Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Aleine — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:37:30 GMT

To Superfecta and Tlamarra--- apparently I am in the minority and also misquoted. I DO bring my kids (not small, my 10 year old is 140 lbs and can beat up your 12th grader) to the track as he is a horse and animal lover. However, save the moon bouncey thing for Chuck -E- Cheese, you know the place, where kids go to have fun and get sick the next day. (Did they ever hear of hand sanitizer?) How come I'm a lifelong horse race fan of nearly 50 without all the moon bouncey inflatables and no face painters back in the day?

I don't mind any kid at the track who is willing to keep his/her mouth shut and eyes front. I was interested as a child to see what captivated my Dad at a horse track. I used to think there must be something to this if my Dad would tune in to horse races (pre-cable t.v. days) and go to the track when he could. So that sparked my interest. Imagine that...a child having real intellectual prowess and not flashing back to a picnic on the infield or a face painting experience at the track.

When I was coming up,...any disruption to "business" at the track meant I would've been asked to leave...but I guess we've all gone down the toilet of political correctness now. Horse racing is a business and it is fan based due to the business of wagers. I don't see much grey area there. One has to be 18 years of age to wager. Gosh...I haven't seen a kiddie wagering machine at the track. Maybe the face painters won the bid and agreed to share the space with moon bounce vendors. Why are we having THIS conversation? Like alcohol, voting and taxes, let's include a day at the races right up there with adult stuff and get down to business. Although I think my pit bull could outrun some of the local horses at Colonial Downs. Do ya want me to bring him along sometime?

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Superfecta — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:41:36 GMT

I began going to the track with my father as a small child - I certainly would not be a racing blogger today without that start. I bring my own son to the track now, and I welcome the moon bounce, pony rides, etc. - offering family activities between races hardly prevents me from betting, and it's frankly offensive to suggest that my gender and parenthood somehow negate my involvement in the sport. Baseball does not expect children to become 'good fans' by ignoring them - any decent stadium now provides reasonably good ballpark food and beer for the parents, as well as kids' activities - and that's how they create lifelong fans. It's hard enough finding a drinkable beer and clean bathrooms at your average racetrack - offering a minimum of incentives to bring the kids is really the least they can do. Just because I don't like being surrounded by elderly smokers does not mean I think they should be barred from the track - by the same token, the next generation should be welcomed.

Racing's issues extend well beyond this point, but to want to exclude the only (literally) growing part of your audience is risible - and to assume that 'families with small children have no disposable income' is foolish - we're probably the best-educated, highest-earning segment of the racing public; we just didn't necessarily inherit wealth as many in the racing establishment did. If you want us to come, dispense with the conservative politics and cater to more than one audience.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

JerseyTom — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:19:02 GMT

From the peanut gallery: Any and all are welcome at a racetrack. To say families with young children should stay away is a sure means to future failure. C'mon.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Aleine — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:13:36 GMT

To Carol: About your "important" things to "help a family enjoy the day." It's a racetrack, not Chuck-E-Cheese. Save the racetrack gimmicks for Churchill Downs' race week. Now THERE is where the action is. Last time I was at Churchill....not a face-painter in sight. If anyone offered to paint my kid's face...I'll paint THEIR's!

Eyes front...focus on the horses and wager or leave.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Bellwether — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:35:37 GMT

Bellwether4u.com...LOOK IT UP...WE R WAY AHEAD OF THIS CURVE BABY!!!...ty...

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Aleine — Sat, 08 May 2010 06:54:22 GMT

Well put Bob...ya come to the races, be prepared to bet. Do you think the track can survive if the majority of fans show up and pay for their $2 ticket (not exactly enough for a cover charge). Leave the kiddies and brain-deads at home and come to the track to get down to business. There ARE horse shows around for those who like to admire horses...in fact...zoos and other such animal parks offer a variety of horse breeds to admire. You just have to know where to look. But please get that kiddie off Daddy's shoulders at the rail so I can see the horses' post parade. There IS a reason for the post parade. Get a sitter, people. I saw Clydesdales of all ages at Grant's farm in St. Louis and of course there's the KY Horse Park in Lexington.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Carol — Fri, 07 May 2010 11:10:05 GMT

To Tom,

Do you actually read all these blogs?

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Carol — Fri, 07 May 2010 11:09:06 GMT

Response to Aleine,

Without mothers and their children attending the racetracks how will future generations be exposed to horseracing? It's probably part of the problem now, many people still do not know and understand about horseracing. They have never been to the track as children.

Face painting, pony rides, etc. are all important to help these families enjoy the day. Is it really so difficult to answer the mother's question as to the winner of the race? It's a shame you feel they get in your way but one day you will be too old to go to the track and hopefully the new generation will take your place.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

ponychick — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:40:55 GMT

Lady Slew - my years in the industry have been spent on the backstretch - working with the horses. It would be naive of anyone to think that frontside and exec-office nabobs pay attention to the folks who actually work with the 'product.'

Shockingly - it paid my way through college - which gave me a view through both sides of the looking glass if you will.

I continue to support my favorite sport - by betting, taking friends to the races as much as I can, and yes - taking retired horses and re-training them for new careers.

All of which is off topic - but when questioned about my bona fides - I'm happy to provide them.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Jeff A — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:04:18 GMT

Tom...What racing needs to do more than anything is carefully consider the customer before any decisions are made.

Consider these recent examples of horrible mistakes made by racing that absolutely showed no regard for the customer (aka the bettors):

On Lane's End Stakes Day, Turfway Park absolutely robs its fan base by charging $5 for a program with past performances for Turfway Park races. Don't think you can get around the cost by buying a Racing Form--Turfway is conventiently left out.

At Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day, a friend was standing in line to place a bet when a mutuel clerk announced that the line would be cut off and not everyone waiting to bet would be able to make a wager. The reason? The mutuel clerks had to go on break.

Can you think of worse possible customer service? And this was on Derby Day!

Speaking of Derby Day, who was the genius that decided there should not be a 10 cent superfecta offered on either the Derby or the Oaks? Probably the same rockhead who closed the mutuel window, sending bettors away in an absolute rage.

Those are only three of the more recent examples I can give of how decisions were made by tracks with absolutely no regard to the fans in mind. Hello, racing. Do you remember who pays the bills?

I've read story after story about how tracks need help and are in danger of closing. You can bet each time I see one of these stories in the future (AKA Turfway Park), I'm going to wonder what is being done to make sure the fans still at those tracks are at least treated fairly.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Bob Bright — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:50:35 GMT

Sir, You don't solve problems by committee. Horse Racing needs leadership like any other viable sport. The breeding industry, which should be a byproduct of healthy horse racing, is dictating pace. Racing, breeding, track management and training should be separate endeavors but under the current SOP, all are co-mingled. Racing thrived when people were breeding racehorses not high-dollar show ponies who race sometimes. Racing hierarchy is oblivious to what the public wants.We want Willie Mays, Joe Montana, MJ and Seabiscuit. If Super Saver races past his 3 year old season it will be an anomaly.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Bellwether — Wed, 05 May 2010 07:55:51 GMT

SIT TIGHT...T-BRED RACING & THE BREEDING OF IN VA ABOUT TO CHANGE BIG TIME!!!...ty...

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Katie — Wed, 05 May 2010 05:18:26 GMT

Look all of you "I love racing but I don't bet" people posting on this blog I have advice for you.......go find another sport! Without betting there is no racing. Those great big buildings that you love to go to watch the horses run would not exist if it weren't for betting. Will you people please get in touch with reality!!!!!

Wow, what hostility. This is the attitude that really frustrates me with horse racing. I'm not a person who bets a lot, but I'm someone who really enjoys horse racing and who has (in the last 2 years) brought a bunch of others to the sport.

Last year, I brought several friends with me to the track who had never come before. The year before that, my father and I started making it a tradition. This year, we went to the Derby and brought my non-horse-fan brother--who has spent the last 2 months telling all his friends about his upcoming Derby trip (and in the last 3 days, his experience there). This year, I'll bring even more friends with me to the track.

Horse racing isn't about the betting to me. It's about the stories and watching some incredible horses compete. Sure, I bet sometimes, but that's not the main draw for me.

Betting might be YOUR focus--but when you act all self-righteous about bettors being the most important contributers to the sport--you alienate those of us who love the sport and who contribute in other ways.

Remember, there are a lot of ways to gamble and bet in this internet age. Gamblers have choices about where to go, and the racetrack isn't always their destination of choice. That is reality too, btw.

Horse racing lovers are attracted to the horse racetracks only, regardless of whether they bet or not. And it's even better when they bring their friends and expose others to the sport. Not all of them bet, but there will be more bets as more people learn to love the sport. Plus more money from admission to the track, and concessions, and word of mouth buzz (which is valuable as well)!

Both groups are important. So please respect those of us who love the horses. And especially respect people like my dad, who bet their small $2/win bets based on which horse they think looks the prettiest in the paddock--they're contributing to the sport as well and don't deserve to be disparaged by the "real horse racing supporters."

If you want horse racing to succeed, the sport has to be approachable, not condescending and elitist.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Michael F. — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:39:23 GMT

A lot of food for thought here. I don't object to families at the track--kids naturally love horses and that 7-year-old might just turn out to be an Eclipse-award-winning jockey fifteen years later, or, at the very least, a fan for life. (My parents started taking me to the track when I was 10.)

We have to get rid of the drugs and boot the cheaters. The rest of the world bans raceday medication, period. In fact, Germany forbids any Thoroughbred from being bred in Germany if that horse ever ran on raceday medication anywhere, even once! Those drugs have weakened the breed drastically and serve no useful purpose.

It might be desirable to cut racing days somewhat, but it would not be really necessary if horses ran as frequently as they did in the old days. In the old days, it was common for horses to run back after two weeks or so, sometimes much sooner than that. Do the math--if you have horses racing at two-week intervals on average, you can fill nine-race cards five days a week with about 1,350 horses at the track. The rest of the world often races horses on far shorter rest than has become the norm in the United States.

Last year, in November 2009, they had the Melbourne Cup at Flemington, a two-mile handicap worth something like $5 million, with a crowd of about 150,000 screaming Aussies in attendance. The winner, a horse called Shocking, had just raced and won three days before in a 1 5/8-mile Grade 3 handicap; that's 3 5/8 miles of racing in 4 days! With the exception of one race with a field of 10, nearly all the fields on that huge day were 16 horses or more; the Melbourne Cup had 22 horses.

Along the same lines, fans love distance racing. Why not more races at 1 1/4, 1 3/8, 1 1/2 miles, or longer? We need those races to preserve stamina in the breed.

Another thing we need to get rid of or at least cut down drastically is the overproliferation of state-bred races. Why give stakes-level money to horses who couldn't win an open $40,000 claimer? A couple of years ago, on another racing site, I proposed that the Graded Stakes Committee bar awarding a grade to any stakes run at a race meeting at which any state-bred stakes race worth more than $50,000 is contested. I got jumped on big-time, but look at New York racing to see what has happened with excessive running of lousy state-bred races.

This is a purely American phenomenon; there are no races in England for horses bred in Yorkshire or Buckinghamshire.

All the racing establishment has to do is listen to the fans. When something is worth watching, like the Derby (even with that generally subpar field), the fans will turn out.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

JerseyTom — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:35:11 GMT

For the record: Tea Party doesn't have to have partisan implications. It's an idea, a concept on bringing about change. ... and for those of you that don't care for politics, hate to tell you that your industry is unbelievably political--and that's a big part of its problem.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Bellwether — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:08:40 GMT

HUMANS WILL B GONE LONG BEFORE THE HORSE...PLEASE...SIXTY MILLION YEARS ON THIS EARTH...HUMANS NEED HELP...

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Bob — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:50:26 GMT

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

nmhiplains — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:13:09 GMT

Take the drugs off the track everything from growth hormones to Lasix---these trainers are a handicapper's worst nightmare.

Stand their horses up in their stalls two days a week--one bullet work a week and less than ten miles of galloping a week and tell you they are conditioning racehorses.

Ask a trainer if he knows an exercise rider who would put some more miles (one more clubhouse turn than the usually two) two works a week and use a weight tape on your horse for a percent of the horse and watch him fall all over himself--he'll call in a few days informing you your horse has bowed a tendon.

This is a treadmill; burn two and three year olds up so they can start next year with a new more FASHIONABLE, more EXPENSIVE crop of youngsters!!!!

Good thing they're not training calvary remounts or we would have loss the Indian wars.

BREAKDOWNS: Blame it on the breeders, the bloodlines, the track surface--anything except the fact that there are too many race days, too many race cards to fill, too much offshore betting.

There are not enough exercise riders on the backside to condition these horses like the old trainers of 1930-1960.(Preston Burch, Max Hirsh, etc.)

Change the purse structure from the usual 60/20/10 to a 45/25/15/10---make it more a business where the small owner with fewer than ten horses can afford to break in. Forget tradition and the old elitist attitude encourage ownership of racehorses.

How about some stakes open to only geldings with more than 30 starts. A return to the glory days of FOREGO, JOHN HENRY and KELSO. This would discourage every two and three year old colt that cannot run from being stood at stud.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

X-DRFMan — Mon, 03 May 2010 23:42:21 GMT

While I agree that something needs to be done, I don't care for the invocation of the Tea Party or Sarah Palin. This is not a partisan issue--it's about the survival of the sport.

I don't know what the answer is. I came from a family that knew racing and I learned to read the Form at an early age. The complaints I get from friends when I try to drag them to the track are that the action's too slow and the PPs are too complicated. I agree with the people who say there's too much of the whole face-painting, family days, diaper derby type of thing going on. Families with young kids don't have disposable income, so they're not coming back.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Kevin A. Burke — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:19:13 GMT

Kentucky Derby winning Jockeys Jorge Velasquez and Ron Franklin were denied tickets to this years Derby. They were not looking for free tickets, they wished to "buy" tickets for themselves and one guest each.

This sorry, disturbing story is in Bill Chritine's Column "Race Horse Insider." I read it, re-read it, and then found myself reading it again. I came across the story off a link on the Paulick Report.

Everyone should read this column.

I am dumbfounded. If this does not reveal the corporate suits as the self-serving, greedy, uncaring, poor excuses for human beings that they are, then I don't know what would. This uncaring, thoughtless act by the powers that be involved in the decision process of the Kentucky Derby was unconscionable and uncalled for. It shows them for what they truly are--greedy bean counters without knowledge or respect for thoroughbred racing and those who are part of it's history.

These two great jockeys from racing' past were treated in an arrogant and petty manner. What chance has a historical building, or a tradition, in surviving their gluttonous, insatiable appetite? I fear none whatsoever.

This act must be condemned by all, and condemned forcefully with words. Via phone complaints, letters, in blog columns, and (would this not be nice) in the editorial pages of thoroughbred racing publications.

I am angry for what was done to this two men. Personally I am sad. These corporate suits stole the good feelings I had for this years Derby, and that too is not right.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

NJTrotter — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:00:36 GMT

Ever notice every time there's committee or conference on racing, who's sitting on that committee? The same ol', same ol' good ol' boys who have gotten us into this so-called mess in the first place. It's the bigshot breeders, the bigshot stable owners, the bigshot track operators. Are these guys ever in the grandstand making a two dollar wager? We all know the answer is NO!

Has anyone out there ever had the pleasure of attending the races at Aqueduct? Big, ugly, empty Aqueduct. And the corrupt NY State government had the audacity to grant NYRA the franchise rights! Who do you think turned Aqueduct into this ugly, faceless empty relic? It was NYRA--so let's reward them with the franchise!

As to family days at the track, you can keep 'em. When I was 10 years old I went to races with my uncle who schooled me on reading the Form. I didn't go to get my face painted or wear some ridiculous balloon on my head. I was there to learn and respect the sport and the equine athlete. What's worse than a give-a-way day at Saratoga?

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

johnnyk — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:06:58 GMT

As a bettor for 30 years and an owner for 20+, this has long been my and most other small horsemen's lament. The people who run racing are an incestuous and recycled group. The backward groupthink they display is astounding. The "efforts" to market the sport--member "Go Baby Go"?--are lame. It finally hit me again watching the Derby. What other sport during the coverage of its hallmark event, spends most of the coverage on the B-list celebrities attending? It was sad and pathetic. Evidently TV and racings promoters have decided that the horses and handicapping are not nearly interesting enough to focus on. I won't even get into Bravo's coverage of Oaks day except to note that the hosts had never ever seen a single horse race before. ESPN to it's credit tries to make handicapping of interest to newcomers, but having Hank Goldberg do it is like featuring Bernie Madoff giving investment advice. I'm discouraged.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

ray c trac — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:58:29 GMT

Tom, well said. Aleine, you hit the nail on the head. Weiner dog races?! Stupid gimmicks to get people to the track that don't bet?! We may as well go back to giving away umbrellas.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

Aleine — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:37:29 GMT

To SJ Tripper: There used to be a tv show on for 1 hour on one of the cable channels...It was the now defunct RichTV. It was a Thursday night broadcast beginning at 9 pm featuring "Derby Bill" and other staff at Colonial Downs. It was a call-in show which was an excellent way to let the staff at CD hear from the fans. I never missed it; it gave great insight to upcoming races as well as some history, mostly recent history about national horse races. It's true that Colonial Downs races in the hot summer and one summer a Nick Zito horse was scratched from the VA Derby line-up to "go up to Saratoga early." Yeah...the fans knew.....Nick Zito didn't want that superstar horse to get overworked in the hot VA sun in the middle of July. So...with fans knowing that...it was a ho hum VA Derby as other fans and I chatted about the disappointment of not seeing a KY Derby racehorse run at Colonial. I remember the day Pat Day ran at Colonial Downs with Senor Swinger. That horse was the odds-on favorite that day and came in 4th, but hey, the superstar horse packed the house. It was amazing. Thrilled to see Kitten's Joy and Artie Schiller at Colonial as well. The turf course is an outstanding surface.

re: Is It Time for a Horse Racing Tea Party?

wayne HOWARD — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:30:50 GMT

WELL derby day, another sham for the public, keeneland drive thru betting--what rubbish if you wanted to wait 2 hours-plus in your car to make a bet. no police controlling lights. oh well, just lost many more patrons who have a interest.

As long as the sales commission keeps coming in, who cares about the fans? TV coverage A SHAM, where's the passion, to watch a race from a blimp hundreds of feet above, ah, its just the derby, we want people to see the mud flying, hoofs slapping, nostrils blowing. any new public who decided to watch this would not be impressed. After super saver crossed the line the camera goes straight to the guy with the big bet--yes cool story, but gos,h let's watch the race.

well done all, great sham. I am sure you all helped the industry attract new fans.

lol.