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#2
09-23-2014, 08:00 AM
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$10,400,000 and reportedly a big increase v. previous year. Derby alone was in excess of $3MM.
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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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#4
09-23-2014, 10:08 AM
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"To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize"...Voltaire
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#5
09-23-2014, 10:53 AM
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That being said, the numbers from the day were outstanding. The PA Derby itself handled $1.5 million in 2013. It handled $4.2 million this year. The P4 pool this year was 517k vs. 223k in 2013. Now, while last year's field did not include the Derby winner it did have the 1-2 finishers in the Travers. Cotillion handle was up 80% with one less horse this year. Having a horse with the name recognition of California Chrome is always going to be hugely beneficial for a racetrack. But, the real question is what long-term benefit will you get from the people who showed up and how much did you get from them the day they showed? For a place like Parx, it's an uphill battle and you almost feel like their goal was to get those in attendance to be long-term casino patrons. To put things in perspective, Belmont handled $12.1 million Saturday on a ho-hum card. It's nice for tracks like Parx to have moments in the sun, but the tangible impact that they have on generating customers is negligible.
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#6
09-23-2014, 11:31 AM
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And as an additional post-script to Nick's perspective, Chuck made the point to me that a day like this is a net negative because it effectively glosses over the problems Parx perpetuates the other 364 days a year...
__________________
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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#7
09-23-2014, 11:45 AM
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My group had a lot to do with the handle increase, esp in the P3 and P4 pools!!
 My buddy's dad was given 4 free tickets to watch the races from The Cotillion Room. This included free food and drinks, a $50 horse racing voucher, and $100 in slot dollars. The room was packed with older people who you could tell were only there to collect their free items. There wasn't ONE horseplayer in the room besides us four. There were more $2 WPS bets on Cali Chrome than I ever thought was possible. The teller and I hit it off, joking about all of the idiotic bets that were presented to her throughout the day. As great as it was to look around and see Parx filled to the brim, the sobering truth that this was the only day of the year for the track to look crowded was always in the back of my mind. I'm hoping that we can somehow build off that. My brother showed up with his friend who knows absolutely nothing about horses or betting. Told him to put his $40 on Bayern to win. Needless to say, on the walk back to the car, he was hooked. He asked if we can go back more often bc he really wants to get into it. He looked at me like I had three heads when I asked Asmussen for his picture, but was astonished once I told him that he was the winning trainer of the previous race. Poe loved the interaction, and his first trip to the track was a winning one. He'll be back, if only for next year's PA Derby. I tried to do my part in making new fans of the game. So thank ME for all the future dead money in the pools! 
__________________
"A person who saw no important difference between the fire outside a Neandrathal's cave and a working thermo-nuclear reactor might tell you that junk bonds and derivatives BOTH serve to energize capital" - Nathan Israel
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#8
09-23-2014, 04:35 PM
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I did my part too. explaining the Bris pace figures and how the races would probably play out. Never had so many people asking me Who do you like , then smiles and handshakes after etc. Did likewise at Haskell day with a newbie who hit his first tri himself and cashed for 4 bills, paying for his BC trip. But, I do concur with the amount of $2 bettors on hand at the windows, the tellers ran out of change too.
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The virtue of a man ought to be measured, not by his extraordinary exertions, but by his everyday conduct. Blaise Pascal
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#9
09-28-2014, 09:27 AM
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