Racing shoots itself in the foot AGAIN

[Parson]

It looks like racing is the only game left still around with this Corona pandemic. Can someone, for the life of me, explain why someone in Sr. management with these companies does not buy some national add time and run some intro clinics online on how to bet and put it into terms the very beginner can understand. ADW's get some same national add time, do the same podcast clinics and a 100% match of new account deposit up to 1k after you have placed that amount of bets. So deposit 200, bet 200, and get 200 back the next day in your account.

[lamboguy]

excellent points, also racing just got rid of the drug cheaters, the guys that are left will be to scared to cheat.

The Red Mile is closed now and i know it has almost eliminated after the bell wagers in harness, not sure if they are betting the break there in thoroughbreds though.

if it was me, i would be advertising no drugs and no after the bells, upswing in handle and show why its better to bet on racing as opposed to sports and casino wagering.

[Parson]

the people working on the backside cannot exactly work from home like they are advocating. These horses must be cared for and exercised. Might as well race too. I can understand closing the gates to non credential persons, but lets race and take advantage of the situation. It is like it is the 50's and 60's all over again... meaning it is the only legal gambling game in town.

[PaceAdvantage]

They aren't doing what you suggest because it would be a completely tone deaf move...there's this virus going around...that we're supposed to fear like nothing else...it's gonna kill all our old and vulnerable (which makes up a giant chunk of our audience)...people are losing their jobs left and right as businesses shutter and people are locked up in their homes...

But hey, why not learn how to blow the last of your savings at the track?

Sounds like a good message to me...the response will probably be "well why the F are you guys still running races?"

[cj]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

They aren't doing what you suggest because it would be a completely tone deaf move...there's this virus going around...that we're supposed to fear like nothing else...it's gonna kill all our old and vulnerable (which makes up a giant chunk of our audience)...people are losing their jobs left and right as businesses shutter and people are locked up in their homes...

But hey, why not learn how to blow the last of your savings at the track?

Sounds like a good message to me...the response will probably be "well why the F are you guys still running races?"

This is 100% spot on. We are lucky a lot of places are allowing races to go on. Shoving it in people's faces would not be a great idea.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

They aren't doing what you suggest because it would be a completely tone deaf move...there's this virus going around...that we're supposed to fear like nothing else...it's gonna kill all our old and vulnerable (which makes up a giant chunk of our audience)...people are losing their jobs left and right as businesses shutter and people are locked up in their homes...

But hey, why not learn how to blow the last of your savings at the track?

Sounds like a good message to me...the response will probably be "well why the F are you guys still running races?"

This is entirely correct. They are right up to the edge in racing at all. One coronavirus positive from a trainer or jockey can end even that.

We should not press our luck.

[therussmeister]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

This is entirely correct. They are right up to the edge in racing at all. One coronavirus positive from a trainer or jockey can end even that.

We should not press our luck.

Yonkers closed due to COVID-19 death of a trainer.
At Gulfstream two jockeys are off their mounts today. Fingers crossed that it has nothing to do with COVID-19.

[Tom]

TVG, FOX, and NBS have teamed up to present much live racing this weekend.

FS1 will go from 1:30 - 6:30, or so.
NBCSN will be on late afternoon with racing coverage, showing some actual TVG feeds if I heard correctly.

NBC regular shows a lot of TBD programming, so possible that might be some racing,too?

But being the only game in town might not be such a big deal if you are now not getting any paychecks as a lot of people are.

[Nitro]

Originally Posted by Parson

It looks like racing is the only game left still around with this Corona pandemic. Can someone, for the life of me, explain why someone in Sr. management with these companies does not buy some national add time and run some intro clinics online on how to bet and put it into terms the very beginner can understand. ADW's get some same national add time, do the same podcast clinics and a 100% match of new account deposit up to 1k after you have placed that amount of bets. So deposit 200, bet 200, and get 200 back the next day in your account.

Parsons I completely agree!

I'm not going to mention it again, but there are places in the world a lot worse off than we are and betting millions not on a race-card but on a single race.

These Stateside racing jurisdictions must really be stupid not to notice and take advantage of the situation. We've gone through numerous viral attacks in the past and gotten through ALL of them (with some causalities of course).
But friends - in case you didn't notice - life goes on!

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Nitro

Parsons I completely agree!

I'm not going to mention it again, but there are places in the world a lot worse off than we are and betting millions not on a race-card but on a single race.

These Stateside racing jurisdictions must really be stupid not to notice and take advantage of the situation. We've gone through numerous viral attacks in the past and gotten through ALL of them (with some causalities of course).
But friends - in case you didn't notice - life goes on!

lulz

[iamt]

I know you aren't one to deal in facts when it comes to Hong Kong, but can you explain how you determine it to be a "lot worse off"


Is it the 170 cases only and the four deaths?


Their inherent ability in being an island to close their borders, unlike any city in America?


The fact training takes place in one Hong Kong location and a quarantined Chinese location?


Which part of their suffering really kicked it into gear for you?

[clocker7]

The horses have to be cared for. That factor overcomes a lot of other objections. To abandon them out of irrational fear is a non-starter both realistically and politically.

The virus also reacts mildly with athletes in good shape. (See Brookly Nets where all were tested, one had mild symptoms, and the other 3 who tested postive experienced no symptoms.)

So why not race and have it televised?

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Nitro

I'm not going to mention it again, but there are places in the world a lot worse off than we are and betting millions not on a race-card but on a single race.

Really? WHERE?

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by iamt

I know you aren't one to deal in facts when it comes to Hong Kong, but can you explain how you determine it to be a "lot worse off"


Is it the 170 cases only and the four deaths?


Their inherent ability in being an island to close their borders, unlike any city in America?


The fact training takes place in one Hong Kong location and a quarantined Chinese location?


Which part of their suffering really kicked it into gear for you?

For the record, Hong Kong is more than Hong Kong Island; it is also Kowloon and the New Territories, which share a land boundary with the People's Republic of China. So Hong Kong, as you are using the term, isn't technically an island.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by clocker7

The horses have to be cared for. That factor overcomes a lot of other objections. To abandon them out of irrational fear is a non-starter both realistically and politically.

The virus also reacts mildly with athletes in good shape. (See Brookly Nets where all were tested, one had mild symptoms, and the other 3 who tested postive experienced no symptoms.)

So why not race and have it televised?

1. I think it's very dangerous to assume that the virus can't claim any young and healthy victims. It already has claimed a few. Yes, most of the victims are old, but not all of them. Additionally, those jockeys and trainers and owners and racetrack personnel have older sicker relatives too.

2. I cannot strongly enough state that it is politically unsaleable to say that the need for horses to race is somehow either important to their welfare or outweighs public health concerns.

We get to race if we can prove we can do it safely, and only if we can prove we can do it safely. If we can't, well, the horse owners of the world will just have to go into their pockets and pay for the care of the horses that they voluntarily chose to breed and/or buy.

This idea that "the horses have all this training and are sitting around, so we have to race them" is not true at all. There's a public health emergency and that comes first.