Tuesday Notes: Welcome to the Future

....... There is plenty of reaction on the interwebs and various social media outlets regarding the McKinsey Report. Bill Finley spoke about overlapping post times, Valerie talked about how blogs and other outlets have been saying similar for years, Teresa had a recap, LATG and Handride talked about similar. For a full list, you can check the raceday360 trending topics list.

....... On twitter, I thought Dan from Thorotrends made a great comment: "The study lacked a cohesive, convincing, sophisticated road map to customer acquisition. For the price tag, it needed to."

Having said that, the Jockey Club - whether this study was worth it or not - has begun to put their money where their mouth is. $10M is to be spent over the next five years on a variety of the issues.

...... Does this sound like "what might have been" for a harness racing lover? Standardbred Canada, since about 2007, has been compiling a list of things that need to be changed to grow that sport in Canada. This was done through wagering conferences, volunteer groups, working groups and steering committees, and it was all done for free (the Jockey Club report supposedly cost millions). When they asked for a slice of slots money to fund many of the initiatives to horsemen groups, the answer was "no". There was no counteroffer, or even a dreaded committee offered. What a shame.

...... I watch the Golf Channel fairly regularly. When Tiger Woods was winning almost every big tourney the pundits were asking "is it good for golf that he's so dominant?" Are you freaking kidding me? This years PGA Championship had two unknowns coming down the stretch, and a pile of the last majors had the same thing.For gamblers it was exciting, because Jason Dufner traded at Betfair at 1000-1 early in the week and 1.06 with three holes to go. Other than that, CBS was crying Tiger tears all week.

.... Speaking of that, the Jockey Club wants to spend money on TV promoting to the masses, and like golf, we need a big hoss. Can you see your average viewer tuning in each month to watch a race and not knowing any of the participants? When Zenyatta was on her run this would have been a perfect time to show her races, but she's long gone.

..... Is anyone else wondering why there is so much lament to the Breeders Cup not going to Belmont in 2012? It's almost as if the Breeders Cup said " we are never going to Belmont ever, so take that NYRA". They didn't - they are about 1-20 to be there in 2013. It'll give them time to spruce up the joint with some slots cash. Take a deep breath everyone, it's only 12 months.

...... Juxtaposition and a reflection on today's world:  Tiger Woods, as most know is pretty protected, and in interviews tends to say a whole lot of nothing - he has been coached by the best. When it all comes crashing down this does not tend to help in today's world. Conversely, Rory McIlroy, the new kid on the block takes things a little bit differently.  "I've got half- a-million Twitter followers so how can I complain if I go out to dinner with someone and it's posted two minutes later." This, in my opinion, is why horse racing needs to be more open. It's a different world.

..... Art Wilson has been holding the TOC's feet to the fire in California. Years ago it went like this: Takeout hike happens, nothing is written or said about it, horseplayers leave because they are fed up with losing, they don't tell anyone, track loses handle, horse racing executives blame it on alternative gaming, or the economy.  Today it is not like that at all. Welcome to the Future.