Two quotes caught my eye today:
"The factionalism and fear that is eating away at the heart of American racing is what has surprised me the most. It’s upsetting to see because there is absolutely no need for it. US racing is an amazing, exhilarating and life-affirming product at its best and there is no reason for those days to be behind us. The passion and enthusiasm the genuine horse fans have for the sport is great to see. We need to find a way for all that is good about racing to be conveyed to a younger generation than those of us who typically occupy the seats or place wagers.I don’t believe the sport, in the long-term, should be depending on slots or limited betting products to guarantee its future."
TVG CEO Stephen Burn, when asked what surprises him about the American racing industry, via Paulick.
And the granddaddy of them all. We have written, and you have spoken time and time again here on the blog the last four years, that if we lower takeout, we have more money to play into the pools, and it would be beneficial to racing. We were told by much of racing we were off the mark, greedy, and should not spout such nonsense.......
"It sounds a little counter-intuitive, but the more money we put back into the people's hands the more money they will bet back in, so a reduction in takeout would actually be more beneficial for us."
NYRA CEO Charles Hayward (the most powerful organization in racing) in an interview on CNBC, via SC.
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2 comments:
The first quote, out of an interview in which Burn was careful to sound as inoffensive and understanding as possible, struck me too.
And he's right. From an overseas perspective, (North) American racing's talent to obsess about non- or side-issues (while being oblivious to many if not most of the topics that actually are of importance) is nothing short of stunning.
We can only hope the rest of the people in the industry get the message before they do self destruct.
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