Letter to the Editor

[pandy]

From the very first time I started going to Aqueduct and Roosevelt Raceway in NY back in 1971, I was surprised that there was no one there to answer questions or to ask people if they wanted to be on a mailing list. The casinos got this right away, collect people's addresses so you can keep in touch with them and tell them about promos and comps. The racetracks also fleeced you for crappy food and drinks, and most still do.

[lex]

I never understood why NYRA didn't push people to try out Belmont. A lot of people at Saratoga are local and a day trip is no big deal. I'd push Aqueduct too because I love it and it's also a really easy day since last post is early, but I get that it's probably not everyone's speed.

[1776Mike]

Originally Posted by The_Turf_Monster

There are overlays to bet in nearly every race. It may take you into the quinella pool to find it, though it’s usually sitting right there in the WPS

I’ve yet to see any software that’s truly state of the art fwiw, so anybody relying on it is doing it to their own detriment and anybody looking at it for why they can’t find value is just using it as an excuse

I don't know about nearly every event, otherwise I agree 100%.

Anyone who has the time, and the willingness to make judgement calls,
can find an edge several times a week no problem.

[tbwinner]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Except, racing can still be a positive expectation endeavor in the long run.

Casinos, outside of poker, can never offer that sort of possibility.

This is true for the recreational entertainment player. But there are still tons of advantage player opportunities for those that desire. Definitely not on the Vegas strip but they exist all across the world.

[therussmeister]

Originally Posted by The_Turf_Monster

There are overlays to bet in nearly every race. It may take you into the quinella pool to find it, though it’s usually sitting right there in the WPS

I’ve yet to see any software that’s truly state of the art fwiw, so anybody relying on it is doing it to their own detriment and anybody looking at it for why they can’t find value is just using it as an excuse

I believe there is value to be found in some pool in every race with at least seven betting interests, about 80% of the races with six, maybe 40% with five, and occasionally with four.

[Robert Fischer]

I love this game. Count me as 'in'. Big fan and it means something to me.


the Letter to editor - Unfortunately I agree that much of it is true. I value the writer's opinions and I agree with and empathize. One thing that jumps out is the 'culture'. A lot of the players on the arc of the writer in part love(d) the game due to the culture at the track. Players now watch and wager differently, but I wish there was more action and urgency in now re-establishing some of that culture.
There are some current journalists, public handicappers, podcasters, etc... who do in fact do a great job with promoting the culture.


- the quality of the product, the wagering menus, the takeout, breakage and many other concerns with quality offerings and value can be very frustrating. It's like a routine where you eat these wonderful homecooked/chef-made dishes some of the time, and then fill in a bunch of meals with Taco Bell value menu. Every so often you sit down for Bobby Flay and the maitre d brings out a McRib

on the value side discussion - I can't personally find consistent value w/out a negative opinion on a chalk (thus opening several types of wagers/sequences), / Or either a negative opinion on an exacta-contender or a positive opinion of a big long shot (in which cases I have a chance at stretching a light ticket over a tri or super and playing it long term).
Field-size limits these things, as does some races simply being accurately assessed by the pool money.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by The_Turf_Monster

There are overlays to bet in nearly every race.

This is probably true in a theoretical sense, but in a practical sense we all have limitations to how much work we can do looking for underappreciated information and then doing all the handicapping.

That means there are limitations on our ability to find "real" overlays as opposed to "I am working with incomplete and error prone information, have an incomplete understanding of this race, and therefore this horse I think is an overlay actually isn't".

I think it's WAY harder to find real overlays now than 20-30 years ago and probably harder now than even 5-10 years ago too. And I say that while working a minimum of 2-3 times as hard as I used to.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by therussmeister

I believe there is value to be found in some pool in every race with at least seven betting interests, about 80% of the races with six, maybe 40% with five, and occasionally with four.

Very easy to say after the race when you know the winner, but totally impossible to demonstrate before the race.

I don't think it's much of a debate: there are better options for gambling, and the public has spoken. The massive growth in legal gaming has only shown that racing COULD have gone from $15 billion to $50 billion a year in handle if it was appealing to the general public. But it's not, and it didn't. It doesn't mean the game is going away anytime soon. It will continue to limp along until most of us are gone. Another fan leaves every day.

[ranchwest]

I, too, am in Texas and find it unappealing to drive to the track, pay for a carrel. It gets much worse during live racing, when it is very difficult to get in a bet and then there's the drunks and bad track policies.

As for wagering, it has always required significant effort to make money consistently... at least for most people. I arrive at a contender list for at least one track every day. And when I don't get a winner from my four horse contender list, I earnestly research why and try to learn from my oversight. There's still plenty of opportunities. I still know people who are making decent money almost every day. And, racing is still one of the few opportunities to cash for 40+/1 on a single wager.