Death by 1000 paper cuts

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

California Exacta pools (at 22.68% takeout) really are underperforming the national norm in terms of generating purse money and revenue from handle.

The annoying part to me is the trend was obvious about six weeks into their takeout hike back in 2011. They should have corrected it then.

But instead they insisted on the status quo and said things like "It's a five year plan. We have to give it time to work" and "I'm pretty sure it's a short term blip. Something that will eventually self correct and revert back to the mean."

Now here we are almost ten years later.

Imo, the trend (and the data over nearly a decade) couldn't be more clear.

Ignoring the data has cost California racing millions of dollars in lost revenue and purse money.

Maybe the time has come to revisit SB 1072 and California's 22.68% Exacta takeout.

If you think 22.68% Exacta takeout isn't death by 1000 paper cuts - think again.



-jp

.

Jeff...may I please ask you a question? Is the CHRB under the impression that California Racing is on stable ground...financially speaking?

[Jeff P]

I don't see how the CHRB could get the impression thoroughbred horse racing in California is on solid financial ground.

As long as I've been following (since about 2008 or so) if you attend the public CHRB meetings live, or listen to the meeting audio, or read the published meeting transcripts afterwards: You eventually realize many of the meetings play out the same way.

Prior to each of the meetings, the CHRB publishes a meeting agenda. Basically, this is a list of items of interest to be discussed (and sometimes decided) at the meeting.

During the actual meeting, each item on the agenda is called in turn.

Before the Commissioners of the CHRB discuss or vote on the current agenda item, the general public (anyone in attendance who wishes to speak) is given three minutes to comment on the current agenda item.

After the general public has finished giving their commentary, at that point, the Commissioners of the CHRB will then discuss and sometimes vote yea or nay on the current agenda item (whatever it happens to be.)

Sometimes while attending these meetings in person I have borne witness to what seems like a never ending parade of speakers who are bemoaning a cutback in dates or the closing of a brick and mortar otb, etc. as a result of falling handle and purse money.

A good example might be a union rep telling the Commissioners about parimutuel tellers who for the past several years have had full time work - but who are now facing cutbacks in hours (for some even layoffs) if the current agenda item (which might be a reduction in race dates) is approved.

For the same agenda item (which might be a reduction in race dates) there might be two or three members from track management who step up to the podium to tell the Commissioners we have to cut dates because we don't have the horses and handle and purse money that we used to.

I cannot for the life of me see how anybody at the CHRB could possibly sit through public meeting after public meeting, month after month, for years on end --

And witness a never ending parade of speakers - each bemoaning the fact that business is off - and come away with the idea that thoroughbred horse racing in California is on solid financial ground.

I just can't.

-jp

.

[Jeff P]

Apparently, PARX has decided to stop showing post parades on their track video.

Below I've attached screenshots snipped from PARX track video from today's R1 and R7.

This is literally what they are showing when the horses step onto the track instead of a post parade.

Ugh.


-jp

.

[Jeff P]

Play the bugle and show the race conditions for 30 seconds while the horses are coming onto the track. (Screenshot #1 below.)

Then immediately show the horses. But have the cameraman zoom out and make the horses look like ants. (Screenshot #2 below.)

There you have it. A post parade at PARX.



-jp

.

[jay68802]

Would hate to get to close to the action, might catch a jockey placing a bet or dropping a buzzer.

[Thomas Roulston]

I can remember Parx when it was Keystone!

[Jeff P]

Tuned in to PARX video for today's R9.

To their credit, the camera crew made an effort to show #1 EXCITABLE LADY first (she was still in the walking ring) and then adeptly cut to the other horses who had already made their way onto the track.

Really glad they are showing post parades again.


-jp

.

[geroge.burns99]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Tuned in to PARX video for today's R9.

To their credit, the camera crew made an effort to show #1 EXCITABLE LADY first (she was still in the walking ring) and then adeptly cut to the other horses who had already made their way onto the track.

Really glad they are showing post parades again.


-jp

.

Thats great Jeff....

Now if we can only stop a horse going in the stall at 6-1 and wins at 9-5

[Jeff P]

Sun 06-12-2022 Hastings R4

While watching the head on of the gate load:

#9 CAROLINA GENT resisted going into the gate.

One of the assistant starters jogged around to the front of the gate like he was about to open the stall doors so they could coax the horse in that way.

But one of the other assistant starters dashed off to the left and disappeared from view out of the camera shot.

About three seconds later he dashed back into the camera shot holding a broom.

And promptly began whacking the horse in the hindquarters with the broom while Learie Seecharan was still in the irons.

From my vantage point that did not go well.

Imo, that caused the horse to act up even more.

I wish I had been recording the track video because I'd really like to watch it again.

Seecharan jumped off, and it looked to me like the horse was trying to bolt from the guy with the broom.

One of the assistant starters, not sure which one, ended up tumbling onto the ground.

Not sure if he slipped in all the excitement or if he was dragged off balance because he still had the reigns when the horse was trying to pull away from the guy with the broom.

But after that, one of the assistant starters, not sure which one, got control of the horse.

And to my amazement the horse did calm down a bit and grudgingly went into the gate.

Craziest thing I've seen in some time, and I really wish I could post a replay.


-jp

.

[wisconsin]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Sun 06-12-2022 Hastings R4

While watching the head on of the gate load:

#9 CAROLINA GENT resisted going into the gate.

One of the assistant starters jogged around to the front of the gate like he was about to open the stall doors so they could coax the horse in that way.

But one of the other assistant starters dashed off to the left and disappeared from view out of the camera shot.

About three seconds later he dashed back into the camera shot holding a broom.

And promptly began whacking the horse in the hindquarters with the broom while Learie Seecharan was still in the irons.

From my vantage point that did not go well.

Imo, that caused the horse to act up even more.

I wish I had been recording the track video because I'd really like to watch it again.

Seecharan jumped off, and it looked to me like the horse was trying to bolt from the guy with the broom.

One of the assistant starters, not sure which one, ended up tumbling onto the ground.

Not sure if he slipped in all the excitement or if he was dragged off balance because he still had the reigns when the horse was trying to pull away from the guy with the broom.

But after that, one of the assistant starters, not sure which one, got control of the horse.

And to my amazement the horse did calm down a bit and grudgingly went into the gate.

Craziest thing I've seen in some time, and I really wish I could post a replay.


-jp

.

How about when the horse won't cooperate and the assistant starter starts whipping that stupid chain or whatever it is at the horse's rear hocks, because nothing soothes a standoffish horse like further aggravation. Always makes me shake my head.

[Andy Asaro]

Twitter

[cj]

They could have moved it and put it on his nose but it wouldn't have changed anything. The outside horse was the winner. The line in not part of the photo. It is a tool used to interpret the photo.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by cj

They could have moved it and put it on his nose but it wouldn't have changed anything. The outside horse was the winner. The line in not part of the photo. It is a tool used to interpret the photo.

Word

[PaceAdvantage]

The photo IS the finish...line or no line

Like CJ said, they could put that line over the jockey's backs and it wouldn't change a thing

[rastajenk]

A guy who goes by 'racetrackandy' is raising this issue again? How many times does this have to be explained? I could expect it from a relative newbie, but c'mon man.