crunk_o Twitter thread about the Santa Anita breakdown problem....

[chadk66]

SA needs to remove the cushion and completely rebuild the base. Throw the surface back on and go about their business. If there are more breakdowns that they experience in a normal year then the real digging needs to start. My money is on the track base being jacked from all the rain.

[taxicab]

Here is where Stronach/TOC/Horsemen/CHRB are making a fatal error.
If the state of California wants to close Santa Anita they will.
The people who can close Santa Anita have nothing to do with horse racing.
They're just going to play the animal cruelty card......and that will be that.
I'm shocked Stronach and company can't read the room on this one.
In this PC world we live in,people who are reactionary have the clout........and nowhere.......and I mean nowhere,is that more obvious than California.
Animal rights groups,agenda driven politicians,the mainstream PC public will have the power/final say on this one...........and it'll appear on a ballot quicker than you can say Jack Robinson...........and it's lights out.
Once again........California is driven by the PC Patrol and the thought police......agenda driven politicians get in bed with them all the time.
The fact that Santa Anita is ignoring the obvious is beyond belief.
Tone deaf x's infinity.
As mentioned earlier in this thread........the minute more horses go wrong.....it's going to get ugly for Santa Anita.
Remember,we're all horse racing fans on this board..........the mainstream public/politicians/PC Patrol/animal welfare groups aren't.
Which side has the bigger numbers and more power ?
Yup.
Santa Anita never should of reopened this meet........it's a risk they shouldn't take.
And the Breeders Cup this year ?
Dilanesp is on the right page.
The Breeders Cup folks probably already have a backup site in place.
They want nothing to do with a track that the mainstream public perceives as a horse graveyard........if Santa Anita gets shutdown again for just one weekend........it's adios Breeders Cup 2019 @ The Great Race Place.
You can bet your bottom dollar they've been talking with the one property that can host a BC weekend on short notice........Churchill Downs.

[dilanesp]

BTW it is raining tonight.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by castaway01

Did you invest in the horse and buggy in 1912 too?

I have a theory about parimutel gambling.

You have to go where the smartest people ain't .

[ultracapper]

Originally Posted by cutchemist42

Thats the thing, its easy an easy target that no politcian will stick their neck out to save as its not really that important. TSG likely knows how valuable the property is for development anyway.

I mean, Caroline Betts who is the economist that has handled horse racing topics before was just tweeting recreational horse activites is worth more for GDP than horse racing.

Yea, likely.

[bello]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I have a theory about parimutel gambling.

You have to go where the smartest people ain't .

Same goes for racetrack management and executives

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I have a theory about parimutel gambling.

You have to go where the smartest people ain't .

But wouldn't the few people left still playing the dogs be the true fanatics and obsessives, the "smartest" people in the field?

[chiguy]

Originally Posted by taxicab

Here is where Stronach/TOC/Horsemen/CHRB are making a fatal error.
If the state of California wants to close Santa Anita they will.
The people who can close Santa Anita have nothing to do with horse racing.
They're just going to play the animal cruelty card......and that will be that.
I'm shocked Stronach and company can't read the room on this one.
In this PC world we live in,people who are reactionary have the clout........and nowhere.......and I mean nowhere,is that more obvious than California.
Animal rights groups,agenda driven politicians,the mainstream PC public will have the power/final say on this one...........and it'll appear on a ballot quicker than you can say Jack Robinson...........and it's lights out.
Once again........California is driven by the PC Patrol and the thought police......agenda driven politicians get in bed with them all the time.
The fact that Santa Anita is ignoring the obvious is beyond belief.
Tone deaf x's infinity.
As mentioned earlier in this thread........the minute more horses go wrong.....it's going to get ugly for Santa Anita.
Remember,we're all horse racing fans on this board..........the mainstream public/politicians/PC Patrol/animal welfare groups aren't.
Which side has the bigger numbers and more power ?
Yup.
Santa Anita never should of reopened this meet........it's a risk they shouldn't take.
And the Breeders Cup this year ?
Dilanesp is on the right page.
The Breeders Cup folks probably already have a backup site in place.
They want nothing to do with a track that the mainstream public perceives as a horse graveyard........if Santa Anita gets shutdown again for just one weekend........it's adios Breeders Cup 2019 @ The Great Race Place.
You can bet your bottom dollar they've been talking with the one property that can host a BC weekend on short notice........Churchill Downs.

I really don't understand how we as a community of racing enthusiasts can complain about PETA or the PC patrol when our methods and practices are leading to the deaths of so many horses in such a short period of time. As I have said on this thread (or a similar thread) this one is on us. Yes these things happen, horses die while racing and training but not at this level without some serious negligence.

[taxicab]

Originally Posted by chiguy

I really don't understand how we as a community of racing enthusiasts can complain about PETA or the PC patrol when our methods and practices are leading to the deaths of so many horses in such a short period of time. As I have said on this thread (or a similar thread) this one is on us. Yes these things happen, horses die while racing and training but not at this level without some serious negligence.

I should clarify my post Chiguy.
I'm not complaining about the outrage over the horse fatalities.
I'm very aware something is rotten in Denmark concerning Santa Anita.
As a matter of fact,I'm convinced Santa Anita(Stronach/Ritvo.....the mouthpiece)are so full of shit their eyes are brown.
I think they don't give a crap about the horses.........and the only reason they're in front of the issue now is severe damage control.
I caught Ritvo's Q/A over at Paulick's..........not for a second do I buy what he's selling......his kind of snake oil doesn't fly with anybody that's been around.
My two posts in this thread are simply stating how shocked I am that Santa Anita/TOC/Horsemen/CHRB appear to be clueless to how close they are to a business disaster.
They act like nothing down the road is going to happen to them..........I think they're really wrong.

[PaceAdvantage]

Horse racing in no way compares to dog racing.

Anyone who thinks horse racing is in danger of disappearing isn't thinking clearly.

There's a reason hundreds of thousands show up for the Triple Crown races every year...there is a reason they are on national TV...it's just not the same thing.

I will go further and also point out that lots of "regular" folks were more sensitive to the dog racing situation because a lot of those people have dogs as pets. Not exactly the same thing with horses. With dogs, there was much more of an emotional connection there, I'm thinking, with those who voted to eliminate dog racing in Florida.

[ronsmac]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Horse racing in no way compares to dog racing.

Anyone who thinks horse racing is in danger of disappearing isn't thinking clearly.

There's a reason hundreds of thousands show up for the Triple Crown races every year...there is a reason they are on national TV...it's just not the same thing.

I will go further and also point out that lots of "regular" folks were more sensitive to the dog racing situation because a lot of those people have dogs as pets. Not exactly the same thing with horses. With dogs, there was much more of an emotional connection there, I'm thinking, with those who voted to eliminate dog racing in Florida.

Horse racing as a whole may not disappear but if not for slots/casino's, there would be a lot of tracks that would be closed that are currently open. So it's already a teetering industry and I wouldn't be shocked if it's gone before I die.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by castaway01

But wouldn't the few people left still playing the dogs be the true fanatics and obsessives, the "smartest" people in the field?

That's a good question.

I don't know yet.

I occasionally bet into some really small pools for smallish amounts. I find I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond even though I risk moving the pool a little and can't bet a lot.

I have no idea what the dogs are like these days.

I have a funny story about that though. I used to go to the dog track in Naples/Ft Myers on some of my vacations. My girlfriend's uncle used to come to the track with me. He'd bet $100 per race and almost always move the win odds very late. I tried to explain it to him, but he didn't care. So I always asked him who he was going to bet and bet one of the other contenders. I'm sure that strategy didn't hurt.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Horse racing in no way compares to dog racing.

Anyone who thinks horse racing is in danger of disappearing isn't thinking clearly.

There's a reason hundreds of thousands show up for the Triple Crown races every year...there is a reason they are on national TV...it's just not the same thing.

I will go further and also point out that lots of "regular" folks were more sensitive to the dog racing situation because a lot of those people have dogs as pets. Not exactly the same thing with horses. With dogs, there was much more of an emotional connection there, I'm thinking, with those who voted to eliminate dog racing in Florida.

They probably won't ban it in Kentucky but we might ban it in California.

[airford1]

It could happen in California and the rest of the Country there only a handful of tracks with purses that will pay some bill and that will close some too.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by airford1

It could happen in California and the rest of the Country there only a handful of tracks with purses that will pay some bill and that will close some too.

I don't know New York politics as well as California's, but I could certainly see it getting a foothold there too.


Here's a ranking of states with major racing operations based on their likelihood of enacting a ban:


1. California
2. Washington
3. Massachusetts
4. Illinois

5. New Jersey

6. New York
7. Pennsylvania
8. Maryland
9. Florida

610983492735794. Kentucky