Hastings Looking For 10% Handle Increase

[lamboguy]

the plainridge race track is reducing all takeout to 15%. they are only charging 1% source fees to other racetracks, however they are going to charge more to adw's who probably won't take their signal. bottom line on this one is they will do less business. they could make the takeout 0 and still do less.

[proximity]

question for cj or others close to the scene......


is this track still plagued by significant season to season changes in runups at common distances that can render pars based on last season's races useless??

[beertapper]

Originally Posted by HuggingTheRail

Hastings is my home track, since my first visit over 30 years ago as a small boy.

This will be interesting to watch. They have tried some things in the last few years to get more people out to the track, with limited success. The bulk of their focus has been on Friday night racing...live bands, $1 hot dogs, etc. These things attracted a few more young people, but weekend afternoon cards were "same old"

Their handle/card a decade or so ago was $1mil+/card...now, its half a mil, some days less.

I think they are maybe giving the "lets get more people to the track" campaign a rest in favour of the reduced takeout - not a bad thing to try...

Their customer service is mediocre at best. Food is okay, lineups for wagering usually very small. However, many of the washrooms haven't seen a coat of paint in quite some time, and when the casino was constructed a few years ago, much of the area for the racing crowd disappeared. (I know, sounds familiar!)

The results will start to be seen in 4 weeks, when the meet opens. I wonder how many people will start playing Hastings that haven't before...

Interestingly enough, the parent company of Hastings, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, just took a substantial decrease in asset value of Hastings last week. Their lease to operate expires with the city of Vancouver late 2012, and there is reports the City is holding up in hopes of getting the casino company to build a parkade and upgrade the barn area.

well hopefully the bump in handle will help to get the lease renewed on agreeable terms for all sides. Hastings just build a daycare centre at the track, if i'm not mistaken. They also sunk money into the infield to convert it into a park, which no one (ie the community) seems to use. Ideally, the city of share some of the costs for a parkade ? They did a cost sharing agreement at the river rock casino parkade, but it was due to the skytrain station located there. Still, a parkade would benefit special events like the PNE, and possibly Giants games.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by proximity

question for cj or others close to the scene......


is this track still plagued by significant season to season changes in runups at common distances that can render pars based on last season's races useless??

I'd have to say no to that one.

95% of the races are run at 6.5 furlongs or a mile and a sixteenth. The starting gate at those distances has been in the same location for at least the last decade or so.

[proximity]

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=60653


found the thread i was thinking about. apparently a few years ago they were changing the runups for some 6f races they were running.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by proximity

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=60653


found the thread i was thinking about. apparently a few years ago they were changing the runups for some 6f races they were running.

Ah yes, I remember the "About 6 Furlongs" snafu.

[netbet]

So, who will be playing Hastings this year?

I have never seen a race from Hastings before but with the takeout...I have to support this track.

Patrick

[adwplayingfool]

15% with nickel breakage is great hopefully TS or Xpressbet will offer the signal. I have played hastings in the past and the races are not half bad.

[cj]

Originally Posted by proximity

question for cj or others close to the scene......


is this track still plagued by significant season to season changes in runups at common distances that can render pars based on last season's races useless??

They have the last few years. We'll see what happens this year. It really isn't that big of a deal since it has been consistent throughout each season.

[Ian Meyers]

Originally Posted by The_Knight_Sky

You beat me to the punch CG.

At Hastings, The Player Is King - By Bill Finley

If you haven't yet discovered Hastings Racecourse, and chances are you haven't, this is the year that needs to change. When the track, which is located in Vancouver, opens April 16 it will offer some of the very best betting values found anywhere in North America. The takeout for win, place, show, the Pick Four and Pick Five will be just 15 percent.

The lower takeouts are the result of a management philosophy that runs counter to the way so many other racetracks think. At Hasting, says 29-year-old Regional General Manager Raj Mutti, "everything we are doing is catered to the horseplayer."

The good news for horseplayers actually began with an effort from the British Columbia government, which put something together called the British Columbia Horse Racing Industry Management Committee, which was created to "help revitalize and restore financial strength to the province's horse racing industry." The committee decided to allocate additional funds to thoroughbred racing in British Columbia, which resulted in big purse increases. At the upcoming meet, overnight purses will be up by 19 percent and stakes purses will rise by 23 percent.

That was good news for Hastings and its horsemen, but did little for the fan. Mutti and his team decided to do something about that.

For anyone interested in playing Hastings starting Saturday signup at www.americasadw.com and use PA as the promo code and we'll give you 7% cash rewards back on all those 15% takeout bets. Where else can you play into a 8% take???

[Jeff P]

I think the effort by Hastings to offer reduced takeout is worth supporting.

I'm going to generate rider-trainer stats for last year's HST meet. I'll post links to them here as well as on the HANA blog. I also plan on updating them each week throughout the meet.

Btw Ian, that's an exceptional offer.


-jp

.

[RXB]

Originally Posted by netbet

So, who will be playing Hastings this year?

I have never seen a race from Hastings before but with the takeout...I have to support this track.

Patrick

It's my home track. It shouldn't be too hard for a newcomer to get the swing of things as once they get past the first couple of weeks where they run a bunch of 6f races, the vast majority of contests are 6.5f or 8.5f. Pretty easy to make comparisons and keep accurate figures.

The downside is that the per race handle has shrunk massively over the past two decades-- 50% decline in nominal dollars and far worse if you factor inflation into the equation. So it's fine for people who make small or medium bets but larger players might find the pool sizes to be a turn-off, especially if they fancy a longshot.

[bigmack]

Originally Posted by Ian Meyers

For anyone interested in playing Hastings starting Saturday signup at www.americasadw.com and use PA as the promo code and we'll give you 7% cash rewards back on all those 15% takeout bets. Where else can you play into a 8% take???

You're keeping the art department busy, I.



Bust through the CA market and we'll go with broadcast advertising.