I’ve been obsessive about horse racing for many years. Racing combines magnificence, journey, triumph, and (often) the sophistication of a Hollywood film. Throw within the pleasure of playing and “You had me at good day.”
I’ve bred my very own horses, have invested in 30 horse racing partnerships (do not inform my spouse), and have written The Best Playing Story Ever Instructed – the best-selling horse racing e-book since Seabiscuit. Briefly: I am all in.
I imagine horse racing is the best sport on the earth, and I’m desperately combating to stay engaged within the sport I like. It’s from this desperation, written solely as a racing fan and horse participant, that I write this letter. I’ve listed my points with horse racing’s present realities whereas acknowledging I haven’t got many options. Maybe my subsequent “Letter to the Editor” will embody just a few of my ‘half-baked’ concepts of controversial fixes for racing’s demons.
When simulcasting was first launched within the late Nineteen Eighties I assumed it the best invention since vodka. I may go to my native monitor, or keep residence, whereas watching and playing on dwell racing on the nation’s biggest tracks. When different followers complained that onsite attendance was dwindling, I instructed them, “The monitor remains to be open in individual. It is simply not as crowded.” Looking back I imagine that simulcasting is concurrently the most effective factor that ever occurred to racing (it might be extinct with out it) and the worst factor that ever occurred to our sport.
Expertise is transformative. The idea that I can obtain my Every day Racing Kind “Formulator” previous performances, watch and wager on high stakes races each day, all from the comfort of my residence workplace, is extremely handy. My spouse says she likes me at residence—however I’ve my doubts. Sadly, being a solo racing fan is like playing in solitary confinement.
Nobody likes to eat at an empty restaurant. Strolling via the practically empty, cavernous Santa Anita stands—on all however just a few huge Saturdays—is miserable to me. I liked shopping for horses in public partnerships, sharing with fellow homeowners in celebrating our wins, and convening within the bar after our quite a few defeats. I get pleasure from bringing my spouse and mates to the races, particularly the joy new attendees present when seeing a strong, smooth, stunningly lovely thoroughbred up shut sufficient to the touch, within the paddock, barn, or winner’s circle. Now the monitor often resembles that vacant restaurant and once I ask mates to affix me for a day on the races, they point out the racing deaths they examine, whereas me like I am an axe assassin.
My private opinions of racing’s future:
Authorized sports activities playing won’t save horse racing, however as a substitute shall be a fierce competitor. Why will gamblers pay takeout of 16 p.c on a win guess (21 p.c blended racing takeout fee on exactas, trifectas) on horse racing, however solely pay 5 p.c vigorish on a sports activities workforce guess (8.6 p.c on a two-team parlay).
Simulcasting won’t create racing followers. If it did the place are they?
CAWs (pc assisted wagering teams) are driving out severe horse gamers like me! I do not thoughts competitors. Hell, I do not even thoughts shedding—however give me a good shot. Let me get this proper: I’m speculated to pay takeout of 21 p.c, and compete towards a pc with higher information and the information of swimming pools that I’m not allowed to entry, after which the CAWs are getting a rebate of 10 p.c for consideration of their large bets? And the CAW web site is owned by the racetrack? I believe I will seize a beer, pay $5 takeout on a $100 greenback soccer guess, and name it a day.
Proceed with all the good current enhancements for horse security. Racing followers and homeowners love our horses. The fatalities numbers are approach down. Bravo. Stick with it and add new expertise like scans, and so on. to get even higher. However do not attempt to appease PETA and do not give unrealistic horse security expectations to the general public. What would occur if we took all of the racehorses and allow them to go free within the wild? Do all the things affordable to make racing as secure as doable—however is it higher to not breed horses in any respect, or to lose lower than a small fraction of 1 p.c whereas racing?
Having performed Hollywood Park and Santa Anita artificial racetracks for a decade, I personally won’t watch racing on artificial surfaces. It’s not simply racing I get pleasure from wagering on or watching; if working on a monitor manufactured from oatmeal is safer than filth, then as they are saying on Shark Tank: “I am out.”
Racinos and slot machines won’t save racing. Finally financial actuality will result in the elimination of those subsidies and racing’s umbilical wire shall be reduce.
Racing is funded by playing {dollars} and well-bankrolled horse gamers who don’t wish to view or wager on small five- and six-horse fields. The variety of thoroughbreds bred has been decreased practically 60 p.c from just a few many years in the past. I imagine that racing is headed the way in which of some huge “tremendous tracks” racing year-round, plus the summer time “spa” conferences at Saratoga and Del Mar, and the spring and fall Keeneland meets. I’m sympathetic to these hard-working backstretch employees at small and mid-level tracks, however I do not see a future there. Revered podcaster Chuck Simon tells me that huge tracks can’t exist with out smaller satellite tv for pc tracks feeding into them. How does Sha Tin racetrack in Hong Kong proceed to thrive with large fields and big wagering swimming pools?
I attended horseplayer heaven at each Saratoga and Del Mar this summer time, loving the power of packed stands, the roar of the gang, and full fields to lose my cash on. I left hopeful, re-energized, and headed straight to the ATM. I do not remorse a single day I’ve spent on the racetrack.
How do I reconcile my adoration for this sport with the realities of right now’s racetrack expertise?
My private resolution could sadly be to attend and simulcast solely on racing’s few huge Saturdays per yr.
The one expertise that rivals cheering residence your individual profitable horse is watching your youngsters compete at sports activities and I loved that present when my household was younger. I like being as near the sport as doable, but I’ve determined there is no such thing as a purpose to personal extra horses to race in entrance of empty stands.
A number of days this coming this yr I’ll placed on a sports activities coat and invite my spouse to take out her “monitor hat” for a big-stakes day on the races. I’ll spend three hours of excited anticipation handicapping full fields of magnificent horses and can push my bankroll via the home windows with pleased abandon—all to benefit from the biggest sport on the earth.
Mark Paul – Beverly Hills, Calif.
Writer of “The Best Playing Story Ever Instructed”
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