. We rely on our fans, our owners, our trainers, our employees and tens of thousands like you who love and continue to support California racing.

We’re grateful for the input of horseplayers who are unhappy with the recent change in takeout on exotic wagers. We know no one likes to pay more for groceries, gasoline, movie tickets or a Trifecta ticket. However, there are a few facts we’d like you to know about Thoroughbred racing in California:

•California remains the nation’s low price leader in the largest category of bets: win, place and show.
•California Trifecta and Superfecta takeout is among the lowest in the country ofthe tracks currently running.
•The takeout was increased to improve the quality of Thoroughbred racing in California. No California racetrack directly profits from the modified takeout.
•California’s wagering pools are still among the largest in the country.
California continues to offer a variety of wagers on racing at highly competitive prices.
We appreciate your support and are always interested in hearing what our fans have to say.

Cali. adv on paulick report

Maybe HANA should adv. right behind It.

http://www.bigcalpurses.com/openletter.html

cj · 02-01-2011, 05:36 PM

You would think the web person would know how to get the �s out of the page.

FenceBored · 02-01-2011, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj

You would think the web person would know how to get the �s out of the page.

Ooops, need higher takeout to afford to do that.

andymays · 02-01-2011, 05:43 PM

We knew this was coming out about a week ago. It's pretty mild. You have to expect them to fight back a little.

Hopefully we'll see some changes this week or next.

Greyfox · 02-01-2011, 06:03 PM

A group of masked bandits using the signature "Cal Racing," as if that is an individual appeal, gives the impression of a personal caring touch for you and me.

The_Knight_Sky · 02-01-2011, 06:10 PM

•California Trifecta and Superfecta takeout is among the lowest
in the country ofthe tracks currently running.

The TOC and the CHRB took away opportunities in my favorite pool: The exacta.
And it's no fun playing the trifecta pool with 6 and 7 horses. Thanks.

•The takeout was increased to improve the quality of Thoroughbred racing in California. No California racetrack directly profits from the modified takeout.

The quality of racing has failed to improve from day 1. And it is the racetrack owners who are suffering thanks to this grotesque piece of selfishness by the TOC/CHRB. When racing dates and/or purses are reduced the owners and trainers will be suffering too.

That's unfortunate because many California owners and trainers can appreciate what a short-sighted move the Takeout Increase is. Other solutions to revamping the California racing industry must be explored. Who is doing that?

• We appreciate your support and are always interested in hearing
what our fans have to say.

Rescind the takeouts to previous levels perhaps the customers will return.
Longer the wait the bigger the loss of clientele moving forward. And the clock keeps ticking.

Stillriledup · 02-01-2011, 06:14 PM

Dear Cal racing,

here's the problem.

Whether or not the takeout rates are higher or lower than other places isnt as important as this. If the thoroughbred customers just accept this massive takeout raise, who's to say that there won't be ANOTHER massive takeout raise in the next year or two? I mean, after all, if everyone listened to your letter and just bet like they normally bet, you guys would say, "HUH, check that out, we implemented a massive increase and the bettors kept betting at their normal pace, maybe we should just keep increasing the rates!!"

Also, and here's another thing you didnt consider, if the thoroughbred fans of California just accept this huge raise and don't bat an eye, what's to stop OTHER tracks from doing the same thing? Believe you me, other places are watching this CAREFULLY and if the Calif bettors just kept pouring money into the windows, other places would get 'ideas' and probably also make a move to implement higher takeouts.

Here are two more factors as to why plenty of people arent wagering on the So Cal product.

1) The verbal insults from your 'leaders' towards the fans. Hammerle, Israel, Brackpool and even Jeff Mullins have come out and thrown verbal barbs towards the players. If you shop at Target or JC Pennies and the security guard at the door calls you and idiot, addict and OLD, are you going to shop there? Absolutely not, you're going to take your business else where. A lot of the players who are abstaining from wagering on the So Cal product are doing so simply because they don't need insults tossed in their direction. Horseplayers have feelings, stop insulting them.

2) Bettors have not seen ONE thing that you have done to improve your product. They havent seen that raising takeout was a LAST RESORT. They havent seen more strict penalties towards drug cheats, they havent seen you go out of your way to improve field size either. You guys run your game as a public service annoucement to horsemen only, damn the bettors. The races are carded for the owners, not the bettors. The takeout raise means purse increases are funded by the horseplayers 100 percent. Why should the players give all their money to the owners/trainers/jocks?

What are the owners, trainers and jocks doing to help the So Cal industry? Are ANY of these guys taking a pay cut? Seriously, has any trainer or jock offered to take a pay cut to 'help out'? No, they not only aren't taking a pay cut, they're getting a pay RAISE. By purses "allegedly" going up, that means the trainers, owners and jocks are getting PAY RAISES.

Pay raises all at the expense of the players.

Nice.

You keep writing your little articles telling everyone its all AOK and we'll keep betting other tracks.

Stillriledup · 02-01-2011, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greyfox

A group of masked bandits using the signature "Cal Racing," as if that is an individual appeal, gives the impression of a personal caring touch for you and me.

Exactly, its SO embarrassing that nobody wanted to sign their name to it.

johnhannibalsmith · 02-01-2011, 06:43 PM

I thought that 99.999999999999999999999999999324612347271% of horse bettors don't have any idea what takeout is and don't care.

This ad sounds like a waste of "limited resources" since nobody cares about takeout.

jelly · 02-01-2011, 06:58 PM

Ric Hammerle called the boycott "nonsense".If so,why are they wasting their time with this.

Stillriledup · 02-01-2011, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jelly

Ric Hammerle called the boycott "nonsense".If so,why are they wasting their time with this.

Ask, and you shall receive.

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...light=hammerle

toussaud · 02-01-2011, 07:12 PM

They've blinked. 1 month ago we sat here debating on how many people cared about takeout, now they are taking out ads basically begging the people to wager. This is gong to get ugly, or pretty depending on what side of the fence you are on.

andymays · 02-01-2011, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jelly

Ric Hammerle called the boycott "nonsense".If so,why are they wasting their time with this.

The hardest part of this is knowing who to take seriously and who to ignore. As time goes by we are figuring out who to ignore. One particular guy with a news/smear website would be one of them.

Greyfox · 02-01-2011, 07:32 PM

The problem is:
"Once a seasoned bettor walks away, he learns that there is a life outside of horse racing."
Lowering the take out now won't bring a lot of those types back.

andymays · 02-01-2011, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greyfox

The problem is:
"Once a seasoned bettor walks away, he learns that there is a life outside of horse racing."
Lowering the take out now won't bring a lot of those types back.

I can tell you one thing. My personal interest in the sport has gone way way down over the last year and a half. Especially after being caught in the middle of this soap opera.