horse racing slowly dying in SoCal

[dilanesp]

Only 16k came to see Arrogate yesterday. The first Saturday at Del Mar used to reliably draw 20k+, even without a star horse. Also the short fields on opening day.

[Quesmark]

After that debacle in the San Diego many of the 16K may never come back again.

[thaskalos]

Well...SoCal Racing declared a few years ago that they had nothing to fear from other forms of gambling...because they weren't in the "gambling business" themselves. They were in the "entertainment business", and the LAKERS were their primary competition...they quipped. As it turned out, their audience didn't find the SoCal product very "entertaining".

Good riddance, I say...I certainly won't miss SoCal Racing. I can "entertain" myself otherwise.

[Jeff P]

Couldn't possibly be related to years of willful ignorance? -- Doing the same thing over and over again? -- Expecting different results each time?

You know -- Insistence on the status quo by nearly everyone with a job in track management, nearly everyone with a leadership role at the TOC, and nearly everyone who became a CHRB Commissioner because they were on the short list of appointees given to the Governor's Office by those same people with track management jobs and/or leadership roles at the TOC?

Naw.

Who am I kidding? It can't possibly be that.

Attendance and handle must be down again this year because:

a. The Dodgers are doing really well right now.

-or-

b. Comic-Con is going on right now.

In fact the more I think about it the more I'm convinced that if the Mets or Yankees were doing half as well as the Dodgers -- or if Comic-Con were being held in upstate New York:

Saratoga's numbers would be down and So Cal numbers would be up.



-jp

.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Well...SoCal Racing declared a few years ago that they had nothing to fear from other forms of gambling...because they weren't in the "gambling business" themselves. They were in the "entertainment business", and the LAKERS were their primary competition...they quipped. As it turned out, their audience didn't find the SoCal product very "entertaining".

Good riddance, I say...I certainly won't miss SoCal Racing. I can "entertain" myself otherwise.

The reality is that they are in both businesses (or at least an attractive track like Del Mar is).

And they are losing the entertainment business battle. They weren't before.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

The reality is that they are in both businesses (or at least an attractive track like Del Mar is).

And they are losing the entertainment business battle. They weren't before.

The reality -- as far as I am concerned -- is that there is very little "entertainment" left in today's version of the game...especially during the weekdays. And, if the industry leaders think that the game can survive as just a "weekend attraction"...then they are sadly mistaken. As the game stands right now...you either improve and emphasize the GAMBLING aspect of it...or you start looking for other venues of employment.

If things are left as they are...my prediction is that, in 5 years time...thoroughbred racing will become what harness racing is now. Still breathing...but totally insignificant and forgettable.

[GMB@BP]

Maybe I am missing all these great races around the country and its just bad in socal.

The dirt racing is just plane bad everywhere, at least from the mid class and up tracks.

The issue is systemic through the sport but magnified in southern california.

I am not sure how racing as an industry would survive without california...that would be like taking France or England out of EU. Top to bottom it would have a dramatic effect.

[dilanesp]

I always knew the sport would contract, a lot, and we would end up with a few "super-tracks". That's the inevitable result of interstate simulcasting.

But I always thought the Southern California circuit would be one of the super-tracks. I am not sure any more. Los Al is dead in the water, there are sharks swimming around Santa Anita, and Del Mar's numbers are way down.

I'd now say there's a 20 percent chance that in 15 years, there will be no major league racing in Southern California.

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I always knew the sport would contract, a lot, and we would end up with a few "super-tracks". That's the inevitable result of interstate simulcasting.

But I always thought the Southern California circuit would be one of the super-tracks. I am not sure any more. Los Al is dead in the water, there are sharks swimming around Santa Anita, and Del Mar's numbers are way down.

I'd now say there's a 20 percent chance that in 15 years, there will be no major league racing in Southern California.

I understand what you are saying clearly, however, I am a bit of a dreamer and I am hoping for someone to stand up and grab the bull by the horns, so to speak and get the sport on the right track. Let's face it the weather is a huge factor for racing in the 'sunshine state'. that alone is a positive in a sea of negatives. Both plants Santa Anita and Delmar are beautiful and worth attending

You get my point, like I said I am hoping for a roll up your sleeves type of person to sit down and add up all of the plusses and minuses and start to get the game on the right track.

[cj]

Like most places, it could be saved. You just have to run a number of races that creates full, competitive fields. If that means two day weeks, so be it. The current model needs to be scrapped.

[Binder]

I was there yesterday
First, off they always had donut day on the opening week Saturday
Not this year

I got there early and sat in the free area, They just are not up to today's needs
The Tv monitors are small and way up near the high ceilings

The added an extra row of what they call work stations.
But now its a hassle. Where they used to have 5 rows of tables now there are 6
in the same space, so there is no room to walk between the person sitting in row A and the row of tables in row B. This is probably so they can charge for them on breeders cup day. anyway,

The people stuck in the middle of the table rows can't get up to the tellers or machines without annoying everybody in the row.

The work stations are small, No lights, no TV monitors, No outlets to charge phones, laptops tablets

I did wonder around a bit but outside next to the walking ring
the court yard was like walking around at a trade show, Just a bunch of vendors selling Cars, Trips Fake sod all kinds of junk

The Paddock was great as usual,

I got hungry - I figured on my donut which was unavailable.
The food choices suck. I found nothing but movie theater spinning roasting
hot dogs or chips popcorn candy and soda at all the stands on the first two levels. Every stands offered the exact same selections,

They do have a decent stand out on the front apron. The hot dogs are actually cooked on a grill But its expensive
The hot dog with a bottle of water cost me $11.00

The crowd seemed normal but It was San Diego Charger day.
They introduced a bunch of players who had at some point played for the Chargers but nobody seemed to pay much attention.
Seemed to be more depressing to the locals that they lost their team.

The racing was fun. The Del Mar crowd (in the grandstand ) does enjoy being entertained. When the horses take off and when they are coming down the stretch The Del Mar crowd seems too get into it much more than other tracks. Overall the crowd seems to be there for fun, not to handicap seriously.

They gave away Arrogate posters.
It's odd I saw lots of beautiful women and family's who probably had no clue about Arrogate. They have a foundation People love to get dressed up
There are lots of women and families and young folks on dates.
They want to be there but they are not offered things to make it a nicer experience.

Binder

[Afleet]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

Maybe I am missing all these great races around the country and its just bad in socal.

The dirt racing is just plane bad everywhere, at least from the mid class and up tracks.

The issue is systemic through the sport but magnified in southern california.

I am not sure how racing as an industry would survive without california...that would be like taking France or England out of EU. Top to bottom it would have a dramatic effect.

Dirt racing at Oaklawn is pretty darn good

[Afleet]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

Maybe I am missing all these great races around the country and its just bad in socal.

The dirt racing is just plane bad everywhere, at least from the mid class and up tracks.

The issue is systemic through the sport but magnified in southern california.

I am not sure how racing as an industry would survive without california...that would be like taking France or England out of EU. Top to bottom it would have a dramatic effect.

England left the EU

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by Afleet

Dirt racing at Oaklawn is pretty darn good

I would agree with that, seems like a boutique meeting like Saratoga that draws rested horses and shippers.

Too bad, like Saratoga, Keeneland, its only a very short time that they run.4

[cj]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

I would agree with that, seems like a boutique meeting like Saratoga that draws rested horses and shippers.

Too bad, like Saratoga, Keeneland, its only a very short time that they run.4

They run for three months, quite a bit longer than the other two.