What is Racing's Biggest Current Hurdle?

randallscott35 · #1 12-23-2009, 10:25 AM

Interested to see what people here think is the biggest current issue facing horse racing in the U.S.?

jms62 · #2 12-23-2009, 10:30 AM

Having to open multiple accounts to bet all the big tracks due to signal battles.

MISTERGEE · #3 12-23-2009, 10:34 AM

might be simply expanding the fan base?

randallscott35 · #4 12-23-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MISTERGEE

might be simply expanding the fan base?

I think that's where I am on this as well.

Kasept · #5 12-23-2009, 11:17 AM

The Host/Guest simulcast revenue model. It is as much a source of the game's ills as anything. It's repair would go a long way to righting the wrongs.

randallscott35 · #6 12-23-2009, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasept

The Host/Guest simulcast revenue model. It is as much a source of the game's ills as anything. It's repair would go a long way to righting the wrongs.

How would you go about fixing it Steve?

cmorioles · #7 12-23-2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasept

The Host/Guest simulcast revenue model. It is as much a source of the game's ills as anything. It's repair would go a long way to righting the wrongs.

It isn't that easy in my opinion. Right now, most of the handle is coming from people betting with a rebate. If you "repair" that model so the host track gets more, all you are going to do is cut the rebates of the biggest bettors.

The biggest hurdle to the game is declining handle. Now, there are a myriad of reasons for this. The economy is a convenient excuse, but far from the only one. There are too many races being run at too many tracks. Fields suck, so people don't bet as much. The takeout is certainly a factor. Even those that say they don't care about takeout can figure out they are going broke quicker. Signal wars don't help either. How many accounts do you need to bet all the North American tracks today? Three, four, five? It might be more next month.

Until the handle is addressed, fighting over the current shrinking pie is short sighted and a colossal waste of time.

Patrick333 · #8 12-23-2009, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randallscott35

I think that's where I am on this as well.

Ditto from me on this.

Gander · #9 12-23-2009, 10:35 AM

Probably the polytrack/cushion surfaces ruining the game and rendering meets that were once looked forward to and cherished, pretty much insignificant... a la Santa Anita and Keeneland.

#10 12-23-2009, 10:37 AM

The "Stars" of the game avoiding each other.

freddymo · #11 12-23-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randallscott35

Interested to see what people here think is the biggest current issue facing horse racing in the U.S.?

Other then getting Byk to toughin up on ATR's.. Too much racing which is encouraging bad horses being bred.