Florida Derby on Sunday terrible idea.

[Casino]

Florida Derby being run on Sunday

[toussaud]

I like it.

[jelly]

I like It too.

[castaway01]

No NFL now, so who cares one way or the other?

[toussaud]

In fact not only do I like it, it's brilliant. why go head to head against the final four?

you run on the one day between the final four and the national championship game making people/fans not have to chose. I know I missed basically half of sunday watching VCU game.

[Paseana]

I don't follow March Madness at all, but aren't the Final Four games scheduled for Saturday? If I'm right, I would think Gulfstream wouldn't want the Florida Derby to have to compete with the collective attention that is likely to be focused on that. There may not have been any direct timing conflict, but the US sports world is going to be consumed by it the whole day.

Just a thought.

Late edit: Ha Toussaud....you beat me to it! I'm glad you posted though, because I really wasn't sure if I was right, and I was a little worried that I was going to look like a complete idiot!

[nijinski]

Would have been nice to have in this weeks contest though.

[Edward DeVere]

Originally Posted by Paseana

I was a little worried that I was going to look like a complete idiot!

Hmmm. This is not normally a concern for posting on Internet forums.

[toussaud]

To add, the Univeristy of Flordia was literary, 1 point away from going to the final four. Made it to the elite 8, and lost to Butler in overtime 73 to 71. Had they scored one more point in regulation, not a damn person in the state of florida would give 2 craps about the florida derby at 5pm EST

[Dahoss9698]

Originally Posted by toussaud

Had they scored one more point in regulation, not a damn person in the state of florida would give 2 craps about the florida derby at 5pm EST

Stop it. The track would have been packed regardless.

[toussaud]

Originally Posted by Dahoss9698

Stop it. The track would have been packed regardless.

you stop it lol.

Take a step back from the mud slinging and realize that we aren't talking about hardcore patrons here. people like you are going to be going to the track if it was the resurrection day. No, we are talking about all the people that Florida built the boutiques for and the massage center and the food courts and the people they want to get out for the weekend. The "social bettor", is not going to be at the track if he has to decide between watching a horse race and watching the final four.

Also, the word "packed" is relative. Are there going to be alot of people out, of course. you got me there. But a good business is about maximizing profit, but if we are talking the difference between possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in on track handle if not more and defiantly millions of of handle if you force causal fans to take a stand. Considering it costs you, absoutly no additional money to run on sunday versus saturday, and you get a bump between 5 and 10% in handle and purses (let's check last year's florida derby versus this years, it will be higher).. how is that not a charlie sheenesque win?
Horse racing is not at the stage, outside of 3 days a year, to force any causal fan to take a stand.

[horses4courses]

Originally Posted by Edward DeVere

Hmmm. This is not normally a concern for posting on Internet forums.

Hehe....I like the humor.

I, also, like the idea of running some major races on Sundays.
Let's see how the attendance and handle numbers pan out.

[Dahoss9698]

Originally Posted by toussaud

you stop it lol.

Take a step back from the mud slinging and realize that we aren't talking about hardcore patrons here. people like you are going to be going to the track if it was the resurrection day. No, we are talking about all the people that Florida built the boutiques for and the massage center and the food courts and the people they want to get out for the weekend. The "social bettor", is not going to be at the track if he has to decide between watching a horse race and watching the final four.

Also, the word "packed" is relative. Are there going to be alot of people out, of course. you got me there. But a good business is about maximizing profit, but if we are talking the difference between possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in on track handle if not more and defiantly millions of of handle if you force causal fans to take a stand. Considering it costs you, absoutly no additional money to run on sunday versus saturday, and you get a bump between 5 and 10% in handle and purses (let's check last year's florida derby versus this years, it will be higher).. how is that not a charlie sheenesque win?
Horse racing is not at the stage, outside of 3 days a year, to force any causal fan to take a stand.

I'm not mudslinging, you're making no sense. The state of Florida doesn't stop functioning because one of the colleges in the state is in the Final Four. People aren't forced to make a choice. It's 2011. I watched at least 5 tournament games at Gulfstream last year the week of the Florida Derby, while betting the races. There are TV's everywhere and all of the games were being televised. Not to mention all of the bars and restaraunts at Gulfstream showing games.

There are certain days at certain tracks that are going to be busy regardless. They could run the Florida Derby on a Tuesday and the track is going to be packed and handle is going to be huge.

Now, if Florida or Miami was playing for the BCS football championship, maybe what you are saying would be accurate. But basketball doesn't have the kind of juice in Florida that football does.

[JustRalph]

Damn! Now Boxcar won't be able to play...........

[Paseana]

Originally Posted by horses4courses

Hehe....I like the humor.

I, also, like the idea of running some major races on Sundays.
Let's see how the attendance and handle numbers pan out.