Got An idea to improve Racing?

[BombsAway Bob]

www.HorsePlayerNow.com NIGHT SCHOOL holds it's annual
"TOWN MEETING" where you can give input to Racing Execs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NTRA
NIGHT SCHOOL FORUM
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - 8:30-10:00 p.m. (ET)

Night School, the racing industry's national online fan education program, conducts its second annual Racing Town Hall Meeting in Tuesday night's 38th lesson of the 2013 season. The gathering of industry movers and shakers begins at 8:30 p.m. ET and will offer fans and horseplayers a chance to interact directly with the policy makers.

The 90-minute Night School live chat will more than a dozen influential racing industry members, including executives, entrepreneurs, horseplayers and journalists. The panel will moderated by Night School's Jeremy Plonk, Joe Kristufek and Caton Bredar. The growing alphabetical list of panelists confirmed, which is expected to grow by the start of the Town Hall Meeting, includes:
•Michael Beychok, 2012 DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship winner and political strategist;
•Jill Byrne, racing analyst & director of multimedia video content for Churchill Downs;
•Justin Horowitz, player/media manager of The Meadowlands;
•Tom Lamarra, news editor of The Blood-Horse;
•Seth Merrow, owner of Equidaily.com and Capital OTB TV host;
•Mark Midland, founder of Derbywars.com and Horseracingnation.com;
•Dan Silver, director of racing operations for Penn National Race Course;
•John Siscos, director of media relations Woodbine and Mohawk;
•Mike Tanner, executive vice president of the United States Trotting Association;
•Eric Wing, director of media relations for New York Racing Association;
•Erich Zimny, director of racing for Charles Town Races.

The inaugural Racing Town Hall Meeting in 2012 remains available for archive view (http://tinyurl.com/lyu449v) and included the likes of Breeders' Cup-winning owner-breeder Satish Sanan, NTRA president Alex Waldrop, Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas, HRTV executive producer Amy Zimmerman, and Horseplayers Association of North America president Jeff Platt, among others.

"We opted for a different cast this year to expand viewpoints and access," said Night School co-founder Jeremy Plonk. "Our panel is a diverse mix of small and large track interests, not to mention an undervalued part of the industry that's burgeoning, the individual entrepreneurs."

Presenting title sponsors for Night School are the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, American Quarter Horse Association, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Inc., and the United States Trotting Association.

Night School is offered every Tuesday for 40 consecutive weeks through Dec. 3. Topics change weekly, and fans are eligible for prizes and rewards for registering. Registration is optional and free. There is never a charge for taking part in Night School. The weekly program is offered in three media: live chat via the Cover It Live blogging/chat forum, audio/radio streaming and full video lesson plans. The media of delivery is based on the subject matter and alternates throughout the season.

This week's Night School will be followed at 10:00 p.m. ET by the "After Night School Special," featuring live racing from Mountaineer Park. The segment will cover the evening's final two races in real time with free, live-streaming video. Fans wishing to take part in the Mountaineer action simply need to remain in the Night School chat after class. Complimentary past performances are available, courtesy of BRIS.

Study Materials: http://www.horseplayernow.com/images/STUDY111913.pdf

Video Preview of this week's lesson: http://youtu.be/TJiMeA06HEs

Pod 5 Lesson Schedule: http://horseplayernow.com/images/2013NSCALENDAR5.pdf

[DeltaLover]

Originally Posted by BombsAway Bob

www.HorsePlayerNow.com NIGHT SCHOOL holds it's annual
"TOWN MEETING" where you can give input to Racing Execs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NTRA
NIGHT SCHOOL FORUM
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - 8:30-10:00 p.m. (ET)

Night School, the racing industry's national online fan education program, conducts its second annual Racing Town Hall Meeting in Tuesday night's 38th lesson of the 2013 season. The gathering of industry movers and shakers begins at 8:30 p.m. ET and will offer fans and horseplayers a chance to interact directly with the policy makers.

The 90-minute Night School live chat will more than a dozen influential racing industry members, including executives, entrepreneurs, horseplayers and journalists. The panel will moderated by Night School's Jeremy Plonk, Joe Kristufek and Caton Bredar. The growing alphabetical list of panelists confirmed, which is expected to grow by the start of the Town Hall Meeting, includes:
•Michael Beychok, 2012 DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship winner and political strategist;
•Jill Byrne, racing analyst & director of multimedia video content for Churchill Downs;
•Justin Horowitz, player/media manager of The Meadowlands;
•Tom Lamarra, news editor of The Blood-Horse;
•Seth Merrow, owner of Equidaily.com and Capital OTB TV host;
•Mark Midland, founder of Derbywars.com and Horseracingnation.com;
•Dan Silver, director of racing operations for Penn National Race Course;
•John Siscos, director of media relations Woodbine and Mohawk;
•Mike Tanner, executive vice president of the United States Trotting Association;
•Eric Wing, director of media relations for New York Racing Association;
•Erich Zimny, director of racing for Charles Town Races.

The inaugural Racing Town Hall Meeting in 2012 remains available for archive view (http://tinyurl.com/lyu449v) and included the likes of Breeders' Cup-winning owner-breeder Satish Sanan, NTRA president Alex Waldrop, Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas, HRTV executive producer Amy Zimmerman, and Horseplayers Association of North America president Jeff Platt, among others.

"We opted for a different cast this year to expand viewpoints and access," said Night School co-founder Jeremy Plonk. "Our panel is a diverse mix of small and large track interests, not to mention an undervalued part of the industry that's burgeoning, the individual entrepreneurs."

Presenting title sponsors for Night School are the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, American Quarter Horse Association, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Inc., and the United States Trotting Association.

Night School is offered every Tuesday for 40 consecutive weeks through Dec. 3. Topics change weekly, and fans are eligible for prizes and rewards for registering. Registration is optional and free. There is never a charge for taking part in Night School. The weekly program is offered in three media: live chat via the Cover It Live blogging/chat forum, audio/radio streaming and full video lesson plans. The media of delivery is based on the subject matter and alternates throughout the season.

This week's Night School will be followed at 10:00 p.m. ET by the "After Night School Special," featuring live racing from Mountaineer Park. The segment will cover the evening's final two races in real time with free, live-streaming video. Fans wishing to take part in the Mountaineer action simply need to remain in the Night School chat after class. Complimentary past performances are available, courtesy of BRIS.

Study Materials: http://www.horseplayernow.com/images/STUDY111913.pdf

Video Preview of this week's lesson: http://youtu.be/TJiMeA06HEs

Pod 5 Lesson Schedule: http://horseplayernow.com/images/2013NSCALENDAR5.pdf

It would had been more interesting if people like Dave Swartz, CJ, PA or Thaskalos were also in this board.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by DeltaLover

It would had been more interesting if people like Dave Swartz, CJ, PA or Thaskalos were also in this board.

It's probably better that I won't attend. I'd probably be escorted out long before the meeting ends.

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

It's probably better that I won't attend. I'd probably be escorted out long before the meeting ends.

But your getting the bum's rush would be interesting in and of itself.

[Jeff P]

Here's a link to an article on the HANA Blog where I wrote about my experience as an invited panelist for last year's "Town Hall" event:
http://blog.horseplayersassociation....all-recap.html

Night School Town Hall Recap
I was one of the panelists on the Night School Town Hall online chat session Tues Sept 11, 2012.

Before giving my recap I want to express the following:

The other panelists: ESPN's Jeremy Plonk, Jill Byrne, paddock analyst for Churchill Downs, Alex Waldrop, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Trey Buck, executive director of racing for the American Quarter Horse Association, Jason Wilson, vice president of business development for The Jockey Club, Tom Chuckas, president of the Maryland Jockey Club, Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of the Stronach Group/president and general manager of Gulfstream Park, Jim Miller, assistant general manager of Hawthorne Race Course, Mandy Minger, vice president/marketing of Daily Racing Form, Amy Zimmerman, Eclipse Award-winning executive producer for HRTV, Jennie Rees, Eclipse Award-winning turf writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal, John DeSantis, senior vice president/editor for Xpressbet, Jeremy Clemons, vice president/marketing for Twinspires, Satish Sanan, Breeders' Cup-winning owner/breeder of Padua Stables –

ALL of the other panelists – EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM is a GREAT ambassador of this game.

I’ve met many of them in person. There is one universal theme among them that I find refreshing. To a person you will not meet ANYONE more upbeat and positive about racing. You will not meet anyone anywhere who LOVES horse racing more than the people on last night’s panel.

Don’t get me wrong. I was happy to have been thought highly enough of to have been invited onto the panel - and I certainly enjoyed participating.

But…

If you are a horseplayer and you followed last night’s Town Hall chat session (or if you read the transcript) you have to be struck by the following:

For ninety minutes the panel managed to duck what the vast majority of HANA’s horseplayer members see as racing’s core issues.

Why is this important?

According to numbers on the Jockey Club website, in 2003, all sources handle for thoroughbred racing conducted in North America was $15.9 billion. Last year, for calendar year 2011, all sources handle for thoroughbred racing conducted in North America came in at $11.4 billion. That’s a loss of 28.3% in just nine years. (The loss is even worse if you adjust it for inflation.)

That, by itself, should be enough to send a red flag up the pole.

But nothing of the sort happened on last night’s Town Hall panel. In fact, by the end of the night many of the panelists were patting each other on the back for all the things that racing does right – and without ever once addressing in any meaningful way the three obvious elephants sitting in the room.

I want to talk about the obvious elephants sitting in the room.

In 2009, we did the first HANA Survey. In that survey, 75 percent of you identified high takeout as the primary reason you bet less than you otherwise would. In that survey, more than 70 percent of you identified an outdated tote system and odds that change after the bell as the number two reason you bet less than you otherwise would. In that survey, more than two thirds of you identified racing’s drug problem as the number three reason you bet less than you otherwise would.

Not only that, but in survey after survey, HANA’s horseplayer members have consistently confirmed those original findings.

From a market research standpoint, I have very little trouble identifying the obvious elephants sitting in the room as follows:

1. High Takeout.

2. Obsolete Tote System/Odds that change after the bell (translates to lack of integrity.)

3. Drugs (translates to lack of integrity.)

Don’t get me wrong. I think Night School is a wonderful idea. However, racing cheerleaders can only take you so far.

Until or unless racing decides to take on the obvious elephants sitting in the room – expect racing to continue to decline in popularity among the public at large and expect racing’s key metric: handle - to continue its long term decline as well.

EDIT: One thing I didn't get to see live as a panelist during the chat session were results of the polls. However, while scrolling through the "replay" of the chat I came across the following:

Poll Results - What is Racing's Biggest Problem to Fix?
http://www.horseplayersassociation.o...htschool01.jpg

Poll Results - Which Idea Do You Like Best Tonight?
http://www.horseplayersassociation.o...htschool02.jpg

I rest my case.

Jeff Platt
President, HANA

The problem as I see it isn't a lack of ideas coming from racing's (remaining) customer base.

The problem as I see it is one of simple denial.


-jp

.

[TheEdge07]

1.Takeout
2.Change Post time(75% people work when races are being run)
3.Drugs..get caught 3rd time lifetime ban

[Stillriledup]

The biggest problem in the game is that trainers, jocks and owners are not putting the game first, they're putting themselves first. Also, the bettors have showed that if they get crapped on, they'll just keep filing into the entrances. When Calif raised takeout, people didnt stop betting, the customers didnt "stick together" and cripple the product until they cried uncle.

Also, a big problem is that racing doesnt adhere to real life laws. You have guys like Michael Vick going to JAIL for dog abuse, but if a trainer abuses horses, or has them die mysteriously, you have no FBI or outside law enforcement getting involved. I'm not sure why the FBI wouldnt be interested in certain trainers who are killing horses due to neglect, but it seems that because jocks, trainers and owners don't go to jail, the game is the 'wild wild west' and nobody really cares about how many "rules" they break.

The game isnt policing themselves enough, there are a lot more trainers besides Rick Dutrow who need 10 year suspensions, and yet, nobody seems to care about tossing these people out of the game.

Maybe its because they feel the fans and bettors are idiots and will keep betting the product no matter how many cheating owners, trainers and jocks are plying their trades in this sport. If the bettors keep betting, "racing" has no real incentive to change things.

[PhantomOnTour]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

The problem as I see it isn't a lack of ideas coming from racing's (remaining) customer base.

The problem as I see it is one of simple denial.


-jp

.

That's about the best darned thing I've ever read on this forum...right on.

[Phantombridgejumpe]

At so many tracks every day and even every race look the same.

For Example Parx on 11/19/13 looks almost identical to Philly Park on
11/19/93.

Some different distances? Different camera angles? Different graphics?

NFL Football on TV looks better now than it did 20 years ago.

Would 3 races a week on a network like FOX1 hurt? They need programming - the FOX 1 Thursday night pick 3 sounds good.

10% Takeout Tuesdays? Or 5% takeout Wednesday for on track only.

There is just no buzz with racing - some can be created.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

That's about the best darned thing I've ever read on this forum...right on.

Besides denial, it comes down to this. A lot of the suggestions that horseplayers and other people make to impvove the game that are NOT acted on are suggestions that probably don't help that particular racetracks bottom line in the short term.

A lot of the very best suggestions by people to improve the game are largely suggestions that are going to COST money in the short term in order to cultivate long term success.

Tracks are interested in TODAY. If they can make 5 cents extra TODAY, they could care less if they lose dozens of customers for life, they are not in the cultiviation business and they act as if they might not be here tomorrow.

Horse racing higher ups largely manage their tracks as if there's no tomorrow, they don't manage thinking about the future, they don't manage thinking that spending a small amount of money today will gain them money in the future.

[Jeff P]

10% Takeout Tuesdays?

In my humble opinion... FANTASTIC IDEA! (Why isn't some track doing that?)


-jp

.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

In my humble opinion... FANTASTIC IDEA! (Why isn't some track doing that?)


-jp

.

If i'm the manager of SRU downs and i take full card simulcasting on Tuesdays and Parx decides that all takeouts on Tues are 10%, why would i want my customers to bet on that track instead of some other track offering full takeout rates? If Parx lowers their take on Tues to 10%, they are essentially lowering MY cut of the profits, even though SRU downs may be 100s of miles away from Parx.

Parx gets the "Credit" for having a low takeout and yet i'm the one at SRU downs who will feel the pinch if my customers are betting their money on Parx races instead of some other track who's not lowering their takeout.

I would have to consider pulling Parx from my menu on Tuesdays because having them up there will cost me money.

[olddaddy]

I look at the list of "guests" at the this town hall meeting and their current lively hood depends on the how the game is currently played. These people are the ones that have done nothing to change the game and like it the way it is. Meetings like this are a total joke, no one is going to cut off their food source for the good of the game. Put some people on the panel whose livelihood doesnt depend on how this game is played and Id listen to it.

Finally, I do understand not biting off the hand that feeds you, I see that with the comments made by announcers and horse people that post here but dont make this town meeting as being anything special.

[traynor]

Originally Posted by olddaddy

I look at the list of "guests" at the this town hall meeting and their current lively hood depends on the how the game is currently played. These people are the ones that have done nothing to change the game and like it the way it is. Meetings like this are a total joke, no one is going to cut off their food source for the good of the game. Put some people on the panel whose livelihood doesnt depend on how this game is played and Id listen to it.

Finally, I do understand not biting off the hand that feeds you, I see that with the comments made by announcers and horse people that post here but dont make this town meeting as being anything special.

It makes about as much sense as giving "bailout funds" to the people that caused the problem that required the bail out in the first place.

[shouldacoulda]

Stop charging for parking and reduce the admission. Every time I see a grandstand for the most part, at almost every track, it's empty anyway. How much would they really lose? If you want more butts in the seats you have to give people a reason to go.