CRIST: Sets the NY facts straight
 

The importance of Steve Crist's column in today's paper is too important to be restricted to DRF subscribers. Anyone who has formed any opinion on the NY situation based on the lies and misrepresentations of the slot money salivators try to gain the franchise needs to know the facts.. Here they are presented by someone who speaks independently and with authority and first hand comprehension of the situation.


New York bidders twist reality
By STEVEN CRIST

http://www.drf.com/news/article/84006.html

The Saratoga Ratcino has many Blue hairs, not many young people around. they profit from the monthly retirement checks, or the dead husbands life insurance and life savings. I told my wife, if she ever goes to the ratcino when I die, I'll haunt her till she dies.

Not one person their is a horse player.

It really is too bad this article didn't end up in the Times Union where more people would be reading it.


Things are looking sad for the future of NY Racing. :(

Thanks for that post
 

We went to Finger Lakes right after the "ratcino" opened there. I got a buddy who just loves Turning Stone... after he lost the first race at the Lakes, he headed down to the VLT room...45 mins later he comes back upstairs and says he's broke. Well, I told there's 6 more races at the Lakes to go...should have saved your money for here than blowing it on those machines! :rolleyes:
It was a long day for him...:(

Good read Steve,

It makes you wonder what the state of racing will be in 20 years. The slots are a short term money generating out that has nothing to do with racing.

As I write this I'm reminded (don't know why) of a promotion by a grocery store in Cleveland circa 1960's. When you shopped there you got a racing ticket and there was a show every week of 6 horse races, I'm sure it was taped and can't remember where it was from.

Anyway, depending how many you won there were prizes. It was a great way to get poeple looking at races and now that I think about it may have been the seed that make me sprout as a life lone capper.

Spyder

The Times Union may have been alright for Upstate, rather limits the reach I think.

The piece would serve better in the Wall Street Journal, the NYTimes, the NYPost, and every other major racing publication and newspaper in the country where racing has a stake.

I just love those "other" so-called horse racing lovers from "other" so-called sites that ALWAYS knock the racing that NYRA puts forth. Does anybody really think that these slot people really care about the thoroughbred aspect at the track? DON'T FIX WHATS NOT BROKE! NYRA has had problems...BUT they have been corrected! I'M a racing fan...as long as the product is good, I'll play...if not I'll look elsewhere. Can never figure out why people just love to stick money into a machine.

I just listed the paper that was next to me, but having it in all would be nice.

Back in the 70's the Grand Union chain in the northeast ran a simliar promotion. The races were from Hialeah I believe, my Dad won $50 from the game and somewhere I still have the "play at home" game that they made from the show.

It doesn't take brains, therefore no thinking, to stick money into a machine. Just the ability to watch for 3 cherries, or 3 whatever across.

I vaguely remember that as well. In fact, that's was probably what led me to being the degenerate horse player I am today!!! Sonofableep:mad: Damn you Grand Union!!

lol

Steve, Andy & Other New York Residents.

Does it make sense for you to write you legislators? I think it might help them make a better informed decision if they receive correspondence from the people who put them in Albany that also go to the track. I know everyone is busy but it doesn't have to be anything long. Perhaps even a short e-mail that points out some of the shortcomings or faults in some of the proposals as we see them.

I plan on sending an e-mail to some of the key legislators, including the Gov's office but I do not live in NY so it may fall on deaf ears. The only thing I can threaten is to stop going to the NY tracks and stop investing in NY Breds.

Even if someone could draft a form letter that people could send to their legislators and the govenor that could have an impact.

Just a thought.

thanks for posting that steve. but there is still a possibility of nyra retaining control, correct?

i remember reading a few years ago about the whole slots deal....when the first few tracks got them, of course their bottom line got huge. but like that article said, once everyone gets them, the playing field is level again, and it still comes down to who does their job the best.

i don't understand why horse racing doesn't market itself like the casinos. it's as tho too many in racing don't want that side of it let out--but why?? people like to gamble, let them know how much more fun it is to make an educated guess, win some money, rather then sitting and mind-numbingly feeding a coin slot.
i went to a casino once, and i hated it. i have never touched the instant racing machines at oaklawn.

That chain is not around anymore...they went "belly up"!

I know it, Hickory, they were the local supermarket in my neighborhood until the late 90's, I guess. But they got what they deserved!!!:)

Do slots add to the money for purses ? Which in turn gets better horses or more money for bad horses.

I agree slots don't add anything to racing and their ideas of promotion sound weak. I was listening to the Herd on ESPN and he was talking about how stuff like women's basketball was popular in the industry but it doesn't have an audience. Maybe we are just so into racing we can't see what everyone else sees. I am really into and can't see what the problem is.

I can imagine that it is because (we believe) it takes a certain amount of thought to have success at horseracing. as opposed to slots that takes no skill at all. When I ask people that play slots, what strategy they use I usually get "I knew it was going to hit" ???????

as for big lies.. two words

Global Warming

it may be fact but it's only a means to an end for the watermelons

I remember those well and always watched. I believe they were from Tropical Park.