Respect

Racing seems to have a lot of respect for each other - to the point where if one faction yells loud enough, the other will choose the status-quo instead of moving forward with something - but when it comes to having respect for customers, that's a whole other story.

In California - where else? - the status quo rules on exchange wagering. The horsemen group figures it's best to call a pass. Bettors want it, the world wants it, marketing people at tracks want it, tracks themselves want it; everyone who is responsible for, or is, a customer wants it. But it's not done because an alphabet of horsemen say so.

On the same side of this ledger, last evening at Mohawk, a 4-5 shot in the 11th race was not given a fair effort - this a long-running complaint from customers everywhere. If you have a chalk, you have to try, or you should qualify the horse, or set back the connections in some way for doing it. It's been happening forever in harness racing, and no one does anything about it for the customer.

Exchange wagering, new bets, lower takeout, fixed odds to combat crazy late odds drops, and proper rules to ensure a bettors' hard earned money is respected are all given a back seat to what industry infighting wants.

If the customers of horse racing to groups like the TOC are considered horsemen, owners, or grooms; that's more than fine, go to it. But for the love of God, don't blame anyone but yourselves when you have fewer and fewer paying customers after continually ignoring their wishes.