In A Perfect World

[BMeadow]

My American Turf Monthly Column that appears in the January issue. Your comments and suggestions?

In A Perfect World

As we enter 2013, let us dream. Of horse racing as it could be, if only we horseplayers ran the game.

What do horseplayers need? Reasonable takeout rates. Ease of betting. A fair playing field.

In my dream, takeouts on all bets would be 10 to 12 per cent. As takeouts dropped, handle would zoom. Winning players could increase their bets into bigger pools, while losing players would last longer.

Even this number could be reduced by automatic rebates, posted directly into a player’s account on the first day of the following month, for everyone betting $1,000 a month or more. Rebate rates would start at 1%, then increase to 2% for betting $10,000 in one month, 3% for betting $50,000 in one month, and a cap of 4% for betting $100,000 or more in one month.

Players in every state where betting is legal could bet on any race anywhere, by phone, computer, or mobile device. And have access to free past performances and free replays at the touch of a computer button. No one would ever be charged to place a bet.

At the track, TVs in every area would display updated win, place, and show pools. Exactas would be displayed in a grid, so you could see every possible at a glance. On-track bettors would receive bonuses on payoffs.

Exchange wagering would be legal everywhere, and be available for every track, at least for win bets.

The number of tracks would be greatly reduced, with only a few supertracks remaining. Racing would take place in New York, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, and California most of the year, though each circuit would have a mandated break of one month per year. All the other states would have a maximum racing schedule of 30 days per year.

Because there would be many fewer tracks, field sizes would increase. Every race would be required to have at least 10 entrants, before late scratches are taken. Coupled entries would be eliminated for all races. Horsemen would get paid more as the size of the field increased, so that an owner and trainer would get more money for winning a race with 12 entrants than one with 10.

On all multi-race bets, consolation payoffs would be provided rather than have a player’s getting stuck with the favorite due to a late scratch.

Every bet location would offer free admission and parking. And on site at the host track, the president would be required to spend two hours a day walking around his facility and talking with customers.

Tracks, simulcast centers, ADW’s and websites would offer frequent contests, with the winners qualifying for the national championship.

Every track and training center would be open free to anyone who wanted to watch the workouts, or tape them.

Track websites would offer a full slate of information, ranging from
post position statistics to condition books for upcoming races.

On the track, every horse would compete without race-day medications. The tote would be updated every five seconds so that the days when a “they’re off” 5-2 shot turns into a 6-5 by the far turn would disappear.

A national commissioner would run the whole shebang; if a board were in charge, then at least one horseplayer would be on that board.

When miscreants are punished for rules violations, the punishments would be swift and enforced nationwide. No more slaps on the wrist. Repeat violators would face more severe penalties, including for some a lifetime expulsion from the sport.

All race charts would be available free electronically, so that handicappers could parse data for their own handicapping purposes.

The signing threshold, currently $600, would be raised to $25,000. Withholding on signers would be eliminated. If a player hit a big ticket, he would get the full amount of the win, though he’d still be responsible for taxes if he had a winning year.

As I said at the start of this article, this is a dream. Racing in 2013 is still run as if it had a monopoly on gambling. And with each racing state having its own commission and rules, nobody’s on the same page.

Who would be against our dreams? Oh, just about everybody in the industry. Horsemen would say the lower takeouts and rebates wouldn’t bring in enough revenue (though every time they raise the takeout, revenue drops). The contraction of the industry into a few big players would mean job losses for everyone from track executives to pari-mutuel clerks. Trainers would whine about being faced with real consequences for their ethically questionable activities. Veterinarians would swear that racing is safer when horses are drugged. The tote companies would complain about having to spend more money to get the boards to work faster. The folks who sell past performances would scream.

Some of these folks spend a lot of money on political contributions and lobbyists, as compared with the total amount spent by horseplayers’ groups—zero--on these bribe-the-politicians-legally activities. As a result, don’t expect much movement on these potential changes.

No, the game will clunk along as it has, slowly fading into oblivion as handle drops, tracks close, and players get priced out of the game. Changing this calls for bold thinking. Good luck finding it in this industry.

[thaskalos]

We seem to be having the same dreams, Barry...but sadly, we keep waking up.

I would like to add one more item to your wish list though...if you would allow me to:

It was 1993 when Andy Beyer revealed that the technology was already in place for taking the timing of these horse races out of the dark ages and into modern times.

Micro chips would be attached to the bridles of the horses, which would trigger sensors placed at the different points of call...and would finally provide the player with accurate fractional times for every horse in the race.

Being a pace handicapper myself...I got excited at the prospect of this idea. But it's been over 18 years now...and I am losing hope...

Best regards,

Gus.

[appistappis]

I'd settle for one more year at ft erie.

[Robert Fischer]

good article


not sure how i feel about exchange wagering


better use of the media is another area of focus that is needed as well

[Stillriledup]

I love the idea of the Prez walking around and interacting with the lunch pail crowd on the first floor...you know, the regulars. Most 'higher ups' are 'above' the degenerates so to get them to 'interact' is a huge challenge. Good luck with this one.

I like the concept of the Natl commish....only problem is how can racing find someone who would not be biased towards someone in the industry? Its possible that a commish could be hired from outside the game, someone who has no affiliation towards racing at all, but then this would require Stronach, Churchill and NYRA just 'giving up' control of their tracks and letting an 'outsider' tell them what they can and cannot do.

I do like this idea of a commish who rules with an iron fist, the only problem is WHO?

Agree with the outdated signer rules, too much money gets ripped out of circulation and that hurts betting handles across the board.

As far as updating of the tote, i'd hire an independent investigator and give him unfettered access to betting records, i'd have someone investigate all large payouts (sort of like the NFL reviewing every TD no matter what) to see if there are any 'weird' betting patterns in these pick 6 races...for all we know, the same person could be winning pick 6s hand over fist with a single, single, single, single, all, all ticket...this happened once, i'd love to know someone is reviewing all these pick 6 winners to see anything odd shows up.

When a 6-5 shot breaks slow and goes from 6-5 to 9-5 down the backstretch, i'd make sure to investigate that 'refund' and find where it came from and put a stop to it. A lot of the horses going down in price isnt necessarily people betting after the start, but its more of people refunding horses who break slow.

We're almost in 2013, there's absolutely no need for any tellers to have any cancel buttons....as a person who bets with an ADW, i dont have any 'need' to be betting into pools where someone on track has 8 seconds to cancel a ticket, that does me no good and can only hurt if someone has a teller in their pocket and is cancelling after the race starts.

Great ideas you pose here, i agree with almost all of them.

[Capper Al]

It would be nice to have the following:

• a universal speed figure that work world wide.
• the physical weight of the horse in the past performance lines.
• time workouts like the Japaness do and be consistent about H and B notations.

[therussmeister]

I have a hypothesis that reduced takeout would not be quite the nirvana typical players anticipate.

What would happen over time is big winning players would increase their bets until the average payouts settle back to nearly where they are now. That rebates would be reduced would be the only thing that would prevent prices from settling exactly where they are now. This is precisely what I would do if I were a whale. If it were announced today that takeout is to be reduced on Jan 1, I would be calculating how much I could increase my bets to get the same ROI I am getting now, and if I wound up with larger than anticipated ROI, perhaps because other winners have chosen not to increase their bets, I would make further increases to take their "market share."

[Greyfox]

Excellent article Barry Meadow.

I've criticized your column before as being too skeptical.

This one offers some very positive ideas that perhaps some tracks will implement.

[rastajenk]

I'm disappointed to see Mr. Meadow buy into the notion that fewer tracks mean fuller fields. I just can't see how that would possibly happen. Fewer tracks only means fewer horse owners, and thus, fewer horses, and a quicker trip down the death spiral. Although the big-time stables that can utilize economies of scale, you know, the kind you all love to hate, will be able to survive. Is that part of the dream?

[Fingal]

My dream would include someone like B. Wayne Hughes that has more money than God buying Hollywood Park so this pending destruction concern would go away once & for all.

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by Capper Al

It would be nice to have the following:

• a universal speed figure that work world wide.
• the physical weight of the horse in the past performance lines.
• time workouts like the Japaness do and be consistent about H and B notations.

Physical weight of previous races and current weight prior to race being run.

Workouts currently are a joke. With the technology out there there has to be a consistent and accurate way to get this info out to to public.

[horses4courses]

The horse racing industry would be so much better off if even some of these ideas were implemented.
Unfortunately, this is no more than a dream.

Those in charge are so set in their ways, it's a travesty.
Heck, Pennsylvania harness tracks are heading for 35% takeout.
The takeout trend is heading the wrong way in many states.
We all know those in charge would rather hike it up than reduce it.
Sure, they will dangle the occasional carrot (see 14% PK5), but the bets that matter stay where they are, or go up.

Horse players are looked upon as "degenerates" who will recycle the gambling dollar no matter what the takeout is. We, as players, don't do as much as we should to prove them wrong.
Maybe HANA could start an aggressive campaign that highlights those tracks which seek to gouge the player?
Establish acceptable guidelines for takeout on WPS, EX, TRI, SUP, and horizontal wagers, and draw attention to those who charge more than the norm. Those tracks should be boycotted by gamblers until they change their rates.

Probably another dream, but nothing will change unless we try something.

[mountainman]

Originally Posted by BMeadow

My American Turf Monthly Column that appears in the January issue. Your comments and suggestions?

The number of tracks would be greatly reduced, with only a few supertracks remaining. Racing would take place in New York, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, and California most of the year, though each circuit would have a mandated break of one month per year. All the other states would have a maximum racing schedule of 30 days per year.

Because there would be many fewer tracks, field sizes would increase. Every race would be required to have at least 10 entrants, before late scratches are taken. Coupled entries would be eliminated for all races. Horsemen would get paid more as the size of the field increased, so that an owner and trainer would get more money for winning a race with 12 entrants than one with 10.

.

.

Many fewer tracks? Then what of deteriorated horses no longer competitive at elite levels? What's your proposal for those multitudes to live long and prosper? And for owners to recoup some of their investment on expensive buys that belly flop?? And have you considered, sir, that lots of handicappers PREFER cheap fields, of the sort sometimes characterized by time-tested, battle- hardened warriors both familiar to players and predictable from the standpoint of performance and running style?

Minimum field-size could be another ticklish issue. As a person who has served as both racing sec and ast racing sec, i can't envision both quantity and quality as perpetually attainable. Inevitably, given a drastic reduction in racetracks and races, the breeding industry will contract even more ,and those who construct the races WILL be forced, as always, to choose daily between big fields and better events.


Want 10-per race? So do i. But would you be willing, for instance, in the racing sec's shoes, to "kill" a 4x alw with 8 entries in favor of a non-life claimer with 12? If so, be prepared for an exodus as those 8 horses-and outfits-pop up on the overnite at other tracks. There are just no magic means to having your cake and eating it, too.

[Gold9er]

Refund all tickets for any horse thats breaks down before the finish or a jockey that falls off a horse before the finish. a horse that falls down or dosent have a jockey dosent have a chance to compete and the money should be refunded.
this will initially cost tracks money but in the long run will keep customers coming back and assure their integrity in the sport. its the right thing to do. no horse or jockey falls down intentionally.
with all the different ways a horse can lose, you would think at least they could refund the money if this happens

[cj]

Originally Posted by mountainman

Many fewer tracks? Then what of deteriorated horses no longer competitive at elite levels? What's your proposal for those multitudes to live long and prosper? And for owners to recoup some of their investment on expensive buys that belly flop?? And have you considered, sir, that lots of handicappers PREFER cheap fields, of the sort sometimes characterized by time-tested, battle- hardened warriors both familiar to players and predictable from the standpoint of performance and running style?

Why would they have to go anywhere? There would still be cheap races around at other tracks, and even at better tracks. There just wouldn't be as many.

Slots money has created a surplus of really bad horses being bred. There is no way that is a good thing. There are cards littered not with horses "no longer capable", but with horses that were never capable.