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#1
11-09-2009, 10:04 AM
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BC can't answer handle figs honestly: "It's the field size, stupid"
2009 Cup attendance up at SA (thanks to smarter ticket pricing policy).. Handle was off a small amount, but BC can't be honest about it... "It's the economy" they said. No. It's not... It's the watering down of the event with superfluous races like the Marathon and Dirt Mile; the embarrassing field size of 8-9 in sacrosanct original Cup races the Distaff, Sprint, and Turf; and the lack commitment/interest from horseplayers that are put off by the synthetic surface.
http://www.drf.com/news/article/108818.html Ontrack handle showed gains both days despite one fewer race carded per day compared to 2008. Saturday's ontrack handle reached $12,177,982, a gain of 3 percent. The common-pool handle on Saturday reached $96,159,747, a loss of 6 percent from last year's corresponding day. Friday's common-pool handle of $48,439,458 was a decrease of 1 percent. Officials blamed a slow economy for the drop in common-pool betting.
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All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the miseries or credulities of mankind. ~ Joseph Conrad A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right. ~ Thomas Paine Don't let anyone tell you that your dreams can't come true. They are only afraid that theirs won't and yours will. ~ Robert Evans 
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#2
11-09-2009, 10:14 AM
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Given the economy and the supposedly large anti-synthetic crowd, aren't these numbers really strong? The folks at NYRA were doing cartwheels over a miniscule handle decline at Saratoga this summer, and largely attributed it to the economy. If they are allowed to peddle that line, why can't the Breeders' Cup heirarchy? (And I agree with you about the watered-down product, but isn't that also similar to the overnight program at Saratoga 2009.)
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#3
11-09-2009, 10:22 AM
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Quote:
__________________
All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the miseries or credulities of mankind. ~ Joseph Conrad A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right. ~ Thomas Paine Don't let anyone tell you that your dreams can't come true. They are only afraid that theirs won't and yours will. ~ Robert Evans
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#4
11-09-2009, 10:42 AM
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The commitment to large wagers just isn't there on the synthetics for 90% of players. Would like to see handle per race to see how correlated field size was. The Turf probably had the weakest year over year handle, but I wouldn't necessarily blame the small field on it but rather the fact that it just wasn't a compelling betting race. A heavy favorite and 4 no-chancers, but quite honestly that's not surprising given the shape of the American turf division this year. Also need to factor in probably $1,000,000 in wagers were refunded when Quality Road scratched at the gate.
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please use generalizations and non-truths when arguing your side, thank you
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#5
11-09-2009, 10:50 AM
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1. The people that run racing are for the most part....not very smart.
2. The people that run the Breeders Cup make the people in #1 look like brain surgeons in comparison. The BC used to be 7 races for a lot of money, it was special to win one of these races, there are 14 now. Seriously, to me its the original 7, maye the FM Turf as well, but the rest dont carry BC weight with me, they are the under card races. The FM Sprint for example, all it has done is watered down the sprint, the two or three best fillies would compete with the Sprint...and they won! The Dirt Mile has taken away horses from the classic (this year maybe the exception). The Turf juveniles, all it did was water down the regular juvenile races. Just moronic decisions, and that has nothing to do with location. I am sure when its 40 degrees and raining next year your going to hear the same stuff. And heaven forbid if anyone gets hurt (the past 2 years no one has).
__________________
"To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize"...Voltaire
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#6
11-09-2009, 11:01 AM
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i thought that perhaps a two day even would work-but with the time of year the event is held, sat/sunday is impossible. fri/sat is watering it down, especially with moving the distaff to friday.
go back to one day. quit trying to please everyone with so many different races. they should have: the 2 juvie races. sprint f+ m sprint turf mile turf classic classic distaff pump up the classic and distaff purses, cut the juvie purses to 500k. the distaff generally is one of the smaller fields, increasing that purse would draw more horses from overseas.
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#7
11-09-2009, 11:15 AM
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Nonsense, the BC was way watered down with some really dumb races. Also if your budget is "x" and you have been betting on one day in the past at BC, how can you sustain two days! Answer: "Less betting"
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#8
11-09-2009, 11:22 AM
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The Marathon should be toast in my opinion. Especially considering there will be little to no involvement from the Euros next year when it's run on dirt.
As far as the Juvenile Turf races, I'm inclined to give them a chance next year because dirt horses will run in dirt races and turf horses will run in turf races. The changes that were made two years ago and last year were ill-timed. The dirt mile doesn't really work unless you're running at a track that has a one-turn mile. Should it get a chance next year? I'd say yes, but I say that remembering the whole time that it is going to cannibalize the Classic in some way. The Filly and Mare Sprint is probably here to stay considering it's now a Grade I, it has drawn pretty solid fields in three runnings and next year it's being run at an eastern venue. I get the feeling that you have to give some of the new races one go at CD to see about future proclamations. If I had to vote right now I'd pitch the Marathon and JF Turf if you need $1.5 mil to save. However, I think getting the BC off of the two-day format is a near impossibility. NT
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#9
11-10-2009, 08:13 AM
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#10
11-10-2009, 08:19 AM
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I'm guessing they'll be adding a Breeders Cup race for Mules soon, as well as one for Quarter horses.
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#12
11-10-2009, 08:50 AM
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#14
11-09-2009, 06:06 PM
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It is also the surface. The Classic being on rubber decimated the Turf field, supposedly the second biggest race on the card. It made the lines between turf and dirt races obscured and a lot of connections looked for the easier spot.
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#15
11-09-2009, 06:13 PM
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Also, why the heck was the synthetic mile allowed to be called the dirt mile? That's like playing MNF games on Wednesdays and still calling it Monday Night Football.
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#17
11-09-2009, 07:04 PM
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From an Owners standpoint I absolutely love the to day event. For a lot of small owners this game is built on Dreams. And the more chances to run for the Big money on one of the biggest stages of the year the better.
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Hybrid Mode
