Monday, August 30, 2010
Comment of the Week, Tim’s Comment No. 7
Here's a quick, concise comment by Tim that helps us all understand that the sport is dominated by an aging audience and a non-caring management.
Tim says:
23 Aug 2010 at 11:41 pm | #
Read an article in the Daily News on Sunday about the number of OTB parlors closing throughout the city. There was a paragraph that really said it all mentioned the fact that most racing fans are fifty years of age or older. That got me thinking that this horse racing thing is like the vinyl record. We still have a few laying around somewhere put they are never played. All we have is a memory of a bygone era. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve tried suggesting things to improve the game but in reality this game is for the wealthy who don’t give a rats ass what the common fan thinks.
Written by Vic Zast
Monday, August 23, 2010
Comment of the Week, Johar’s #24
Johar sparred with wmcorrow about what's the over-riding feature of horse racing and made more sense. Here is his Comment of the Week:
Johar says:
18 Aug 2010 at 01:02 pm | #
wmcorrow: I do indeed realise the problem you are referring to, but I disagree in some ways. Racing needs BOTH handicappers and horsemen. Make no mistake, horsemen bet too and many of them bet big amounts. This is not black and white, where horsemen only “like to look at the pretty horses”, and gamblers are the ones funding the sport. Everybody needs to stop fighting their corner and pull together. The professional gamblers I know also love the animal, and know a lot about them. And, as I said, many of the horsemen I know (myself included) are significant handicappers.
Casinos and racetracks are entirely different business models and operate on entirely different wavelengths:
(1) Casinos are all about the destination and customer service. With few exceptions, racing has great sport in poor surroundings. The horse is the draw.
(2) If you lose $100 at the casino, that’s $100 in their pocket. If you lose $100 at the track, the track gets about $6-8 (their portion of the takeout - and that’s if you wager ON track!). This is what allows the casino to put so much money into customer perks and facilities, while operating with very low takeouts on slots that racing can never compete with. Overhead at a racetrack (purses, backstretch etc.) is enormous compared to at a casino.
(3) Racing/handicapping is extremely complicated to a neophyte. Not only is it hard to pick the right horse, it’s hard to bet that horse correctly to maximize return.
(4) To many gamblers, racing is boring. One event every 30 minutes? They’re frustrated by a slow dealer!
(5) Racing has serious and legitimate integrity issues....medications/rogue trainers/jockeys etc.
For these reasons, racing cannot be marketed as only a gambling sport if it is expected to compete with casinos. No serious gambler would tolerate our takeout, let alone our other problems. The horse is our draw. That is what will get people in the doors, and once they get interested and educated, they’ll bet.
One last thing that racing does a poor job of explaining is: racing handicappers are betting against each other. The track genuinely wants you to win, unlike in a casino where in the majority of games you are playing against the house.
I fully understand our need to attract big-time gamblers to our sport. That would help more than anything.....that is why so many states have (or are looking to get) slots. But we can’t compete toe-to-toe with casinos for the reasons above. The horse is our draw, and we must use it.
Written by Vic Zast
Monday, August 16, 2010
Comment of the Week, Kyle’s Comment #32
There were several good comments last week, but Kyle described what really happened in Zenyatta's Hirsch victory. Read his comment below:
kyle says:
10 Aug 2010 at 10:31 am | #
I’ll defend Vic on this one point: Rachel does still have a chance. If she wins the Personal Ensign, Beldame and Classic she is HOTY. Is that going to happen? I don’t think so. But it looks at this point that whoever of the Big Five wins the Classic, and I include Lucky in that group, is HOTY.
As to Vic’s take on the Hirsch: While it was my least favorite of Zen’s races (My tastes run to the understated, and the dog and pony show they put on at Del Mar was offputting) it was hardly an unimpressive performance. As others have pointed out the fractions where more than tepid (Del Mar is quicker and more speed friendly this summer); that was not a talentless horse she was chasing; I don’t know what Trakus showed but Zen went 7 wide on the turn while her rival safed every inch; she came home in about 29 for the last two and a half furlongs; and, Vic, she won in a measured hand ride. The outcome was never in doubt.
Written by Vic Zast
Monday, August 09, 2010
Comment of the Week, Indulto’s Comment No. 5
Indulto is a reader who usually has something good to say and always says it eloquently. The following represents his excellent suggestion for an app for the racetrack:
Indulto says:
05 Aug 2010 at 10:20 pm | #
VZ,
Since off-track handle accounts for 90% of a track’s total, the most atTRACtive app with the biggest bang for the buck, both for builder and bettor, has to be the “binocular”—similar in concept to the “magnifier” in Windows.
It would allow the viewer to zoom in on any portion of a full-field display image to isolate the horse of choice and display an enlarged image.
It is entirely do-able using high-definition,internet-streamed live video and replays. What are they waiting for, an invitation?
Written by Vic Zast
Monday, August 02, 2010
Comment of the Week, Tim’s Comment No. 4
Tim's last point in an argument with wmcorrow was to shed light on a reality that NYRA refuses to accept. For that reason, he gets the "Comment of the Week" salute.
Tim says:
27 Jul 2010 at 01:18 pm | #
Here’s something your Number two pencil can’t compute. Attendance has been a disaster and by judging what people were spending for none discretionary items, it is going to be a long hot summer in Saratoga. If you like no lines at the window come on up!
Written by Vic Zast
