360's and 180's

We won't be talking about the Breeders Cup here, but there are several places to get your information. Of course, there is the widget to the right side of the page with many handicapping and special interest story items from the blogosphere.

For everything one needs to handicap or follow the Cup, however, you will not find a better resource than Breeders Cup 360. Breaking news, handicapping items and a whole lot more, all in one place.

Glenn over at Fugue For Tinhorns (nope, I don't know what that means either, but it is a good blog) chats about takeout in Pennsylvania, with slots. In replying to an article at the Horseplayer Association of North America about the slots influx there and the lack of help for horseplayers he does not mince words. "But the current takeout in Pennsylvania, as HANA shows, is garbage."

As we posted below when referencing Darryl Kaplan's fine piece on the destruction of racing in Quebec, we need to do a 180 on using slot cash to help this game on the demand side. Customers need more, and are demanding more. They don't care if they bet a $40k purse, or a $4k purse. They just want a fair shake. Let's give them one.

A comment from Eric on the last column about the 5 horse field for $170k at KD last month illustrated something new:

It gets more bizarre than 5 horses-2 owners going for $170K. As reported by Standardbred Canada, only 3 horses were entered in the ~$265k 2yr old Matron at Dover Downs....so they just split the purse money 3 ways....no race, just purse money divided up. A cynic may suggest this represents the success of the industry's marketing strategy, the elimination of the horseplayer!

We have some 360's in racing and coming full-circle with websites like that are a good thing - considering we pay for data in racing like a horse's past performance is laced with gold. But we need 180's too. I do not think any reasonable person can argue that an about face on slots is needed badly. Three horse fields where they don't even race can not be a good thing for anyone.

Alright Already - Can We Not Just Do Something?

Darryl Kaplan, editor of the trade magazine Trot, pens a column this month with some stark stats on the dismantling of racing.

His thesis contends that it is finally time to do something with slots money to grow the sport. We have heard these things before, however with some of the following, is it not time to stop fighting and get to work? If the past tells the story of the future, this article should be read by everyone. In Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania; And don't for a second think that this can not happen to thoroughbreds either. Over $100M was just taken from the Horse Initiative in Pennsylvania - and that was runner and trotter money.

Just days before the Quebec provincial government recently announced their end-game for harness racing in the province, they put out a release. It included this paragraph:

Let us not forget that the horse racing industry started its decline several years ago. Since 1995, the government poured more than $450 million in subsidies to support this industry. In spite of this aid, the industry continued to regress. The evolution of wagering on horse racing proves this. In 1990, $315 million was wagered and fell to $136 million in 2008.

Four hundred and fifty million dollars was put into racing. Now it is gone.

Kaplan then speaks about the lack of public outcry in Quebec for this demise of this once proud industry. As well the response from horse racing overall? Nothing.

Yet somehow month after month, meeting after meeting, we are met with industry leaders who have no problem distributing hundreds of millions of dollars in purse money without any plan to drive bettors or new patrons to the track.

Virtually all the cash that slots are used for is purses, and for breeding. Marketing, lower takeout, perks for customers like a casino gives? Nope, and the sad part is no one is even looking at Quebec and offering a new plan. Just more of the same.

And the product? How is the massive cash doing for sires stakes and other things here in Ontario to grow the sport?

A few weeks ago, I watched a five horse Gold Final at Kawartha Downs go for $170,000. One owner had four of the five horses. The single-file event had less betting on it than a $4,000 claiming race later in the program.

A Sires Stake program, mares residency, breed improvement and new ownership initiatives are all very positive things. They’re vital pieces of the puzzle. But without a product that is relevant to the consumer, harness racing is hurling head first toward its demise.

A $170,000 purse. Five horses, no betting and no customers. How can anyone think this can possibly be sustained?

Kaplan concludes:

Right across North America, despite mounting evidence that the sport is out of touch with the general public, the event is presented in a manner that, aside from the odd superfecta, is virtually identical to what it looked like 15 years ago.

So now, it’s just a waiting game. Waiting for courageous leadership to stand up and invest in the future. Or waiting for the next press release to take everything away.

Nice job Darryl. I wonder if anyone is listening.

How to Turn $3000 Into a MIllion

There are a few ways to turn $3000 into a million. Buy a seed capital share of Microsoft in 1979. Maybe buy some puts on your favorite short and hope for bad news. Buy $3000 worth of lotto tickets and hope one of them beats the odds and hits.

But you can do it in harness racing, too.

At our friendly neighborhood mixed sale here in Ontario one can find, several times a year, hundreds of horses who have not quite shown much. I have bought a few - $4500, $14000, $5500 - none have sipped from the holy grail, but it is fun to see if you can find something for a bargain price. One such horse that was bought in such a sale was Ramegade Bruiser.

Purchased for $3000 in 2006 by the mom and pop stable headed by Dave Brown, the Rambaran gelding surpassed $1M in career earnings last night by winning a top-level pace in 151.2.

Overall this gelding has supplied a lifetime of thrills for this small stable. How about a 138 start career with 43 wins, 22 seconds and 11 thirds?

All for $3000.

Ain't harness racing grand.