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Why target Keeneland?
I know they have raised the takeout, but
1. This is a small 3 week meet held twice a year. When you look at your annual wagering budget, how much does a takeout increase really effect you in comparison to long meets like Santa Anita, etc.
2. Keeneland racing is actually a by product of the auction activities. The purses have been supplemented for years by the auction activity. For an interesting couple of days attend the yearling auction and see the big names of the industry all in the same room filling their stables for future years. I had the good fortune of living in Lexington from 201 to 2013 and went to the sale each year. Hearing how the highest level trainers look at a horse helped me as a visual handicapper.
3. Keeneland attracts high quality fields for its races. This does afford the handicapper a better opportunity to find an overlooked, yet talented horse. I am willing to pay higher takeout and wager in fields of 11 or more horses, almost all of which have a chance of winning than I am to ager in the 5 to 7 horse fields you find occurring more frequently.
4. Face facts, tracks in states without alternative gaming have to do something to continue to attract talented horses. I would rather see a racetrack try something instead of nothing like the Illinois tracks.
5. Keeneland does so much more for the sport than other tracks. The library, live video feeds, etc.
Is the track perfect? No. I find way too many people go there to "be seen" or "dress up" for my tastes and it tends to crowd serious handicappers from getting access to the paddock. However, they try to combat this by encouraging tailgating, having people walk through the crowd and take bets from you, etc.
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