My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

BIGHORSEFAN — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:46:51 GMT

Not sure if you're praising or griping about the under 60 crowd, I belong to the under, our friend Atthebarn2 who I met at Saratoga belongs to the way over 60 (sorry there bud) we share similar views on racing, he from a trainers perspective,me from a gambler and small time horse rescuer. Anyway I sure hope you have alternate business because by the time old Frank is done his company will be worth about $2. Now that doesn't mean he personally won't still be worth a fortune, but how he chooses to use it is the question. Since he's trying as hard as possible to sell Santa Anita, dispersing his mares I don't think it looks promising for racing.

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

Bellwether — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:47:13 GMT

wow wee! aren't we a testy bunch tonight!!!the pool hall mentality is finally leaving our beloved sport as the younger crowd, SIXTY! on down just love the action & the fun to be had @ a T- Bred race track when its PROMOTED RITE...i'm going to keep harping on the EXPOSURE as this is one major problem WE do need to address...Mr.Stronach & his team @ beautiful Laurel Park realize this & they are working with us(Bellwether Productions) to EXPOSE the track to folks around the park itself...no time to rag on each other as WE ALL are in this together for the betterment of our beloved NATIONAL TREASURE!!!... COMMISH or HEAD of STATE we do need some sort of well respected point person Or persons to put the HAMMER down when it needs to be...gotta take care of the core folks @ the track too...the GAMBLERS...all Humans are GAMBLERS some just don't no it!!!...once they started BINGO @ the churches across Amercia the sky was the limit!!!...TAX BINGO!!!...rust never sleeps...Long Live The King!!!...

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

Haras Agua Azul — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:42:24 GMT

Atthebarn2:

I was being sarcastic. Mr. Stronach has done a terrible job. When he bought Santa Anita he promised to upgrade the barns. He never did. The Bank of Montreal will call his note due on Oct. 15th and the Breeders Cup could be run at a track that is under foreclosure. I can't imagine that someone could make such bad deals and lose so much money. 600 million in 6 six years, how is that possible?

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

Atthebarn2 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:16:55 GMT

Well we're settled in for the current meet so I have a little time on my hands.

dana, glad I could provide a little comic relief. Superfecta sounds like as good a bet as anybody to chair a commission.

Huh? Well Alex doesn't RUN the industry, might like to but all Race tracks are under their own Commission or Authority, State by State. They usually practice reciprocity, but not always. Note Pat Valenzuela, barred for life in Cal but eligible to ride in Louisiana and New Mexico. The NTRA does not run the industry and only accomplishes what the industry allows them to.(They won't like that)

Bemo,

With all due respect to Earlie, just what he said doesn't matter is what actually draws fans to racing or runs them off. Also, gambling is the lifeblood of racing, a lot of people don't like Horse racing for that very reason, the gambling. The difference between when I first was involved in racing in around '52 and my Pop's in the 30's and 40's (he as a breeder and horse trader etc) is that there are so many sports now and such easy access of those sports that it boggles their minds. The people watching sports like constant action, this new generation is the video game action generation, the reason slots are so popular, very similar to video games now. As far as greyhound racing, no I don't think you'd have ever found many on here who were fans. Never did get the fun of watching a dog chase a fake rabbit, only the gambling attracted anybody I ever knew. Well my other half liked the music at the Hippodrome in Juarez, MX the Bridge on The River Kwai they played as they did their post parade(?). Never figured out what the heck they'd do if the dog caught the bunny, until once it did, tried to rip it to shreds but it was fake, surprised him I bet.

Again on the gambling. one of the biggest success stories in racing today is Sunland Park NM. Slots have saved that track, catapulted it into a track with big purses. Stan Fulton has done a great job there. In fact NM is opening the old La Mesa Park in Raton, NM (not Colorado like Joe Drape said in his TC book) and Santa Fe Downs wanted to open and another track in Lordsburg. Maybe they're just a bunch of gambling fools down there because they have the Native American Casinos too and all of them are busy. You must live in Nevada if every 7-11 has slots though.

Haras,

Oh yes Stronach's stock just lost 50% of it's value, he's looking to sell Santa Anita, (we never should have let him get such a choke hold to start with my opinion), sounds like he really is on top of things.

Sorry to go on but time on my hands is a dangerous thing. All you fans come to Keeneland it's amazing and it'll help the industry.

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

winston — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:06:58 GMT

I don't know that the threat of looking bad is going to get anyone to come to the table. What is the moderator going to do? Tell on the offending party? Stronach looks like a jack*** and he doesn't seem to be the scared away. He just landed the BC for 2 years.

There are too many entities fighting the alligator closest to their own ass to be able to come together and agree on anything. It HAS to be imposed on them and I don't know of another way other than the threat of federal intervention.

One person to grab every one of these groups and shove the medicine down their throats.

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

ringer — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:34:37 GMT

I love the game but sometimes I hate the players (not gamblers, owners/tracks). We have the only legal form of internet gambling in the country and we still can't get it right. All parties need to sit down and work this out so all tracks are available on all platforms. Then the platforms can compete for the action.

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

Haras Agua Azul — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:31:32 GMT

Maybe we could get Frank Stronach to be the commish. He seems to know how to run a business.

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

Bemo — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:27:19 GMT

The sport of horse racing may need a commissioner or some kind of central authority with clout - I don't know.

What I do know is that I have to agree with recently retired jockey Earlie Fires. Fires has ridden winners now in 5 decades, starting at Arlington Park in the 1960's.

Those of us who are older and can remember the sport in the 60's would have to agree with Fire's observation that the biggest challenge facing the sport today is not ADW, fatal breakdowns, cheating or the impenindg downfall of MEC - it is the fact that this sport has completely fallen off the rader screen of the mainstream media and the sporting public.

Outside of the Triple Crown events, does the 99.99% of the public that does not attend the track on even a casual basis, care about horse racing in the least? The answer is NO.

To put that into prespective, think about how much any readers of this publcation care about greyhound racing. How many hands are up in the air?

There is hope however and that does not necssarily include "Racinos" in the current definition of the term.

The fact is that a very large number of people enjoy gambling, especially casually. This extends from state lotteries to slot machines. This large group of gamblers has one thing in common - the gambling they enjoy does not involve a lot of thought, it only involves "action".

How can racing exploit this enjoyment of gambling and extend it's reach to include this enormous group of people?

Is there a GOOD reason why racing can't promote the gambling aspect of their sport through video machines that are imbedded within Racinos and Casinos and every 7-11 and AM/PM in the state? Has anyone even considered that?

Why can't the minimum bets for the Quick Pick 6/ Pick 4/ Super High 5 etc. on these machines be in .25 increments? Imagine the size of the wagering pools if this would be promoted.

Exposure like this means publicity and making people aware of the racing product that a given track is presenting - Step 1 in getting racing BACK into the public consciousness.

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

handride — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:51:22 GMT

i should explain, a commissioner would be great, but there's no power structure set up to support that position as it currently stands, but yes, I think Super would make a fine moderator.

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

dana — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:47:07 GMT

I'm still for having a commissioner too... and would love it to be Superfecta!

Although Atthebarn2 makes some great points (that also made me chuckle).

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

Huh? — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:21:55 GMT

Atthebarn - most of the folks who are pulling strings in the industry - including Alex Waldrop - are lawyers. You already have them You just don't have anyone watching them.

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

Superfecta — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:51:58 GMT

My dad was an accountant and everyone I know is a lawyer - is that good enough? I'm still up for having a commissioner...

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

Atthebarn2 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:28:38 GMT

Good Lord son, all we need is a lawyer running this industry. You think your eyes are glazed over now.

Most accountants see numbers, not known for being too in touch with people or animals.

Get somebody to run the show who knows the issues and problems as well as the good points. But like the economic bailout, not just one person, a commission with people from a lot of different walks of life.

re: My Eyes Glaze Over When Someone Says ADW

BF — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:43:37 GMT

Patrick, I agree a commissioner with authority is needeed to solve many of horse racing woes.

But a Law and Accounting background scares me even more than the problem itself....I think those people are all busy screwing up Wall Street.