Good morning and welcome to this week's edition of the World Famous Super Spectacular Blog.
It's the first week on the SSB without a thank you to the Russian bots because I ain't getting involved in that imbroglio. Instead, here's a cat video.
Off we go!
Despite his (mostly unfair, they have free breadsticks) disdain for the Olive Garden, I have to side with my pal Chuckeroo, and as sad as it makes me, against our other chum, Brad Cummings protege Ray Bacon here.The headline is a joke 🤦🏼♂️
— Charles Simon (@cannonshell) June 20, 2023
This is what the headline should ready “60% of 2yo first time starters showed signs of EIPH” as that is the most significant stat revealed here. https://t.co/U3ZOXvzEt2 pic.twitter.com/znp7Bmax48
I'm honestly not much for the lasix debate in this sport because it sure gets tribal. But I'm a pretty simple guy:
60% of horses bleed from their lungs. Can someone explain to me how it's considered cruelty to help them not bleed?
Helluva piece by Pat over at the TIF last week that I figure many of you read. The CRW wagering patterns are certainly formidable in this day and age.
Some highlights:
- The big dogs are in the harder to hit bet pools; for example, almost 4 in 10 bucks of the pick 5 pool is teams' money. Wondering why the sequence paid what it did? They probably had it.
- If you're trying to avoid the big money and look for value holes, try the doubles.
- Crunk proffers they're about topped out at approximately 24% of pools and can't bet much more than they are currently betting. The math seems to say so. Does this bode well or not for handle growth from here on out? Likely the latter in the short term.
- Pat shares a rumor they're after better prices in whichever way possible it seems (which could be a signal they're topping out). This makes sense regardless, because when they get a better price they can wager more. For those of you who've said *takeout matters* while shouting into a vacuum, there's evidence point 9 million for you.
- I don't tend to agree with the thoughts about CRW wagering hurting purses. Just because the chicken has wings doesn't mean it can fly. Lower handle hurts purses, and we've had lower handle for a long time. California's 2010 takeout hike to "save racing" that people at the CHRB meeting applauded likely contributed massively to this mess.
- Pat's ways to improve the situation are tough for me to argue with.
⬇️info for todays card at oak grove⬇️ pic.twitter.com/xDFgk18edN
— Rayngo Starr (moviepass member) (@RayCotolo) June 19, 2023
- A big chalk in leg one who looked vulnerable.
- What looked like two contenders in leg two.
- Co-six to five shots in leg three and in leg four
- A spread race in leg five
Love the piece but you are too nice. The CAW teams are the worst customers. None would play if they were not taking money out of the ecosystem. In the long run this has killed recreational handle.
— Quantum (@Quantum_Sport) June 20, 2023
Rebates should only be given to verified long term losing players as was intended.
This is an opinion that the casinos embrace, but is it true for parimutuel racing?
I suspect the sweet spot for a rebate is for players who are close, but not quite good enough. I think the teams' volume is testament to that. It's where winning (even some of the time) makes one's wagering explode.
But I can't argue too much with Quantum in a broad sense. If 99.5% of players lose, then rebates to losers means almost everyone gets one. Something I have long advocated.
I really don't know, Andrew. When I first saw Flightline trending I honestly thought it had something to do with that sub.
Can someone explain why horse racing Twitter is suddenly debating “Secretariat vs. Flightline?”
— Andrew Champagne (@AndrewChampagne) June 22, 2023
Players like ITP (and it's a fave move of @lesstark88 too) believe in betting against a heavy chalk that shows even a hint of a problem, and players sure got that chance in the first at Mohawk on Thursday.
The 3-5 shot came out hot, and the driver completely buried the horse, earning a call-up from the judges in the process. This odds-on loser helped the pick 5 pay a whopping $78,000 for a buck. The super in a short field with the chalk third returned $500 for a dollar (and for Swinger fans it paid about $5).
I did my duty and pitched the horse and was actually alive in the pick 5 nicely; but the horse in the second leg that won I had ranked 9th, and it was only an eight horse field. Never in a million years.
Like Ray Paulick said on the twitter, I too dreamed of being a professional golfer. Maybe Paulick coulda pulled this off but I couldn't have.
Who said professional golf was glamorous? 😂
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 24, 2023
Tom Kite in the gym in 1981. pic.twitter.com/18r6YrEAZd
This is not a bad thought for those of us who want things to move along, but the key difference is baseball is in the entertainment business and horse racing isn't. A race on a big stakes card is like an ice-cream stand on the pier on a hot summer day - if it stays open for 30 minutes instead of 20 it makes more bank.
As blog pal @epo13 says sometimes, the sport is "gambletainment", and like it or not (and I know some of us don't like it) the gamble part is the one that brings in the revenue.
Hey racetrack owners. Speed up post times on our biggest days. It’s getting ridiculous with 40 min to an hour between races. Great way to lose the fans attention. Your not going to sell more hot dogs or get people to bet more with more time between. https://t.co/JrWF5Z5HlK
— Bradley Weisbord (@BradWeisbord) June 25, 2023
Thanks for reading this edition of the Super Spectacular Blog. Just like every week, be nice on the twitter and go cash some big tickets.