If you were Racing Czar....

[highnote]

If you were the Racing Czar, how would you improve racing?

[Edward DeVere]

Lower takeout. In fact, I would MANDATE that any track receiving slots DRAMATICALLY lower takeout.

[BetHorses!]

I really believe the lower take is the answer

[highnote]

I would make the Tri, Super and other exotic probable payoffs visible.

[Seabiscuit@AR]

I would remove all rebates to make it all a level playing field

[highnote]

I'd give everyone rebates based on level of play -- except in the case of slot subsidized tracks. Then I would offer zero takeout.

[gIracing]

1) Night Racing. The VAST majority of races are during the week and 90% of all tracks, give or take race between 11am and 4pm. unless you are playing hookie, are retired or just betting at work, how are you going to draw crowds to the game? then everyone wonders why the avg age of a player is close to or over 50. it doesn't take a rocket scientist. Plus there is just something special about going to a say, hollywood park on a friday night.

2) Breeding. These days we breed to sell, and not to race. Think about it. The best horses DON'T RACE!!! what would racing be NOW if we still had say, Afleet Alex, Bellamy Road, Giacomo (well.. on second thought)... just good horses in general. As soon as someone wins a G1 Race they are taken to stud. This does absolutly nothing to help the game, it hurts it if you ask me. Of course people like me know horses from when they break their maidens, but your avg had no idea who say, Circular Quay was until 2 weeks ago. However this won't be accomplished until you make it financially enticing enough for Gier 1 handicap horses to actually run. (i.e Dubai World Cup, Melborne Cup)

3) Take Drugs completely out of racing. maybe with the execption of lasix. Some of my fav racing is Australian racing. the filedls are plump, the horses are healthy and none of them take drugs. Alot of our horses are a reflection of our society... drugged up making it day by day.


4) Have a "comission" type advisory board that is either oursourced or has no direct affilation with no horse racing party. Horse racing has some of the most *** backwards policies you can think of. I live in Arkansas. Guess what, you would think there would be online wagering venues ligning up to take my money. If i want to play say, Belmont, i have to drive 40 mintues to hot sprints and place a bet. can't do it online (from what I can find, and I'm not oging to do a detailed search to find someone to take my money). I use xpressbet, which I am 100% happy with, but because TVG covers the NYRA circuit, and they don't haver wagering in arkansas, I'm screwed. And then they wonder why the NYRA is always loosing money... well when you broadcast nationally, even worldwide, show commercials nationally, but only providing a way to get a ROI in 1 out of 3 states, that's pretty much a loosing forumla. That's the equilvant to seeing a mcdonalds commercial and there is not a mcdonals within 1 hour of where you are.. you might like the commercial, but I'm not going to make a 2 hour round trip for a number 3. lol, I even have TVG built in to my dish network.. AND CAN'T USE IT!!
The "commission" would also advise on things like, the takeout (which I think we have bigger problems IMHO.. keep in mind you are asking tracks to fork over half their income, not something I wuld be that willing to do either). I have been wanting to play Mountineer park for the longest time, but I can't find any video replays for the mouinteer park, racereplays doesn't carry them, and I don't bet on a horse I have never seen run with my own two eyes, but I can go to Los Al's website and get free video gate works of first time starters... it's little things like that.

overall, I think the sport is in alot better shape than people give it credit for. could it be better? yes, could any (execpt NFL, couldn't think of too many things that could improve that sport from a business standpoint)

[samyn on the green]

Devote a larger portion of revenue to grease/kickback/bribe/buy politicians to actually get something done. Without this leverage, you won't be able to lower the price on hotdogs.

NYRA used to let me in to Belmont/Aqueduct/Saratoga free because I had a NYRA ONE account and bet X amount of dollars a year. Governor Pataki forced an end to this policy because the state did not want NYRA to get any type of edge over the corruption cash cow OTB. So now I have to pay $1 like the rest of the yokels. With increased kickbacks and bribes NYRA could have kept its free admission policy for NYRA ONE account holders.

Thats why when I am racing Czar I am going to bribe/kickback/grease/buy as many of them as I can afford to.

[Indulto]

Originally Posted by swetyejohn

If you were the Racing Czar, how would you improve racing?

My 12-step program:

1) Lower exotic wager minimums to $.25 for Pick Sixes, $.50 for Pick Fours and Trifectas, and $1 for all others.

2) Separate wager acceptance by ADWs from televising anything except live races, post parades, and, possibly, replays used by stewards as long as no live races are interrupted in the process.

3) Schedule posttimes for all tracks cooperatively and make it possible for each customer to view his preference when conflicts arise.

4) At no charge, make replays of all races for at least two years available instantly 24/7 as well as raw fractional times and actual distance run for each starter/finisher.

5) Tie host share of intertrack wagers to differences in purse levels with individual simulcasting sites.

6) Impose a maximum on any ADW's share of handle.

7) Eliminate ADW exclusivity.

8) Suspend ALL rebating subject to coordinated experimentation with lower takeout levels on various wagers in different markets.

9) Mandate adoption of standardized rules of racing, criteria for disqualification, medication, and penalties for violators.

10) Establish availability and transparency of data not previously available to the general public including, but not limited to a) wager pool information detailing sources and amounts, b) equine medical procedures, medication, and equipment, c) steward decisions and dissenting opinions, and d) detailed breakage summaries.

11) Ensure adequate insurance coverage and access to appropriate medical treatment for jockeys at all venues.

12) Establish standardized minimum criteria for backstretch living conditions.

[samyn on the green]

Originally Posted by Indulto

My 12-step program:



6) Impose a maximum on any ADW's share of handle.

How/why would you enforce this? What if a ADW goes over their quota? Do you cut the customers off mid-card? Why/how would you limit an ADW if they were most successful at marketing your signal. Wouldn't you be punishing your players and cutting off your best salesman?

[gIracing]

i'm not a fan of .25 cent exotics and .10 superfectas.

part of the alure of playing the superfecta is the substancial payday that COULD be won if hititng it.

If I were aming for a 100-500 win, I wouldn't be playing a superfecta. That's like playing the pick six hoping to get 1k back. what's the point?

If I hit a Superfecta, we need to be talking thousands (execpt on chalky races, you get the point).

The worst thing that can happen to exocits if if I get say, a 20 to 1 shot win, a 5 to 1 shot come in 2nd, the chalk comes in 3rd and a 4 to one shot comes in 4th and you get a .10 cent superfecta payout of 100 bucks, because with all of the people playing superfecta at .10 cents, you put in more tickets, wtih more tickets equal more combinations and the more combinations the more your share of the pie gets split.

part of the alure of tracks like Hollywood park and Santa anita are looking at some of the ungodly amounts of money won on Pick 4's, Superfectas and Pic Six wagering.. friday night someone won I think 132k, either friday or Saturday, because there was only 1 ticket that hit it.


I think the backstretch living conditions go up once more people get into the sport, whcih comes with some of the other solutions

[Indulto]

Originally Posted by samyn on the green

How/why would you enforce this? What if a ADW goes over their quota? Do you cut the customers off mid-card? Why/how would you limit an ADW if they were most successful at marketing your signal. Wouldn't you be punishing your players and cutting off your best salesman?

Thanks, I meant % of wager if that makes any more sense.

[Indulto]

Originally Posted by gIracing

i'm not a fan of .25 cent exotics and .10 superfectas.

part of the alure of playing the superfecta is the substancial payday that COULD be won if hititng it.

If I were aming for a 100-500 win, I wouldn't be playing a superfecta. That's like playing the pick six hoping to get 1k back. what's the point?

If I hit a Superfecta, we need to be talking thousands (execpt on chalky races, you get the point).

gIr,
I respect your position, but I think So Cal tracks should experiment with 25-cent minimum P6s under current payout rules and find out what the effect on total handle would be.

One can always bet more to win more, but most players can't risk whale-like investments to hit even a "modest" (by your standards) score. I'd be just fine with a 4-digit payoff on $100 invested in 400 combinations. The small player is further penalized by rebates which result in "free" combinations for those who qualify.

The worst thing that can happen to exocits if if I get say, a 20 to 1 shot win, a 5 to 1 shot come in 2nd, the chalk comes in 3rd and a 4 to one shot comes in 4th and you get a .10 cent superfecta payout of 100 bucks, because with all of the people playing superfecta at .10 cents, you put in more tickets, wtih more tickets equal more combinations and the more combinations the more your share of the pie gets split.

If you're good enough to pick them now you should be able to survive the experiment.

part of the alure of tracks like Hollywood park and Santa anita are looking at some of the ungodly amounts of money won on Pick 4's, Superfectas and Pic Six wagering.. friday night someone won I think 132k, either friday or Saturday, because there was only 1 ticket that hit it.

Imagine if that ticket only cost a quarter.

I think the backstretch living conditions go up once more people get into the sport, whcih comes with some of the other solutions

If you really want to get more peaple into the sport, you've got to allow them to play exotics within their comfort zone. When enough people think they have a real shot at winning the P6, those pools should be far larger than today's and the smart money will get smarter about playing them profitably.

[gIracing]

your' missing the point on superfectas. I don't have to survive off of them, because I don't bank on hitting them. I personally am not a huge exotic player.

but when I DO play an exotic wager, outside of an exicta, it's not with the idea of getting 100 dollars back.

that's all I am saying. it's not about surviving. it's about the alure of getting the ticket that could change your life. I could personally care less becuase I don't bet them enough to warrant it. But you can't talk about brining in new customers to the game and .10 superfectas in the same sentence. Granted, the avg newbie has no idea the effect, or at least what the .10 super comes at a cost at.

with all that said, I would be lying if I said I have never played a .10er at Golden Gate. and It's a novel idea. it really is, i'm not aruging that. But when you step back and take a look at it, you are dumbing down something that wasn't ment to be dummbed down. The normal payout structure is usally 1 to two digits for a win/place show, 2 digits for execta, 3 digits for Tri and 4 digits for super... what's the point of betting a super if I have to settle for an avg payout of 2 digits and in some instances...1? If I wanted to win 20 bucks, put a dollar execta on something. it's the same result, and easier, and you would have probably spent more than 1 or 2 bucks coming up with all the superfecta comibinations to get back the 20 bucks, which is a 200 dollar normal 1 dollar superfecta ticket, which is pretty chalky

[john del riccio]

Lower the takeout
TWO strikes your OUT for good drug policy
Freeze Blood Samples
Vets name in the Program
NO Year round racing ala PHA & PEN
Free admission, Parking and Program

John