The Future of NJ Horse Racing could be bleak.

[Milleruszk]

Two recent articles in the NJ Star Ledger pretty much sum up the racing situation in NJ. The question was recently asked by a poster in another thread.................

http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories...420.xml&coll=1

http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories...210.xml&coll=1


Has the horse already left the barn as we close the door?

[NY BRED]

Mth is one of my favorite tracks, but a recent visit depressed me

I'm hoping they can dress this track up in time for the Breeders cup,
as the place actually smelled horribly ,with theplant in terrible condition.

My humble advice for MTH would be to run night racing during the week,
day racing on Sat/Sun and on holidays, and keep club med
solely involved in harness racing on an annual basis.

[point given]

Originally Posted by NY BRED

Mth is one of my favorite tracks, but a recent visit depressed me

I'm hoping they can dress this track up in time for the Breeders cup,
as the place actually smelled horribly ,with theplant in terrible condition.

My humble advice for MTH would be to run night racing during the week,
day racing on Sat/Sun and on holidays, and keep club med
solely involved in harness racing on an annual basis.

Alot of seniors donot drive at night ! I think Friday Twilight racing though might be very successful. It is on the west coast and NYRA is doing it on opening and closing weekends as well. Folks often either call in sick on Fridays or bug out early to beat the traffic to the shore. This is a no brainer to me and surprised that they have not done so a few years ago to extend the weekend.

[NY BRED]

not to mention a huge benefit to the local restaurants(bars?)
and watching cal racing if the card isn't great

[AQUEBUCKS]

Anybody been to this plush Seafood Restaurant? Visited there some 27 years ago after a winning day at Mth. It was very enjoyable, and with a great view of the shore.

[ELA]

IMO, Monmouth is a great facility. I like the track and the racing very much. In my experience, track management/staff knows how to treat owners, and patrons for that matter. Is everyone always going to be happy? Of course not. Monmouth will be beautiful for the BC. Without question, twilight and/or nightime racing should be an experiment. I think depending on time of year, day of the week -- twilight racing could be a huge success.

The real -- and controversial -- topic is VLT's. Gee, what a surprise. The subsidy deal, OK, let's call it a payoff, LOL, is now over. So, what now? Does the casino industry pony up another $80 million or so, or does Monmouth move to get VLT's?

I might be naive, but not every track has to end up like an experiment gone bad -- a la Gulfstream or Finger Lakes. The Woodbine model apparently works. I think Delaware, to an extent works. Are any of them perfect? No, but this is a work-in-progress, ebb and flow situation. If the racing "product" becomes secondary at best, the sport and the industry can and will suffer. However, if alternative revenue sources have dollars flow in the right direction, and dollars are invested and reinvested accordingly, we can see benefits -- purses, take-out, facility improvement, etc. We should not only hope for the best, but strive for it.

Eric

[Ron]

Originally Posted by NY BRED

not to mention a huge benefit to the local restaurants(bars?)
and watching cal racing if the card isn't great

Doesn't Cal racing start at 10pm EST on Fridays during the Summer?

I think Monmouth still has a lot more right with it than wrong. I also agree that they'll do a great job with the Breeders Cup. Of course they want their share of the money from VLTs---why shouldn't they have the right to get them when more and more tracks have them and the state has a longstanding casino industry? If they're being kept out of the market because the casinos don't want the competition, I don't blame them for asking for a piece of the pie. Everyone else has their hands in it.

I think night racing at Monmouth would be a terrible idea. I mean, we've already seen Garden State close, Atlantic City pretty much close, and Meadowlands cut back their t-bred meet. Didn't they all run at night? Sure, twilight racing on Fridays, that's fine, but every NJ track that failed ran at night. I don't see why anyone would suggest they give up the atmosphere and sunshine of the summer days so they could go the way of the other failed tracks in the state.

[ELA]

Night racing for thoroughbreds hasn't worked, you are right. I agree. Twilight racing has appeared to work and I think it should be tried. There is a different dynamic at Monmouth -- the Jersey shore, LOL. Sure, the sun and fun filled days shouldn't be lost, but if twilight racing works, I could see a night card as an experiment.

If it doesn't work, OK. But new thinking, out of the box thinking needs to happen. There is a need for a new paradigm for the sport, the industry and the product. Of course this isn't the answer, but like a dish, there are ingredients.

Eric

[Kelso]

Originally Posted by Milleruszk

Two recent articles in the NJ Star Ledger pretty much sum up the racing situation in NJ.

From the second article:

George Zoffinger, chief executive of the sports authority, said the state missed a golden opportunity to sell the racetracks three years ago, before the slot machines in Pennsylvania and New York rendered the racing business here so much more challenging.

"A private operator would have been in a much better position to work out a deal with the Atlantic City interests," Zoffinger said.

Zoffinger sounds like a damned shill for the NJ real estate development industry ... the blood-sucking principals of which have long salivated over that prime chunk of cleared land less than fifty miles from New York City and only three miles from the Atlantic Ocean.

Who does he think he's bullshiting when he suggests that a "private" interest would be better able to stand up to the casino lobby than the STATE ITSELF can? The state ... including Zoffinger's Sports and Exposition Authority ... HOLDS ALL THE ACES (groan) regarding every aspect of legal gambling within its borders.

The excruciating irony of all this is that it is Atlantic City gambling that started the whole casinos-ruin-racetracks-so-racetracks-get-slots spiral in the first place ... the spiral that has put the slot machines in all three bordering states that now threaten New Jersey racing!! Those slots are there now ONLY because Atlantic City had drained away so much of THE OTHER STATES' HANDLE over the preceding 30 years!

AC should pony-up ( ) SUPER BIG TIME to New Jersey racing ... and they shouldn't be allowed to wait until next year to do it.

(I'm for trying Friday twilight racing, too ... but don't know if the cost of adding lights could be justified for an experiment.)

[point given]

(I'm for trying Friday twilight racing, too ... but don't know if the cost of adding lights could be justified for an experiment.)

Lights wouldnot be needed. Twilight racing would start mid-afternoon. I think Saratoga has it for the 1st and last fridays weekends and 3pm start. The racing is over before it gets dark.

Monmouth should start doing it July 4th weekend and end it Labor day weekend during the shore season. If I remember correctly when they did it last summer at saratoga , the friday attendance doubled. This doesnot need to be experimented with , NYRA did it already successfully. I don't know how it does at Belmont though, as it is not a holiday destination like Saratoga and Monmouth are. This is a no brainer to me. I think the only ones who might not like it are the trainers who have the staffing concerns, and have a long day and weekend. BUT, baseball adjusted , to night games a long time ago, wrigley field put in lights, etc.. Some banks are open 7 days and at night, when its convenient for the customer. This is just pushing back post time a couple of hours , to get more people ontrack, spending money etc. Whats to lose ? Sheesh !

[john del riccio]

Originally Posted by point given

(I'm for trying Friday twilight racing, too ... but don't know if the cost of adding lights could be justified for an experiment.)

Lights wouldnot be needed. Twilight racing would start mid-afternoon. I think Saratoga has it for the 1st and last fridays weekends and 3pm start. The racing is over before it gets dark.

Monmouth should start doing it July 4th weekend and end it Labor day weekend during the shore season. If I remember correctly when they did it last summer at saratoga , the friday attendance doubled. This doesnot need to be experimented with , NYRA did it already successfully. I don't know how it does at Belmont though, as it is not a holiday destination like Saratoga and Monmouth are. This is a no brainer to me. I think the only ones who might not like it are the trainers who have the staffing concerns, and have a long day and weekend. BUT, baseball adjusted , to night games a long time ago, wrigley field put in lights, etc.. Some banks are open 7 days and at night, when its convenient for the customer. This is just pushing back post time a couple of hours , to get more people ontrack, spending money etc. Whats to lose ? Sheesh !

If MTH did FRI twilight racing, I'd be in heaven.....which means there is probably NO shot.

John

[Stevie Belmont]

Word on the street is the phone system crashed again on Derby day and 4njbets crashed as well. Nice job. Samething happened on BC day. Good job fixing it. And the BC is in NJ this year...Just think....you might not be able to bet it at all....

[ponyplayerdotca]

RON wrote, "Doesn't Cal racing start at 10pm EST on Fridays during the Summer?"

Yes. Hollywood Park runs a night time card on Fridays at 10pm ET (7pm PT) for most of its summer meet.

When the scene switches to Del Mar in mid-July, they usually have "twilight" racing on Fridays, with post time at 7pm ET (4pm PT).

[saevena]

Let's see: Delaware Park destroyed the old Havre De Grace, Maryland summer racing destroyed Delaware Park before slots were instituted, Philadelphia Park and simultaneous racing by Monmouth Park when Atlantic City was racing, destroyed Garden State and Atlantic City. Sounds like cannibalism to me. If you think night racing can't work, visit Canterbury Park some evening. There was more fan enthusiasm, young people, and excitement there when I visited it on a weeknight than on big racing days at much larger tracks that run days. Unfortunately, the major tracks seem to be populated by seniors who seem to be afraid of the dark. Younger people aren't, and it shows at a place like Canterbury.