Joe Bongiorno taken off drives on Code Word and Shoebees Place following comments on @TheMeadowlands pregame that he would not be out to win
— Racing Beard (@RacingBeard) March 16, 2014
Two schools of thought, I suppose. - It encourages "Driver speak" where they are not trying to win but don't tell anyone.
- It's a gentle reminder that this is a $2B betting business, and the actions on the track have a meaningful monetary influence with the people who pay for purses - the bettors.
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What makes this situation even more significant is that about a year ago, there was one of the worst payoffs in Meadowlands history, when the late double combined a horse that paid about $16 with a horse that paid about $60, and only returned about $130!! (about $3-400 LESS than "normal"). The $60 horse was driven by Bongiorno, and raced out of his stable.
I'm not saying that Bongiorno planned to "stiff" either horse last night or that he didn't simply say out loud what other drivers try to gloss over in similar situations. But with the public already having a bad taste from that payoff last year, it seems that the driver switches were probably a good idea. And eliminating these types of interviews may not be a bad idea either!
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