Messages

Welcome to the board, fellow Kentuckian, but I completely DISAGREE with your assessment of the horse industry.  I will occasionally use sports betting examples to illustrate my points.  There is nothing complex about a WPS wager.  So why encourage someone new to horse betting to explore exotics and Pick3s and 4s?  Also, who cares if women hate the track?  Horse betting, and most betting in general, is geared towards MEN.  Do you think the offshore books are aggressively trying to pursue more women bettors or actually marketing to the people (men) who are going to bet anyways? 

Also, people say the horse industry is dying (which I wholeheartedly agree with) and people are betting on other things instead.  The BEST solution would be to increase the HANDLE by lowering the take out, not raising it.  Would the track be happier with 20% of $100K or 10% of 500K?  Pinnacle was a leader in the industry taking sports bets due to its reduced juice.  Also, with simulcasting, the wagering pools should increase due to people easily being able to bet on their computer instead of having to drive out to the track. 

The tracks need to give people who wager a decent amount of money per month rake backs or prizes like they do in poker.  Slots at the track would be most beneficial in keeping the women entertained while the husband/boyfriend is playing the ponies.  But having slots solely to increase revenue is a bad idea. 

And if people still do not bet the ponies with the reduced take out (ideal 10% IMO on ALL wagers), then shut down the industry for good.  But I firmly believe the market is there for the ponies.  After all, for the most part, what else is there to wager on in the early afternoons?  Take care of the people who currently play the ponies, and more and more people will eventually catch the fever.   

churchill has tried night racing and while they draw over 20k to the track(night racing) most of the young people are more concerned about drinking beer and watching bands play between races.

keenland also draws a huge college crowd but most are there to be seen and party.

the attendance went through the roof at churchill night racing, but the handle did not increase accordingly.

i agree with sac and wiz, the track take gives even the best handicapper little or no chance to beat 18%-25% vig.

 The tracks need to market to the hardened gamblers who bet the horses on a daily basis, not the young, hip crowd that is just there for the social aspect on a given weekend.  The regular players keep the track in business, not the idiotic $2 across the board bettor . 

This is a good forum about racing and I have some points to make about the game.

1. Racing needs to run shorter meets and only maybe 3 days a week.

2. Eliminate all claiming races!!! the reason for this it that trainers have a tendency to run their horses at above their heads so they won't lose them. Most countries in the world run almost no claiming races and the sport survives. If people want to buy a horse the buy it privatly.

3. Bring back true Handicap racing. It's a joke that Rachel or other top horses run in races carrying only 5lbs more than the rest of the field. If say she carried 15lbs or more against the other runners you may get more horses to run in those races.

4. Allow bookmakers back on the tracks like in England. I know this is radicle but if people can shop for odds it could help lower the takeout beatdown that kills most horseplayers.

5. I've been to the track with novice bettors who lose interest because if they bet to win and their horse wins and pays $4.00 they say what did I get for my money? Even exacters and triples don't come back big with the Favorite on top.

6. We need exchange betting NOW!!!!!!

7. Another joke this year was the meet at Monmouth park. The purses were good but paying horses running  $1500 for finishing last is a joke. there was a horse that finished last in all 4 of his races and earned $6000. If it were up to me you have to finish in the top 4 to get any money all other runners get nothing. If owners can't make money then get out of the game.

8. People in racing think that slots are saving the game which is not the case the only thing that slots do is raise purse levels. Look at the tracks that have slots and you'll see a reduction in how much money is given to racing. States need more money for other things so their giving less slot money to racing and reducing the total races run at the tracks.

 I love the game but I find myself betting sports and playing cards more and more.