I feel that the best product is not being put on the track. I feel that the structure of our industry is not up to today's business standards....
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In the last sixteenth of a mile I became a Zenyatta fan....
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The people in charge are right (that is the ethereal "they"): this is not the time for big grandiose ideas. I just think the correct time was 3 years ago and they want to wait another three years,[rimshot]. ...
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I have been mulling this over in my head for months now, but with Ed DeRosa's recent post I figured I'd add my .02 cents into what I'm looking for with social interaction from any horse racing website....
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Patrick Patten takes a look at how the horse racing industry can take advantage of Twitter. ...
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You think I'd miss a chance to pat myself on the back? Just read Alex Waldrop's new blog post and read this quote: "And a plan for the next 100 days will be presented to the Alliance Board in late January"....
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Andre Agassi is the perfect poster boy for image trumping reality. He was the rock star of tennis from the moment he set foot on the court in 1986, but he didn't win his first Grand Slam event until 1992. Anna Kournikova might be example #2 as she did the same thing in 1999, being the #1 searched item on Google, but only reaching #12 as a singles player that year....
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Presidents are given 100 days to set the tone and get the ball rolling on fixing the problems of America. The industry must take the same initiative, and go big to solve current problems. ...
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I argue that the integrity of the catalogue is lacking, that black-type alone no longer separates horses in the way it used to. The original logic guaranteeing integrity, to get owners to race in tough races for a reward has been lost....
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Look, I'm on the fence too. I think Curlin is a horse for the decade. He is a horse whose races will be watched years from now, both wins and losses. HOWEVER, I don't believe he's a lock in the Breeders' Cup Classic, so instead of trying to come up with an excuse I'll just pretend he's not in the race and let reality provide the need or non-need of an excuse....
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The F&M Sprint is the first BC race, and I hate to say it, but it's the one I'm looking forward to the most. This will be the most competitive race, and the proof I use to claim this? The horses entered are in the money 77% of the time. ...
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Back in June, Gene Kershner mentioned briefly on his EquiSpace blog that it might be time to change the format of the Triple Crown races. Heresy, you say?...
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A quick look at what some other TBA members are writing about....
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I play the lotto not because it is the worst odds imaginable, not because I don't realize it's a "stupid" tax, but it allows me to write these dreams out like I really have a chance. TVG is up for sale, and the NTRA has always been a fan of the channel. So why not buy it outright, and do something good with it. My suggestion: Fix racing with it. ...
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Every sport has image problems. The NBA had the Jailblazers, the NFL still has the Bengals, MLB battles drugs, and the NHL is well, if you've heard of it, it's the hockey league. Many in our industry point to the NHL as another sport going through rough times. Like horse racing, paper coverage is dwindling, it gets low ratings, and its season is said to be too long. It's horse racing but on Ice! Well, no not exactly. ...
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I believe the most pressing issue in the sport is the ADW issue. And yet when someone talks about it I wonder if it would hurt that bad if I stuck a fork in my ear and twisted. Talks are again being, well talked, and not much is coming from them accept acrimony. Shock I know....
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Whether I was listed as being there or not (Esther what did I say for you to forget me?) , I was in fact at the NTRA annual marketing meeting. A group of fans put together what we believe to be an easy first step in helping our sport become viable in today's "connected" world. I've spent the last week writing about my experiences, and mostly gushing over how great it was. It's been said I'm now in the NTRA pocket, and I can't disagree too much. ...
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My name is Patrick, but I'm regularly known by my blog name, Handride. I am part of a group of Bloggers, the TBA, that formed around 3 years ago to help themselves generate readers, and to help gain more fans amongst casual watchers. In the three years since we've climbed to over 40 blogs from Japan to New York and all places in between....
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