A great day for the sport.

[keithting]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

I don't think I would call it a "magical" day of racing.

* The Easy Goer was won by an N1X who got beat 15+ in the Preakness.

* The True North was won by a former claimer who Pletcher has done well with.

* The Just A Game was won by a mare who had just 1 win in her last 10 starts.

* The Woody Stephens was won by a horse who got beat 31+ lengths in the Kentucky Derby last out.

* The Manhatten was won by a French import who has never won a Group or Graded Stakes race before. He narrowly defeated a horse who was recently claimed.

* The Belmont was absent an I'll Have Another VS Bodemeister trilogy. Absent both horses.

And yet -- every single stakes winner on the card was VERY competitive on paper.

The only one of them that paid more than $9.20 to win was Desert Blanc.

But hey, over-the-top silly wins in 2012.

Just look at the championship boxing match tonight. The legendary Manny Pacquiao lands 253 punches -- Bradley lands 159 punches. Pacquiao's punches are clearly much more powerful. Bradley won the fight by split decision. Why? Because his trainer carried him on his shoulders after the fight and they acted like they won. Manny just acted like an honest fighter who did his routine work. One of the judges was a woman and the other judge is senile.

So hey, without a doubt, THIS WAS THE SINGLE GREATEST DAY IN THE HISTORY OF HORSE RACING OR SPORT IN GENERAL! Amaaaaaaaaazing!!!! All we need now is for someone to pick us up and carry us around on our shoulders.

If everyday above ground is a good day, then a racing day with 6 stakes and 85,000 attendees cramed in to watch them all is one heck of a "Magical day"

Rock on, Steve....

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Well said as always, Steve it was my 1st Belmont Stakes and enjoyed the day thoroughly also.......the sport of thoroughbred racing is ALIVE & WELL those who do not think so.......well should find another form of entertainment or type of gambling! frankly, I'm REALLY sick and tired about those who CONSANTLY hammer OUR sport to them (whom ever they are or have a forum to write) PLEASE GO AWAY!!!!!! If no one can find passion about something they love, thier lives must be pretty empty.........

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

Every other track on this continent is up against it when creating an experience, but many tracks do it well for a day or three, and that's it. That's the hurdle.

You need thing like Exchange betting, in-race betting, and low takeouts and you won't have any hurdles.

The true hurdle is that the public views horse racing as a "sucker" game -- and they view fans and bettors as old men with disposable time and disposable income -- a mix of degenerate gamblers and uncool well-off snobs.

The general public doesn't believe they could make any money betting horses -- and they probably don't know anyone who makes a living betting horses either.

The festive atmospheres on big racing days will always attract people who want to hang out, socialize, and drink. Serious bettors will always bet a lot more money on big racing days because overlays are easier to find.

Unstoppable U was 11/1. No horse in the entire Belmont field went off at odds higher than 27/1 -- and five horses in that field were clearly over 100/1 true odds. The people who showed up and threw money away on hopeless longshots aren't the people to go for. It's the people who don't ever show up -- but who would become very useful fans and bettors who follow the sport 7 days a week if the climate was right for them.

I did a fantasy football draft last year with 13 other guys...all in their 20's or 30's. It was just $100 to get in -- and the prize money was stinking $1,400. Everyone had laptops with them, everyone came with strategies, people bought books and made sheets for this stupid thing. I was BY FAR the least informed person in that basement. After about 12 rounds -- I didn't even know the names of any players left.

These are 13 guys that all live within about five minutes of me -- that could be serious and USEFUL horse racing fans and bettors. They're not the ones just showing up and betting $20 on Guyana Star Dweej at 23/1 odds and having a few drinks. Who cares about those people? You're simply not going to get them to follow the sport and keep coming back to the racetrack.

You can spend 50 dollars on past performances in a day...yet the overall tone by fans like us is hey if you can't afford 7 dollars for a racing form then pi.ss on ya.

Well it's not about affordability. It's about catering and marketing to consumers. And quite frankly there isn't an industry much worse than American horse racing.

Just look at Australia. Plenty of information available for free, on the web, from major handicapping sites in that country.

South Africa doesn't do a shabby job either.

It's silly to charge for past performances for a sport that has such a high takeout. This was avoidable years ago. During the time Doug wishes he lived in.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

You need thing like Exchange betting, in-race betting, and low takeouts and you won't have any hurdles.

The true hurdle is that the public views horse racing as a "sucker" game -- and they view fans and bettors as old men with disposable time and disposable income -- a mix of degenerate gamblers and uncool well-off snobs.

The general public doesn't believe they could make any money betting horses -- and they probably don't know anyone who makes a living betting horses either.

The festive atmospheres on big racing days will always attract people who want to hang out, socialize, and drink. Serious bettors will always bet a lot more money on big racing days because overlays are easier to find.

Unstoppable U was 11/1. No horse in the entire Belmont field went off at odds higher than 27/1 -- and five horses in that field were clearly over 100/1 true odds. The people who showed up and threw money away on hopeless longshots aren't the people to go for. It's the people who don't ever show up -- but who would become very useful fans and bettors who follow the sport 7 days a week if the climate was right for them.

I did a fantasy football draft last year with 13 other guys...all in their 20's or 30's. It was just $100 to get in -- and the prize money was stinking $1,400. Everyone had laptops with them, everyone came with strategies, people bought books and made sheets for this stupid thing. I was BY FAR the least informed person in that basement. After about 12 rounds -- I didn't even know the names of any players left.

These are 13 guys that all live within about five minutes of me -- that could be serious and USEFUL horse racing fans and bettors. They're not the ones just showing up and betting $20 on Guyana Star Dweej at 23/1 odds and having a few drinks. Who cares about those people? You're simply not going to get them to follow the sport and keep coming back to the racetrack.

I was on the escalator during the mid-part of the card, heading up to 3rd floor, and guy in front me says..."you look like you know what you're doing, any suggestions where to watch the race from?"

He was one of four siblings who came out to the races, two guys, two girls, probably from ages 20 to 30. The one girl lived in NYC, the brothers lived in Jacksonville, and the other sister lived in Dallas, they were all in town for oldest sister's 30th birthday. The one who lived in Dallas had been to Lone Star Park once, and suggested it would be a fun day out.

I gave them some recommendations on where to watch the big race, then asked if they had bet yet. They said they hadn't, and wanted some recommendations. Asked how much they wanted to bet, and suggested pooling their money and trying to get a small trifecta together.

The thing that was unavoidable to me, however, is that the person who spurred them all to the track was the only one in the group who had ever been to the track before, and it was just a single visit at Lone Star on a non-descript night, according to her at least.

Bring some friends, get em involved...see what happens.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

Bring some friends, get em involved...see what happens.

Given a climate of betting exchanges, in-race betting, and low takeout -- it wouldn't be long until the sport would become absolutely infested with people like this:

Fantasy Sports geeks that number in the millions:






Young people who have been lured to Poker:








Wanna-be Day Traders who watch Jim Cramer on Mad Money and on and on.

[3kings]

On Friday night I went to the Meadowlands with Heels and BT. We were outside and they had a band, $2 beer special and betting promotion. They had a jockey come over and he and a track handicapper rounded up people to throw in $5 each. They were helping people handicap and betting a group P4 with the money collected. Fifty-one people participated and the group hit the P4 for over $17,000. Many of these people were very excited about winning $244. Some of these people will tell others and come back.

This type of promotion can be easily run at every track and it drums up interest in the game and more importantly interest in gambling on it.

[richard]

Tioga Downs has a flea market and inside antique sales every Sat/Sun 9-5pm.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by richard

Tioga Downs has a flea market and inside antique sales every Sat/Sun 9-5pm.

Good to know.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Perrault Robbed

The following reflection on yesterday resulted from reading a post from the deservedly well respected host of this site.

The royal we you used Mr. Host to describe those who agree what a magical day it was is indicative of the blur of your perspective. As the racing game is your source of income, you rightfully fear its tarnished image and eroding popularity more than those who are not so closely attached to the sport.

I attended the same racebook for all three triple crown races. When they load the gates for the derby that place is a madhouse every year; when they loaded the gates for this year's preakness, that place was a madhouse; when they loaded the place for the Belmont yesterday, it was like a typical early summer saturday at the racebook: as soon as the race ended, people turned their focus immediately to the next at Betfair and Golden Gate.

You and your girl having some great time at some racing industry dinner is fantastic and all for you I guess, but how that makes for a magical day of racing is really difficult to comprehend unless it was meant for your Facebook page and you accidentally posted it here. The reality was that it was an average card and an average day of racing. Unless we get a great crop of three years olds, for example the Curlin crop, the Breeders cup has more or less supplanted the Belmont as the third biggest day in racing in the States.

As far as the fight goes Calzone, Teddy Atlas described it correctly when he said that Bradley's style made him a sitting duck for Pac Man's straight left hand. Anyone who watches that fight closely will see that Bradley was so limited in his skill set that anyone who forked over $55 to view this mismatch had been taken. To make matters worse, Pac Man knew very early that this guy wasn't in his class, so he coasted for extended periods, especially the last two rounds. Bradley gave what his limited skill set allowed him to give, which was very little, but when a guy never hits another guy with one meaningful shot over 12 rounds, I am not sure how such a fight is worth the price, especially when the money guy subconciuosly says screw it I ain't taking this guy out tonight and he can't hit me - f****** coast home.

I bet on Bradley at plus 350, a terrible terrible bet fueled by that 24/7 HBO bullshite. So outclassed was Bradley that the wife and I didnt even bother to stick around for the decision, left right after the 12th round. I had it scored 9-3 Pac Man. I laughed when I came home - a gift from organized crime syndicates. Made up for the Celtics collapse and the Kings lackluster effort.

There was no magic yesterday if you want the perspective of a two bit gambler; rather, a f****** grinder saturday. Made lots of mistakes. Chalked it up to the early morning racing, which I partake in about four times a year, and playing scared. Keyed four horses in the double in front of the Flower Alley lone speed. Buried my nose in the form again a few minutes before the race and told this retired old man handicapped handicapper buddy of mine that the only three horses you need in this race are the 2,4 and 6. I asked him who he used in the pick 3. He said 6 & 10. I played another double using the 2,4, & 6 to his 6 & 10. As I was walking back to the table I buried the nose in the form again and asked how did you not use this 3? This horse is sharp as f***. Some humpbacked f*** mumbled "damn speed" 100 yards from the wire, right about the time the first time turfer, the 4 horse, kicked into another gear to nail the Flower alley on the wire. I sat dumbfounded as I realized I had no exacta box, no tri, nothign but a double going with the 4. /when the 3 broke on top by 2 lengths I knew I was f****** and the gods were enjoying themselves at the expense of my stupidity. Rallied and hit the Pick 4 that closed with the Belmont, Should have singled Trinniberg at hit it for a couple of dollars. Another mistake. The biggest mistake was sticking around for a track I abhor, Betfair. They took a benjamin from my pocket in about an hour. Left there and took in the evening sporting events described above.

If any magic occured during the day Mr. Host, it occurred when the humpack - a disabled construction worker with both a literal and figurative broken back - muttered "damn speed." Many on this board felt the pang of Cosmic Irony triggered by his words, words meant to accept defeat for him but foreshadowing a gut wrenching defeat for those on this board who were set for a real nice score.

No sir, you and the other suits mentally masturbating each other while you sit around imbibing at the open bar and smoking a gar after a tremendous meal is not a magcial day. The event was lost when the horse wenrt wrong. You cant recover the magic by elevating some dinner with suits or suggesting the electricity of the crowd. Come on, sir. Child please.

Good luck to all over the summer. See you in the fall as the Breeders Cup nears.

PR

can you, uh, tell us more about this mental masturbation? not for me, i'm asking for a friend.

[joeydb]

Originally Posted by Kasept

You totally missed the point Doug which I guess I understand since you weren't there. Those that were anxious for the day to be spoiled had it shoved up their ass by an enthusiastic crowd that couldn't have been happier to be there. They ate, drank, bet their money and made the atmosphere as special as possible in lieu of the Triple Crown storyline.

Good one Steve - exactly - a lot of us who watched it on TV were still excited. Many I've talked to this weekend said what a good matchup it was in spite of IHA's absence.

[phystech]

Interesting thread.

I completely understand Steve's comments about Belmont Day. Being a Maryland owner and resident, I felt exactly the same way on Preakness Day. The only way I could have felt more proud that day was if I had a horse running in one of the races - any of the races - that day. I didn't care what the final times of any of the races were, or what the class of the race was, it simply was a wonderful day to be a MD'er, an owner, and to be at Pimlico.

It sucks to see too many bashing Belmont Day just like they did Preakness Day.

The best thing racing has going for it are the bettors. The worst thing racing has going for it is the bettors. How do we reconcile that?

[TBJUNKY]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Appreciate the passionate comments. Actually, it sounds like you're as devoted to the game as I am, but you clearly don't know much about me, where I come from, how I derive my income, who my friends are or anything else.

Sorry you had a bad day.

Steve,

Allow yourself to describe a great day at the track as you deem appropriate. Those of us who have not only a firm knowledge as well as a deep seated passion and love for the sport, and the equine athletes that compete understand exactly what you meant. Anyone who knows this sport beyond a racing form or a betting window know just how fragile these animals are and that this sport can have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

As far as previous comments, what you would call passion, I would call ignorance....

[Rudeboyelvis]

Originally Posted by Danzig

can you, uh, tell us more about this mental masturbation? not for me, i'm asking for a friend.

Sounds like Bell Bends Boy move to Brittan and had another shizzy day at the windows

[Rudeboyelvis]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Good to know.

Hey, come for the flea market, stay for the

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by phystech

Interesting thread.

I completely understand Steve's comments about Belmont Day. Being a Maryland owner and resident, I felt exactly the same way on Preakness Day. The only way I could have felt more proud that day was if I had a horse running in one of the races - any of the races - that day. I didn't care what the final times of any of the races were, or what the class of the race was, it simply was a wonderful day to be a MD'er, an owner, and to be at Pimlico.

It sucks to see too many bashing Belmont Day just like they did Preakness Day.

The best thing racing has going for it are the bettors. The worst thing racing has going for it is the bettors. How do we reconcile that?

I saw no one here bash the Belmont day -- and certainly I don't know of one person or one entity that has bashed this years Preakness day.

Big crowds and festive atmospheres are fun. I remember going into the infield on Preakness day the year Point Given won and I loved it. Good looking college aged girls were being hoisted up and showing their tits every few minutes in different ares. I saw fights. I've been to toga parties in highschool that were way more civilized. It was wild.

I've been to the Derby five times. Great atmosphere. I've been to the Travers a couple times.

In the 1930's -- they'd get crowds of over 200,000 people on Ascot Gold Cup day and the environment was famous the world over.

You need 7-day a week fans who bet. Not people who want to drink and socialize and show up for big events three or four days a year and maybe bet $20 on a slowpoke like Ravelo's Boy who hasn't raced in 100 days.

They like to talk about "reaching" the new fans who show up for these races -- well that's good and I know they can do a better job of it. However, the people who they need to get are the people who aren't showing up at all on those days and have no plans to show up at a racetrack anytime soon. These are people that barely know horse racing exists.

In theory, It's very simple and obvious how you get them in force. You detach the "sucker game" label that haunts this sport. Doing this will also greatly empower the current bettors.

I tried to restrain myself from not saying anything in this thread -- but nothing is going to get better if people with vocal platforms want to make it a stride-for-stride myopian Us VS PETA and Us VS The NY Times argument.

Steve said I missed his point -- and I think he was also getting at those who thought the Belmont day would lose some of its sparkle without I'll Have Another running. I guess that's what the magical day stuff was about.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by TBJUNKY

Anyone who knows this sport beyond a racing form or a betting window know just how fragile these animals are and that this sport can have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

As far as previous comments, what you would call passion, I would call ignorance....

Which previous comments?

I just threw up in my mouth.

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

They like to talk about "reaching" the new fans who show up for these races -- well that's good and I know they can do a better job of it. However, the people who they need to get are the people who aren't showing up at all on those days and have no plans to show up at a racetrack anytime soon. These are people that barely know horse racing exists.

In theory, It's very simple and obvious how you get them in force. You detach the "sucker game" label that haunts this sport. Doing this will also greatly empower the current bettors. .

There's only one time a year when a Belmont is going to have numbers like that, so it has to make some sort of push to get some repeat buisness.

My question is, how do you detatch the Sucker Game label?

[TBJUNKY]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Which previous comments?

I just threw up in my mouth.

not yours

[richard]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

There's only one time a year when a Belmont is going to have numbers like that, so it has to make some sort of push to get some repeat buisness.

My question is, how do you detatch the Sucker Game label?

Doesn't every gambling endeavor have the sucker label? I like Frank's idea of a horse racing lottery with huge payouts. But the politics won't allow it because lotteries are run by the states and they don't want that type of competition. The Rainbow 5 and the Super High 5 are steps in the right direction that lottery players may be able to get close to if it's promoted.