It is said that many of the people who run horse racing in the United States, and perhaps in the world, are hide-bound and slow to change. Like the U.S. automakers who are taking so much heat now, the people who run race tracks and control horse racing in the Untied States are often thought of as stuck in the past and stuck in a rut. Is that really a true and fair assessment and if so, what could be done to improve horse racing?
I have a fan’s eye view of horse racing and once owned race horses, so I have two perspectives that I can use. I’ve never run a race track, though I have been a track employee on one occasion, so my understanding and knowledge of what it takes to run a race track is limited. However, since racing cannot survive without the fans and during these tough economic times, the fans have very limited resources for entertainment, it would behoove the racing officials and track owners to ask the fans what they want and then, if at all possible, to give it to them.
It all comes down to a few factors, like value, entertainment, convenience. When I spend a dollar, I want to get something for it, to feel that I have gotten my money’s worth. I don’t have to pay to walk into a casino to gamble and they give me perks, like free meals and even a free room if I gamble enough. What do I get from the race track?
Here in Southern California, a day at the race track is an expensive proposition. I have to pay to park, pay for a good program with some past performance information, and pay to get into the track. I can then stand in long lines to use an automatic teller machine or to place my bet with a clerk. I think this is a case of poor value and poor convenience. Don’t you?
Now if I simply want to bet on simulcast races and go to a local race track on a day when they aren’t hosting any live races, I still have to pay to go inside and pay for past performances. Greyhound race tracks have free past performances that can be downloaded off the internet and if they charge admission, it is usually only a buck or two, though many offer free admission.
I love horse racing, but that doesn’t mean I should pay a premium just to attend a race track. Other people like to gamble and will go to a casino instead of a race track because of the associated costs. I’d rather spend my dollar on a bet than admission and parking. By the time I park my car, get into the track, and buy past performances, I’ve spent over $10 and I haven’t even seen a race or placed a bet. That is just the price to get into the grandstand area, too. If I want to join the swells in the clubhouse it costs much more.
So here is a suggestion give free admission and free parking and some kind of free program that has enough information in it for the average person to make an informed decision about a race and to bet it. More clerks so the betting lines will be shorter and treat every customer, both the swells and the average person, the $2 bettor, like a valued customer. Without the bettors there will be no racing. Losing your fan base is how you lose the sport.
Many years ago I worked at a greyhound race track. We did a survey of the customers as they came through the door, in fact, I stood and greeted them, handed them a free gift, and asked them what they would do to improve their day at our track. Many of them were also horse players and they said that they wanted to be able to bet on exactas at the dogs. At that time, the track I worked at and most of the other greyhound tracks only offered quinellas.
So the tracks gradually started adding exactas to the card and the people bet on them and revenues increased. I would do just the opposite at the horse tracks. I would offer quinellas. To me, betting an exacta box is a waste of money because I am buying two combinations so one is a guaranteed loser. Even though a quinella may pay less than an exacta, psychologically, I like the quinella better. I can spend $2 for an exacta box and get the payoff for a $1 exacta or I can spend $2 for a quinella and get the entire quinella.
I think that offering the quinella on horse races like some tracks already do, would be one way to improve racing. Finally, the best thing they could do to improve racing would be to lower the takeouts. Between the takeout and breakage, we are being bled too much. Give the fans a break financially and they will replay you with their attendance, otherwise, horse racing is going to suffer the same fate the auto industry has met.
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The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://williewins.homestead.com/truecb.html and get the truth.
Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to http://williewins.homestead.com/handicappingstore.html , Bill’s handicapping store.
You’re really good man. You’ve got excellent talent.
Nice work, you did pretty good.
As I always say, there's a village missing it's idiot somewhere and they can usually find them trolling on here. They think that if they repeatedly ask the same question and rave their PETA misinformation, that someone might actually end up agreeing with them. Let's hope not!
Most owners actually don't make money racing.
Only about 70% of all Thoroughbreds ever get to the races, and only about 55% of all Thoroughbreds ever win a race. It costs about $25,000, give or take a few thousand, to keep a horse in training for a year; more for the major racing centers like New York or Southern California, less for tracks away from the major population centers. roughly 10-15% of all Thoroughbreds earn enough money during the course of a year to cover their training expenses.
Some owners can recover the residual value of their horse at the end of its racing career by selling, but most racehorses– particular male racehorses– have residual value that is low or even zero at the end of their racing careers.
Basically, most people who are in racing are in it for the excitement, the fun, the competition; and the hope that maybe they'll be the one to strike it rich with a horse like Mine That Bird– or one of his relatives. It's the hope of getting that one special horse, plus the love of racing in general, that keeps people going.
hm i couldn’t tell the difference between photograph and painting comparing the final resault.
This is sick
woww that’s really relax and beatiful soung .good picture of jhony depp !
You need to go to a reputable trainer and tell him you're interested in buying a horse. Tell him how much you've got to spend and he'll do the rest. He might have a horse in his yard that's already for sale or he might go out and buy one for you.
Don't go buying horses over the internet!
The flat trainer Richard Hannon has had some good successes with cheaply bought horses in the past. He trains in Wiltshire.
http://richardhannonracing.tv/
Don't forget you'll have to contribute towards the horse's training expenses every week so the more people involved the cheaper it will be.
Its people like you, that pissin' an moanin', that ruin the world…………………..
Hi,
A jockey has a very dangerous job, but a very important one. He must guide the horse in the correct way as to know how his horse runs, and performs during a race. It is his responsibility to get his horse in the correct position, and know how to guide him through traffic going at very high speeds while the rest of the field is fighting to do the same. Jockey error has played a huge roll in injuries to other jockey's and horses. The horse does the running, but it is up to the jockey to know how fast the horse runs, and when to ask the horse for his best without compromising. So the roll of a jockey is very important. Without a jockey it would be like racing a car with no driver. Hope this explains it to you.
http://www.xpressbet.com
You have to sign up, but it's completely free. There's no fees for watching or betting. And they have like 60 tracks you can watch. It's a great service.
Several tracks have their own broadcasts on their website, but xpressbet is great because you can get all the tracks in one place and place a bet if you'd like.
Very nice!!
amazing! Willy teach me how to paint like you!
Brilliant Willy, Just Brilliant =D
:O
:O
:O
how is this not a real photo?
Perfect.
You can go to the site for the Daily Racing Form at it should answer your questions also at any track the program will have instructions inside the cover explaining how to read the form and also how to make all wagers including the exotics.
I think this gives a good explanation of the definition of the various track conditions:
http://www.ultimatecapper.com/track-conditions.htm
That said, it's important to note that because there is no standard for track composition in terms of sand, silt, clay, loam, organic matter, and every track is different, each track plays differently. To cite one example, the track at Aqueduct has a high sand content because the dates run at Aqueduct are typically the wettest times of the year. So the track superintendent finds it beneficial to have a lot of sand in the track to assure fast drainage. The result is that when there has been a lot of rain, the main track at Aqueduct can be like a wet beach– it packs down and gets harder. You may get faster times on such a track than when the surface is rated "fast".
Churchill Downs historically has had a high clay content in the track surface, with the result that the track can be very cuppy at best of times ("cuppy" means that when a horse strides on it, the hoofprint forms a "cup" on the surface of the track; it has depth, and it holds its shape rather than immediately crumbling) and can be really sticky and tiring when it gets wet.
A lot depends, too, on how the track superintendent deals with rainfall. At Santa Anita and Hollywood Park in the pre-synthetic days, the superintendents had enough time in most cases to get out the heavy roller equipment and "seal" the track before rain came. Basically when they seal the track, they're rolling and compacting the surface so that instead of water penetrating and making the track muddy down deep, the water just runs off the surface and drains away. Of course, the problem with this is that even when they opened the track surface in preparation for the day's racing, there was some compaction and the track would tend to get harder. During some of our rare wet winters, the track superintendent would sometimes have to close the track to exercise in order to do deep harrowing and conditioning of the subsurface and base after the track had been repeatedly sealed.
With synthetic surfaces, I think everyone, including the people who manufacture and install them, is still on a learning curve of what has to be done to keep the track consistant and safe in all kinds of weather.
From a handicapping standpoint, the important thing to remember is that each track is unique, and that you have to become familiar with what the weather conditions do to the the individual track surface.
i don't like the gambling, the horse race is alright, mainly only good in the Kentucky Derby when you are really rooting for a horse to get the triple crown