Horse Racing Needs a New Box

re: Horse Racing Needs a New Box

chucky — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 18:56:34 GMT

There are plenty of great points to this article but they are mainly for those existing bettors and gamblers.

As far as tradition being held, I digress. Not only has tradition gone away, it is barely there.

Fans were drawn to this industry by their stars. Great thoroughbreds that kept racing on prestigious races. The biggest change in tradition is the breeding. We went from sturdy, long career classic distance thoroughbreds to frail short career, short distance horses that nobody outside of the dwindling fan base recognize or even acknowledge by mainstream media.

Zenyatta was unique because she went in the 10 furlongs BC Classic.

The great prestigious races went away and with it the publicity and hype this industry desperately needed.

Comparing poker players to great handicapper does not quite compute in this case because ultimately the industry is about thoroughbred racing. Showcasing thoroughbred is what this industry about as far as recruiting new fans and converting them to bettors. Sure the betting part comes later when they get the satisfaction of handicapping a winner.

Getting fans and potential bettors to the racetrack is the challenge. Great individual handicappers is not going to do it. Great thoroughbreds at great prestigious races did that.

re: Horse Racing Needs a New Box

Raybo — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 21:57:34 GMT

One of the major problems with racing, from a player's perspective, is that the wagering vehicle is paramutuel. The more money that is bet on a horse, the lower its odds are. Your "tournament" televising idea, and its interactive element (betting a favorite players picks), probably would smother tournament play. Why? Because the top ranked tournament players' picks would be bet down by viewers, reducing the odds that player receives. That player would find another game quickly.

If, on the other hand, one could relate horse racing to the stock market, things become better, when lots of people invest money in a stock, the value of the stock increases, not decreases. Of course, this could not happen in horse racing, but it shows that the paramutuel factor in racing is a dramatic negative towards growing the game. The answer? Fixed odds wagering, at the point of the bet, after which the odds are recalculated for future bettors. At least then, the player would know what odds he will get should he win. That would allow the bettor to place more wagers, and more money, on probable winners without having the value of his investment being reduced by future bettors.

re: Horse Racing Needs a New Box

fb0252 — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 16:44:07 GMT

it only took to Sept. 2013. Congrats to whoever finally posted this!

re: Horse Racing Needs a New Box

Racingfan — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 04:04:10 GMT

Jncapp - I'm with you - it is terrible that those of us in Arizona cannot bet online etc. I watch TVG all the time and would love to open an account but cannot! (and I cannot even find a company that carries HRTV here) The casinos here are the reason from what I have heard but that needs to be changed! Racing here is dying - great example is the bankruptcy of the new Yavapai Downs and it's failure to run a meet the past two summers. And I was at Turf Paradise right before it closed for the summer and I was surprised that the facility was not looking in the best of shape. :-(

re: Horse Racing Needs A New Box

Jncapp — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:36:27 GMT

I totally agree with the article. I live in Arizona and can't even open an online wagering account because I live in Arizona! How stupid is that. People who live in other states can bet horses online but I can't because of the state I live in. The racing industry should be up in arms that there are horse players in some states who can't bet online. How much more would the pools be if that silly rules were changed?

re: Horse Racing Needs A New Box

Fran Loszynski — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:47:55 GMT

We can revitalize racing by raising champions that have strong stock and not speed to a speed stallion vice versa, some of our champion stallions looked like they could pull a Budweiser truck! Also have more famous stallions remembrance day events.

re: Horse Racing Needs A New Box

steve from st louis — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 19:32:40 GMT

And if Matt is your son, you did nothing to produce a lively, entertaining, charismatic salesman for the Sport of Kings. Aloof, effete and condescending spokeperson for the Sport of Snobs? Yes, you then raised him well.

re: Horse Racing Needs A New Box

Dave Schwartz — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 19:16:36 GMT

Several decades ago ESPN re-invented sports in America by spreading the signal far and wide. Not only did it revitalize sporting events but it also provided a new and far more lucrative revenue stream.

This is what racing needs - income from sources beyond the bettor.

There are many good ideas to be gleaned from the article above. Anybody in track management reading?

re: Horse Racing Needs A New Box

Howard da Walker — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 15:54:46 GMT

The only way horse racing can suceed is for folks to be able to bet where we buy lottery tickets. The idea if taking a day off work and going to the races means losing a day of work. How much do I have to bet to make up for the hourly wage I miss working. Let me buy my tickets where I want. The handle will triple overnight. Wake up horse racing!