RIP Turf Paradise

[classhandicapper]

I don't know anything about the betting laws there, but losing the OTB network sounds like it could be a problem. When tracks close, it's critical for the industry to keep a decent portion of that track's handle and spread it around to other tracks the way we saw during the pandemic closings. If people just leave the game, there is no benefit to reducing industry costs by closing an unsuccessful track. We want people to continue betting into the remaining tracks and for the horses to relocate and run elsewhere. Hopefully, there will be some effort to do something about the OTB system or at least promote online betting.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by the little guy

What does make sense is building a new Belmont, as the current one doesn't work.

I'm looking forward to it and wish you guys all the success in the world, but what's going to happen if/when it's completed and there's still no one in the grandstand on a weekday?

The overall deal is obviously and importantly taking huge costs out of the system by allowing AQU to be used for more profitable purposes, creating a state of the art track at BEL, and reducing the size of the grandstand to maintain, but I'm skeptical about it attracting a lot more gambling customers beyond an initial burst of curiosity to see it. Maybe the amenities will do an even better job of attracting families on weekends, but we'll see.

[Sheffwed]

Originally Posted by the little guy

Imagine if your real name ( and you even stole the name of someone else from Twitter ) and identity had to be attached to the endless BS you post here. Imagine if you had to be personally accountable. You have trouble getting ANYTHING right.

You can't even get the basics correct. The financials of running two racetracks less than ten miles apart don't make sense. This shouldn't be too hard to figure out...even for you. We all love Aqueduct, but it doesn't make sense. What does make sense is building a new Belmont, as the current one doesn't work.

What's dangerous is NYRA assuming that after years of construction and destruction that anyone in the NYC region will care again about horse racing

No OTBs in NYC doesn't help either

No visibility for years, and then they will simply just come back to the "new Belmont" - how exciting the new infield will be, name me one track globally that uses the infield for anything except Pimlico one day a year or similar

Instead, Belmont could well have been kept open in a modified way at a much much lower cost and kept things going, and maybe spent some money to upgrade its surfaces and attract new trainers/stock, instead of just destroying everything

Maybe even a smidge of advertisement could have helped, or bring back in person bookmakers attached to the tote so that no takeout gets lost, and allow bettors to "take the odds," that would be fun and unique and only available on track

By the way, who authorized NYRA to just destroy the Belmont infield without any process?

Formerly Beautiful Belmont Park is no more, Aqueduct is a bad joke that used to be the "people's track", Saratoga should have been great this summer but was a nightmare (unless you listen to NYRA's Soviet style attempt to hide its very many problems)

Great job

And by the way, good riddance to Turf Paradise, there should be no racing in Arizona or New Mexico, where the weather is only getting to get hotter and drier, and the many mistreatments of horses over the years and allowing for cheating was apparently rampant and not at all welcome

Lets actually highlight where racing should be and stop pretending it should be where it shouldn't, and go national with that, and advertise that, and the sport would be more than fine

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Sheffwed

What's dangerous is NYRA assuming that after years of construction and destruction that anyone in the NYC region will care again about horse racing

No OTBs in NYC doesn't help either

No visibility for years, and then they will simply just come back to the "new Belmont" - how exciting the new infield will be, name me one track globally that uses the infield for anything except Pimlico one day a year or similar

Instead, Belmont could well have been kept open in a modified way at a much much lower cost and kept things going, and maybe spent some money to upgrade its surfaces and attract new trainers/stock, instead of just destroying everything

Maybe even a smidge of advertisement could have helped, or bring back in person bookmakers attached to the tote so that no takeout gets lost, and allow bettors to "take the odds," that would be fun and unique and only available on track

By the way, who authorized NYRA to just destroy the Belmont infield without any process?

Formerly Beautiful Belmont Park is no more, Aqueduct is a bad joke that used to be the "people's track", Saratoga should have been great this summer but was a nightmare (unless you listen to NYRA's Soviet style attempt to hide its very many problems)

Great job

And by the way, good riddance to Turf Paradise, there should be no racing in Arizona or New Mexico, where the weather is only getting to get hotter and drier, and the many mistreatments of horses over the years and allowing for cheating was apparently rampant and not at all welcome

Lets actually highlight where racing should be and stop pretending it should be where it shouldn't, and go national with that, and advertise that, and the sport would be more than fine

YouTube

[Sheffwed]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUBz5xhRJZs

YouTube

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUBz5xhRJZs

Does he really need to keep giving further proof?

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Sheffwed

What's dangerous is NYRA assuming that after years of construction and destruction that anyone in the NYC region will care again about horse racing

No OTBs in NYC doesn't help either

No visibility for years, and then they will simply just come back to the "new Belmont" - how exciting the new infield will be, name me one track globally that uses the infield for anything except Pimlico one day a year or similar

Instead, Belmont could well have been kept open in a modified way at a much much lower cost and kept things going, and maybe spent some money to upgrade its surfaces and attract new trainers/stock, instead of just destroying everything

Maybe even a smidge of advertisement could have helped, or bring back in person bookmakers attached to the tote so that no takeout gets lost, and allow bettors to "take the odds," that would be fun and unique and only available on track

By the way, who authorized NYRA to just destroy the Belmont infield without any process?

Formerly Beautiful Belmont Park is no more, Aqueduct is a bad joke that used to be the "people's track", Saratoga should have been great this summer but was a nightmare (unless you listen to NYRA's Soviet style attempt to hide its very many problems)

Great job

And by the way, good riddance to Turf Paradise, there should be no racing in Arizona or New Mexico, where the weather is only getting to get hotter and drier, and the many mistreatments of horses over the years and allowing for cheating was apparently rampant and not at all welcome

Lets actually highlight where racing should be and stop pretending it should be where it shouldn't, and go national with that, and advertise that, and the sport would be more than fine

Do you need a prescription for your Stupid pills?

[Sheffwed]

Originally Posted by Tom

Do you need a prescription for your Stupid pills?

Seriously, what are your ideas for racing going forward other than complaining about my posts without actually saying anything

[VeryOldMan]

Originally Posted by the little guy

The financials of running two racetracks less than ten miles apart don't make sense. This shouldn't be too hard to figure out...even for you. We all love Aqueduct, but it doesn't make sense. What does make sense is building a new Belmont, as the current one doesn't work.

Given the state of the sport, I'm having a hard time seeing how this is controversial. We argue on this board about contraction (and, yes, I'm in favor) but a stable and working New York horse racing scene is imperative to this sport having a future. Contracting back to Belmont makes complete sense.

[woodbinepmi]

We have all said it at least once, most of the smaller tracks will be gone in the future. We are witnessing it now.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Sheffwed

Seriously, what are your ideas for racing going forward other than complaining about my posts without actually saying anything

Let the people who know they atre doing dot,
NYRA didn't get to be the top of the mountai by qccident.
They have a pretty aggressive project going on at Belmont, and closoing
Aqueduct makes sense. 10 miles between them always seemed crazy to me.
A poly track too handle off turf races makes sense.
And I make it 1/5 they finish with a nice infield.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by VeryOldMan

Given the state of the sport, I'm having a hard time seeing how this is controversial. We argue on this board about contraction (and, yes, I'm in favor) but a stable and working New York horse racing scene is imperative to this sport having a future. Contracting back to Belmont makes complete sense.

It should have happened about 10 years ago when it was first clear the casino was going to be very successful. At the time people were telling me it won't happen and were calling me crazy. Then again, it took them forever to get the casino approved too. NY state politics at its finest.

[VeryOldMan]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

It should have happened about 10 years ago when it was first clear the casino was going to be very successful. At the time people were telling me it won't happen and were calling me crazy. Then again, it took them forever to get the casino approved too. NY state politics at its finest.

We're on the same page - Maryland horse racing should consolidate but it's tricky because Pimlico has the Preakness.

[46zilzal]

Originally Posted by woodbinepmi

We have all said it at least once, most of the smaller tracks will be gone in the future. We are witnessing it now.

so sadly true. Now my Pacific Northwest friends (Emerald, Hastings) will have NO WHERE to run in their off seasons with GGF and now Tup gone.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by 46zilzal

so sadly true. Now my Pacific Northwest friends (Emerald, Hastings) will have NO WHERE to run in their off seasons with GGF and now Tup gone.

This is why consolidation (by 50% in the last 30 years) doesn't and won't lead to bigger fields. Those horses simply won't be bred anymore.