Horrible accident at Woodbine today in the 8th as the eventual winner Muskwa seemed to clip heels or at least severely cut off with Dynamite Strike, who ended up falling down.....and stayed down. I really don't like watching this stuff, but I decided to check out the replay at Cal Racing which also allows viewers to see the head on. I wanted to see how Muskwa wasn't disqualified. I still can't believe he wasn't. To me, jockey Jerry Baird should get suspended for the rest of the year. No word on how the jockeys who dropped to the ground are at this time (Jono Jones and Patrick Husbands).
Check it out for yourself. It is free to open a Cal Racing account and there is no obligation to do anything. Not that a Canadian can do anything with most US racing sites thanks to the collusion brought on by Willmot and WEG. For Woodbine races, you can ONLY search by HORSE'S NAME. So join and type in Muskwa and watch the race for yourself. NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH.
Woodbine Bias Report: Outside and off the pace in sprints. Close to the front in routes. First year trainer Ashlee Brnjas is very cold right now. Mark Casse is pretty hot again.
Woodman euthanized at 24
Kentucky Red to be yield a positive test starting August 10th in Canada
Neteller to begin to give back US account holders their monies on Monday.
Neteller's revenue has decreased 54% since not taking US clients
Penn National Gaming revenues drop
FUN Technologies Reports Record Revenue
Sarnia and Point Edwards casino revenues up
Jockey fears for his life after giving a favorite a bad ride in India. Stewards declare race a non contest to calm down deranged bettors.
Fun from Canterbury's Extreme Racing Day. The camel race:
Another Extreme Racing Day set for tomorrow at Calder
27 July 2007
25 July 2007
Fixing The Ontario Thoroughbred Breeding Business
Purses at Woodbine are very lucrative, at least for high claimers and allowance horses.
In fact, there is a great disparity in purse monies available for those competing at the high levels and those competing at the lower levels, much more than it should be.
Many times, a horse doesn't have to be a champ to win an Ontario sired Stake or allowance race. In fact, final times needed to win those events are often equal or lower, to horses competing in the 20-30,000 claiming ranges.
The thing is that very few try to compete in these events because there is usually one or two real good horses that show up in these races, and the goal of the trainer is to win, not finish 3rd or 4th.
Most of the time, even the top horses don't belong in non claiming races, but get to be protected because they are Ontario sired. This form of protectionism is good for only a few. Most Ontario sired horses wind up struggling to break even for their owner. And ownership is the key to fixing the Ontario breeding industry.
It is simple economics. Supply and demand. The more owners you have, the more potential bidders you have for current runners, and most importantly auctioned, yearlings.
HOW TO ATTRACT OWNERS
Everyone knows that owning a race horse is a risky proposition. A horse needs to makes around $25,000-30,000 a year just to break even. Every horse is one step away from being retired for a long period of time or forever.
Yes, there are good incentives out there if you win, like the rewards an owner gets if he or she wins with an Ontario bred or Canadian bred. There is also some tax relief if an owner loses money, but it isn't high enough.
New owners need to get in cheaply. Buying a yearling may sound cheap, because you can get one who will most likely make the races for as little as $2,000, for example, at a CTHS sales event in the fall, but by the time the horse makes it to the track, the owner on average has close to another $15,000 into it by the time it makes the races, if it makes the races. And you can't expect much from a $2,000 or even $5,000 yearling purchase. Not appealing.
An owner can claim a runner at Woodbine for as little as $10,000 or at Fort Erie for as little as $4,000 (or even buy one privately for as little as $1500), but the chance are, the owner will be extremely lucky if he or she breaks even. Certainly, there is no incentive to go to the Yearling Sales. A $10,000 claimer always has potential, but even if was a successful claim and the horse makes $40,000 by moving up the ladder a bit and winning once or twice, the only incentive to the find another quick fix. And note: new owners getting lucky with a $10k claimer are up against it, because of all the sharp claiming stables out there who will most likely find the gems before a newbie gets a crack at one.
THE PLAN
There is a bit of an incentive to claim and Ontario bred over a non Ontario bred, especially with horses that have conditions, because the odd one can win Ontario special races, but it isn't enough to help the Yearling Sales business.
What is needed is two things to happen. One is that lower claiming races at Woodbine need to be run for higher purses (at least Ontario sired horses need to). This will give incentives to new owners and partnerships.
Secondly, the perceived value of the cheapest Ontario bred needs to rise up. The way to do this is by including ONTARIO SIRED CLAIMING RACES. To my knowledge, Ontario and Florida are the only two jurisdictions that don't have such races. This gives owners of Ontario bred horses a safety net. If a person buys a horse at an auction, he or she knows that there is a good possibility that they can get out in cheap claiming races for Ontario bred horses only held at Woodbine or even Fort Erie.
Try writing a $5,000 claiming Ontario sired non winners of 3 at Fort Erie with a $15,000 purse, and see how quick the race fills, and how many claims happen as long as there are $10,000 open or non winners of 3 Ontario sired race at Woodbine with a $20,000 purse.
The money can come from the higher end races. Nobody can defend the disparity.
Will this change things overnight? Of course not. But I can almost guarantee it will increase prices of Ontario sired yearlings. Once that happens, quality will be attracted, though it is hard to compete with Kentucky, this is the best chance to do so.
One more thing. Get rid of B Allowance races. Horses need to run for what they are worth. B races are bad for handicappers as well, but that is another story. The B races is another form of protectionism that does not bring in new owners.
I hope the panel studying the Ontario Breeding Business gets wind of this post.
In fact, there is a great disparity in purse monies available for those competing at the high levels and those competing at the lower levels, much more than it should be.
Many times, a horse doesn't have to be a champ to win an Ontario sired Stake or allowance race. In fact, final times needed to win those events are often equal or lower, to horses competing in the 20-30,000 claiming ranges.
The thing is that very few try to compete in these events because there is usually one or two real good horses that show up in these races, and the goal of the trainer is to win, not finish 3rd or 4th.
Most of the time, even the top horses don't belong in non claiming races, but get to be protected because they are Ontario sired. This form of protectionism is good for only a few. Most Ontario sired horses wind up struggling to break even for their owner. And ownership is the key to fixing the Ontario breeding industry.
It is simple economics. Supply and demand. The more owners you have, the more potential bidders you have for current runners, and most importantly auctioned, yearlings.
HOW TO ATTRACT OWNERS
Everyone knows that owning a race horse is a risky proposition. A horse needs to makes around $25,000-30,000 a year just to break even. Every horse is one step away from being retired for a long period of time or forever.
Yes, there are good incentives out there if you win, like the rewards an owner gets if he or she wins with an Ontario bred or Canadian bred. There is also some tax relief if an owner loses money, but it isn't high enough.
New owners need to get in cheaply. Buying a yearling may sound cheap, because you can get one who will most likely make the races for as little as $2,000, for example, at a CTHS sales event in the fall, but by the time the horse makes it to the track, the owner on average has close to another $15,000 into it by the time it makes the races, if it makes the races. And you can't expect much from a $2,000 or even $5,000 yearling purchase. Not appealing.
An owner can claim a runner at Woodbine for as little as $10,000 or at Fort Erie for as little as $4,000 (or even buy one privately for as little as $1500), but the chance are, the owner will be extremely lucky if he or she breaks even. Certainly, there is no incentive to go to the Yearling Sales. A $10,000 claimer always has potential, but even if was a successful claim and the horse makes $40,000 by moving up the ladder a bit and winning once or twice, the only incentive to the find another quick fix. And note: new owners getting lucky with a $10k claimer are up against it, because of all the sharp claiming stables out there who will most likely find the gems before a newbie gets a crack at one.
THE PLAN
There is a bit of an incentive to claim and Ontario bred over a non Ontario bred, especially with horses that have conditions, because the odd one can win Ontario special races, but it isn't enough to help the Yearling Sales business.
What is needed is two things to happen. One is that lower claiming races at Woodbine need to be run for higher purses (at least Ontario sired horses need to). This will give incentives to new owners and partnerships.
Secondly, the perceived value of the cheapest Ontario bred needs to rise up. The way to do this is by including ONTARIO SIRED CLAIMING RACES. To my knowledge, Ontario and Florida are the only two jurisdictions that don't have such races. This gives owners of Ontario bred horses a safety net. If a person buys a horse at an auction, he or she knows that there is a good possibility that they can get out in cheap claiming races for Ontario bred horses only held at Woodbine or even Fort Erie.
Try writing a $5,000 claiming Ontario sired non winners of 3 at Fort Erie with a $15,000 purse, and see how quick the race fills, and how many claims happen as long as there are $10,000 open or non winners of 3 Ontario sired race at Woodbine with a $20,000 purse.
The money can come from the higher end races. Nobody can defend the disparity.
Will this change things overnight? Of course not. But I can almost guarantee it will increase prices of Ontario sired yearlings. Once that happens, quality will be attracted, though it is hard to compete with Kentucky, this is the best chance to do so.
One more thing. Get rid of B Allowance races. Horses need to run for what they are worth. B races are bad for handicappers as well, but that is another story. The B races is another form of protectionism that does not bring in new owners.
I hope the panel studying the Ontario Breeding Business gets wind of this post.
22 July 2007
Headlines For July 22nd
I really like the comment Reade Baker made in the post race interview, after his horse Bear Holiday took home the winning prize in yesterday's Colin at Woodbine. He was asked where the horse is going next, and his answer (paraphrasing): "It is up to the owner, it is his horse."
Todd Kabel who got nailed on the wire in that race, should concentrating on sleeping at nights. If he is gonna take an afternoon snooze, he shouldn't pick race days to do it.
I wonder if Terry Jordan is going to replace him next time with Corey Fraser:)
Northern Dancer Stakes today at Woodbine attracts Bill Hartack to sign autographs. He was the jockey on Northern Dancer in the 1964 Queen's Plate, and apparently hasn't been back to Woodbine since.
Not a very impressive field today. I like Jambalaya. Edit 4:32 PM Sunday, I mean I like Pellegrino. I always get horses who have one name and end with a vowel confused.
No resolution when it comes to horse race betting product sharing as industry leaders meet
3 years between wins for apprentice Jeff Maclaren
Eternal Search euthenized She was a great horse.
Stem cell research in Guelph has helped develop a true quarter horse:
Twostep Partner at River Downs pulls a Puss N Boots.
Ref scandal in the NBA Two thoughts: There really is something called the mob and how long has this been going on. I remember in my basketball betting days, how I felt the over/unders in Piston games seemed very rigged. I'm talking the days of Laimbeer and Thomas. I blamed a few on the team, but it could have been the refs, or I could have just been a sore loser.
Todd Kabel who got nailed on the wire in that race, should concentrating on sleeping at nights. If he is gonna take an afternoon snooze, he shouldn't pick race days to do it.
I wonder if Terry Jordan is going to replace him next time with Corey Fraser:)
Northern Dancer Stakes today at Woodbine attracts Bill Hartack to sign autographs. He was the jockey on Northern Dancer in the 1964 Queen's Plate, and apparently hasn't been back to Woodbine since.
Not a very impressive field today. I like Jambalaya. Edit 4:32 PM Sunday, I mean I like Pellegrino. I always get horses who have one name and end with a vowel confused.
No resolution when it comes to horse race betting product sharing as industry leaders meet
3 years between wins for apprentice Jeff Maclaren
Eternal Search euthenized She was a great horse.
Stem cell research in Guelph has helped develop a true quarter horse:
Twostep Partner at River Downs pulls a Puss N Boots.
Ref scandal in the NBA Two thoughts: There really is something called the mob and how long has this been going on. I remember in my basketball betting days, how I felt the over/unders in Piston games seemed very rigged. I'm talking the days of Laimbeer and Thomas. I blamed a few on the team, but it could have been the refs, or I could have just been a sore loser.
18 July 2007
Huge News: Laurel Cutting Take Out To 10% Across The Board
I can't help but feel fully responsible for this. Someone must have taken my blog post from June 28th, How To Save Horse Racing, very seriously. Or at least, that is my story and I'm sticking to it.
Laurel Cuts Meet Takeout to 10% Across the Board
Date Posted: July 18, 2007
In a program billed “Ten Days at 10 Percent—Racing’s Best Bet,” pari-mutuel takeout on Maryland’s live races will be cut in half during Laurel Park’s 10-day summer meet that runs from Aug. 10-23.
The takeout will be 10% on all bets on all live races conducted at Laurel, plus the legislated percentage to be allocated to the Maryland Million Fund, resulting in a blended rate of approximately 11.4%.
“We want to get people focused on the Maryland product during a very competitive period,” Maryland Jockey Club president Lou Raffetto said. “We hear a lot of talk about what reduced takeout can do for business, and this seemed like the perfect time to experiment with the concept.”
The lower takeout is an even better deal on the trifecta, superfecta, and pick six, for which the standard takeout rate would have been 25.75%. As a result, payoffs on those wagers will be 20 percent higher.
“It will be like having a built-in rebate benefiting the $2 bettor as well as the $2,000 bettor,” Raffetto said.
The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association negotiating committee, chaired by Dale Capuano with members John Alecci, Jerry Robb, Katy Voss, and Richard Hoffberger, agreed to the plan. Raffetto commended the Maryland THA for its willingness to cooperate.
********************
OK, so it isn't exactly 10%. But it is very very close.
Presque Isle Downs to off $500,000 a day in purses
Highlights:
Meet runs from September 1st to September 29th
25 racing days, 8 races a day; Post time 5:30
$5000 claimers and $10,000 maidens will run for $24,000 purses
1 mile track. Tapeta Footings surface.
It will be interesting to see if Woodbine loses horses to Presque Isle.
BETTOR BEWARE
Ellis Park has a 4% takeout for their Win 4 bet. However, if you bet with WEG, you get the rip off takeouts. Todays Win 4 paid $1746.10 for $1 at Ellis Park, but only returned $1364.20 for lemmings who bet with WEG. So much for common pool wagering.
Laurel Cuts Meet Takeout to 10% Across the Board
Date Posted: July 18, 2007
In a program billed “Ten Days at 10 Percent—Racing’s Best Bet,” pari-mutuel takeout on Maryland’s live races will be cut in half during Laurel Park’s 10-day summer meet that runs from Aug. 10-23.
The takeout will be 10% on all bets on all live races conducted at Laurel, plus the legislated percentage to be allocated to the Maryland Million Fund, resulting in a blended rate of approximately 11.4%.
“We want to get people focused on the Maryland product during a very competitive period,” Maryland Jockey Club president Lou Raffetto said. “We hear a lot of talk about what reduced takeout can do for business, and this seemed like the perfect time to experiment with the concept.”
The lower takeout is an even better deal on the trifecta, superfecta, and pick six, for which the standard takeout rate would have been 25.75%. As a result, payoffs on those wagers will be 20 percent higher.
“It will be like having a built-in rebate benefiting the $2 bettor as well as the $2,000 bettor,” Raffetto said.
The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association negotiating committee, chaired by Dale Capuano with members John Alecci, Jerry Robb, Katy Voss, and Richard Hoffberger, agreed to the plan. Raffetto commended the Maryland THA for its willingness to cooperate.
********************
OK, so it isn't exactly 10%. But it is very very close.
Presque Isle Downs to off $500,000 a day in purses
Highlights:
Meet runs from September 1st to September 29th
25 racing days, 8 races a day; Post time 5:30
$5000 claimers and $10,000 maidens will run for $24,000 purses
1 mile track. Tapeta Footings surface.
It will be interesting to see if Woodbine loses horses to Presque Isle.
BETTOR BEWARE
Ellis Park has a 4% takeout for their Win 4 bet. However, if you bet with WEG, you get the rip off takeouts. Todays Win 4 paid $1746.10 for $1 at Ellis Park, but only returned $1364.20 for lemmings who bet with WEG. So much for common pool wagering.
17 July 2007
Xtreme Racing At Georgian Downs Was Very Entertaining
Xtreme Racing (for harness horses at Georgian Downs) was tremendously entertaining. It was a great idea to get the hilarious announcer Larry Lederman to do the calling. Lederman is fantastic for the sport with his racing one liners. I watched quite a few of the races on Saturday night from home. Here is the 1/8 mile sprint:
Here is a link that goes to quite a few more of the Xtreme races.
Canterbury is holding an Extreme Race Day on July 22nd for thoroughbreds
Alezzandro takes advantage of being the only speed to win the Prince of Wales at FORT ERIE (not Mohawk)
It would have been nice to see The Sun get the track right in the headlines
John Ferguson, former Montreal Canadien and horse owner, dies of cancer at 68.
Another obit. This one mentions the war he and Eddie Shack used to have in the 60's. I remember watching games between Montreal and Toronto, and anticipating a fight between Shack and Ferguson, as a child.
I couldn't find a Ferguson/Shack fight on Youtube, but here is Ferguson versus Kent Douglas:
Hockey Fights.com should get some footage of Ferguson versus Shack.
Article shows how grey an area, online gambling is.
BC casinos up 11% this year
Murder At An Illegal Gambling House That Posed As A Pet Store
Article on Bute What I would like to see are stats like percentage breakdowns on the track (Bute versus non Bute jurisdictions), and starts per year and life (Bute versus non Bute jurisdictions). I am under the assumption that vet bills are much lower in jurisdictions that are lenient when it comes to Bute usage for races. But I've been wrong once or twice before.
Scientific Games Racing and Great Canadian Gaming sign pari-mutuel wagering systems deal
Here is a link that goes to quite a few more of the Xtreme races.
Canterbury is holding an Extreme Race Day on July 22nd for thoroughbreds
Alezzandro takes advantage of being the only speed to win the Prince of Wales at FORT ERIE (not Mohawk)
It would have been nice to see The Sun get the track right in the headlines
John Ferguson, former Montreal Canadien and horse owner, dies of cancer at 68.
Another obit. This one mentions the war he and Eddie Shack used to have in the 60's. I remember watching games between Montreal and Toronto, and anticipating a fight between Shack and Ferguson, as a child.
I couldn't find a Ferguson/Shack fight on Youtube, but here is Ferguson versus Kent Douglas:
Hockey Fights.com should get some footage of Ferguson versus Shack.
Article shows how grey an area, online gambling is.
BC casinos up 11% this year
Murder At An Illegal Gambling House That Posed As A Pet Store
Article on Bute What I would like to see are stats like percentage breakdowns on the track (Bute versus non Bute jurisdictions), and starts per year and life (Bute versus non Bute jurisdictions). I am under the assumption that vet bills are much lower in jurisdictions that are lenient when it comes to Bute usage for races. But I've been wrong once or twice before.
Scientific Games Racing and Great Canadian Gaming sign pari-mutuel wagering systems deal
13 July 2007
Headlines For July 13th (Yeah I Know, It Is Friday Too)
Magna Entertainment announces 10 year deal for WEG and Amtote
Emma-Jayne Wilson is ready to win Prince of Wales I wonder if she'll wear her mosquito net mask. Most likely not. Fort Erie is a real race track.
Can we trust the teletimer? Here is an interesting little story. All I can say is WTF.
New legal action filed against newly opened Buffalo casino
Georgian Downs will get a huge cash injection for more slot machines
Seattle Dancer, a 13.1 million dollar yearling purchase in 1985, dead at 23. Sired 37 stakes winners
Another great story of the father daughter combo who shared in the big Hollywood Park Pick 6 jackpot recently.
Claiming trainers at Mountaineer hindered from inspecting potential claims
Cobra venom has been around for a while I've also read Beyer state that poisonous snail venom is also used by some trainers as well. Beyer on Biancone
Danger: Deer Crossing
Emma-Jayne Wilson is ready to win Prince of Wales I wonder if she'll wear her mosquito net mask. Most likely not. Fort Erie is a real race track.
Can we trust the teletimer? Here is an interesting little story. All I can say is WTF.
New legal action filed against newly opened Buffalo casino
Georgian Downs will get a huge cash injection for more slot machines
Seattle Dancer, a 13.1 million dollar yearling purchase in 1985, dead at 23. Sired 37 stakes winners
Another great story of the father daughter combo who shared in the big Hollywood Park Pick 6 jackpot recently.
Claiming trainers at Mountaineer hindered from inspecting potential claims
Cobra venom has been around for a while I've also read Beyer state that poisonous snail venom is also used by some trainers as well. Beyer on Biancone
Danger: Deer Crossing
9 July 2007
Ontario Launches Review Of Horse Racing And More News
Government of Ontario launches review of horse racing. They should check my blog for answers to their problems. I can solve most of the issues.
Breeding in Ontario sucks too on the thoroughbred side. Our stallions are inferior. Most of the horses here are bred to go 7 furlongs tops.
There are ways to solve the breeding woes as well. I may write a post about it in the near future. Hastings horses have come here and kicked our butts. I don't know why a few owners don't get together and ship in a few vans full of BC horses.
Woodbine Bias Report
At 60, jockey Alan Cuthbertson is still winning lots of races
Buffalo casino has already signed up 2000 potential gambling addicts in just one week.
Fort Erie cancels Celtic Festival because of lack of funding: Revenues to the city from Bingo and the race track slots have dwindled considerably in recent years, and things don't look bright. The proposed $300 million construction plan for Fort Erie race track is a complete joke as stated here previously. I can't believe that the government hasn't laughed it off yet. It is a waste of time for them to even consider it.
Purses at Mountaineer cut 20% across the board They expect this to be temporary.
Faulkner family trained a superfecta July 5th at Thistledown
Churchill Downs meet down almost 4% overall in handle. With the internet gambling ban in effect, shouldn't horse racing be benefiting? Apparently not, since race track ownership is stuck with a 1935 mentality.
Quebec legalizes Texas Hold'em
Melnyk, Casse, and Husbands to appeal Bison City DQ. I know it is for a lot of money, but this the DQ was a no-brainer. They have no chance of getting it overturned.
Former crack addict with a $1000 in the bank bet $432 in last Monday's Pick Six at Hollywood. He won close to $600k. Good story. Read it. I hope crack isn't in his future.
US Internet gambling ban to be challenged in Washington State
University of Guelph has begun to conduct heart rate study for harness horses under racing conditions at Mohawk
Frankie Detorri suspended for 14 days for overuse of the whip in England
Breeding in Ontario sucks too on the thoroughbred side. Our stallions are inferior. Most of the horses here are bred to go 7 furlongs tops.
There are ways to solve the breeding woes as well. I may write a post about it in the near future. Hastings horses have come here and kicked our butts. I don't know why a few owners don't get together and ship in a few vans full of BC horses.
Woodbine Bias Report
At 60, jockey Alan Cuthbertson is still winning lots of races
Buffalo casino has already signed up 2000 potential gambling addicts in just one week.
Fort Erie cancels Celtic Festival because of lack of funding: Revenues to the city from Bingo and the race track slots have dwindled considerably in recent years, and things don't look bright. The proposed $300 million construction plan for Fort Erie race track is a complete joke as stated here previously. I can't believe that the government hasn't laughed it off yet. It is a waste of time for them to even consider it.
Purses at Mountaineer cut 20% across the board They expect this to be temporary.
Faulkner family trained a superfecta July 5th at Thistledown
Churchill Downs meet down almost 4% overall in handle. With the internet gambling ban in effect, shouldn't horse racing be benefiting? Apparently not, since race track ownership is stuck with a 1935 mentality.
Quebec legalizes Texas Hold'em
Melnyk, Casse, and Husbands to appeal Bison City DQ. I know it is for a lot of money, but this the DQ was a no-brainer. They have no chance of getting it overturned.
Former crack addict with a $1000 in the bank bet $432 in last Monday's Pick Six at Hollywood. He won close to $600k. Good story. Read it. I hope crack isn't in his future.
US Internet gambling ban to be challenged in Washington State
University of Guelph has begun to conduct heart rate study for harness horses under racing conditions at Mohawk
Frankie Detorri suspended for 14 days for overuse of the whip in England
7 July 2007
Polytrack Causing Health Concerns
I wouldn't volunteer to have this stuff get into my nose or mouth. Would you?
From Ponyplayer.ca March 30th of last year:
The polytrack has now resulted in a new blinker that helps prevent the kickback from going in the horse's eyes. Anyone following the sport in Ontario is well aware of Emma-Jayne Wilson's mask. And anyone who has been up close to her after a race will notice how much fibrous material winds up on that mask.
I'm not a vet, but I have to think that poly material winds up in the jockeys and horses, and for how long? Who knows.
I watched an allowance race the other day. 7 horses going a route of ground. 2 horses were eased on the wire. Is the track extra tiring? Or does the poly interfere with breathing during the race? Or is it a combo?
I wonder if Woodbine will be forced to get rid of it. Note to David Willmot: don't replace it with asbestos.
Polytrack is starting to remind me of the Simpson's monorail episode:
From Ponyplayer.ca March 30th of last year:
There may not be any health concerns caused by particle inhalation yet, but what happens if horses start getting sick and/or die from it? They haven’t used PolyTrack enough here for any usuable data to be collected. And there have been scattered reports of inhalation sickness for some horses to date.
The polytrack has now resulted in a new blinker that helps prevent the kickback from going in the horse's eyes. Anyone following the sport in Ontario is well aware of Emma-Jayne Wilson's mask. And anyone who has been up close to her after a race will notice how much fibrous material winds up on that mask.
I'm not a vet, but I have to think that poly material winds up in the jockeys and horses, and for how long? Who knows.
I watched an allowance race the other day. 7 horses going a route of ground. 2 horses were eased on the wire. Is the track extra tiring? Or does the poly interfere with breathing during the race? Or is it a combo?
I wonder if Woodbine will be forced to get rid of it. Note to David Willmot: don't replace it with asbestos.
Polytrack is starting to remind me of the Simpson's monorail episode:
4 July 2007
Ellis Park Offers Pick Four With Only A 4% Track Takeout
Ellis Park to offer Pick Four with only a 4% track takeout.
Great move. This will get people handicapping the last four at Ellis Park and will probably drive more action to other types of bets as well. Geary is one of the very few track owners who understands the gambler. He could be a huge part in getting reduced track takeouts everywhere. As stated before, track takeouts rates should be at 10% or less, if racing wants to grow and attract new blood.
I'm going to start doing track variants for Ellis Park starting today:)
Seneca Nations open temporary casino in Buffalo. Only 124 slots right now. Lots of lineups. Legality of it is still up in the air. This is not good news for Fort Erie race track.
18 year old Scott Zeron, son of Rick, ready for driving debut at Hanover today.
Look for Constant Montpellier to get hotter soon at Woodbine. Especially on the turf course.
Early NFL odds posted
One of the best things that new track owner Ron Geary accomplished in the past 48 hours was securing the right to offer a Pick-Four with only a 4 percent takeout. Usually the takeout is a gaudy 22.5 percent. The bet will be offered daily on the final four races.
Great move. This will get people handicapping the last four at Ellis Park and will probably drive more action to other types of bets as well. Geary is one of the very few track owners who understands the gambler. He could be a huge part in getting reduced track takeouts everywhere. As stated before, track takeouts rates should be at 10% or less, if racing wants to grow and attract new blood.
I'm going to start doing track variants for Ellis Park starting today:)
Seneca Nations open temporary casino in Buffalo. Only 124 slots right now. Lots of lineups. Legality of it is still up in the air. This is not good news for Fort Erie race track.
18 year old Scott Zeron, son of Rick, ready for driving debut at Hanover today.
Look for Constant Montpellier to get hotter soon at Woodbine. Especially on the turf course.
Early NFL odds posted
1 July 2007
Headlines For July 1st
Good discussion on my How To Save Horse Racing post on the Pace Advantage forum.
Charlottetown's racino loses 2.5 million in 8 months of operations Business is picking up now, though.
Interesting article on the Senecas and the Department of the Interior regarding the proposed Buffalo casino. Looks like corruption to me.
Mark Fornier leads trainers at Fort Erie in wins going into weekend
Ontario Racing Commission to take biological samples from horses any time without notice in order to combat drug cheaters
Mountaineer to become full-scale casino
Funny Cide to race at Finger Lakes on Wednesday
Ontario lottery releases new regulations
Ted Lebanowich comments on the parimutuel mishap that happened at Fort Erie last Sunday:
******************************
Apparently the track wanted to do more for patrons who had what they thought was winning tickets, but they were not allowed to give any extra compensation to them.
Woodbine bias report: inside and speed still getting clobbered on the new improved Polytrack
Two plead guilty for NY harness drug doping
Charlottetown's racino loses 2.5 million in 8 months of operations Business is picking up now, though.
Interesting article on the Senecas and the Department of the Interior regarding the proposed Buffalo casino. Looks like corruption to me.
Mark Fornier leads trainers at Fort Erie in wins going into weekend
Ontario Racing Commission to take biological samples from horses any time without notice in order to combat drug cheaters
Mountaineer to become full-scale casino
Funny Cide to race at Finger Lakes on Wednesday
Ontario lottery releases new regulations
Ted Lebanowich comments on the parimutuel mishap that happened at Fort Erie last Sunday:
Clerk scratches wrong horse
Last Sunday, Fort Erie had an embarrassing situation.
Classic Ruckis, number 5 in the program, was a late scratch from the 10th race. According to mutuel manager, Chad Gates, the information arrived in the tote room approximately four minutes before the start of the ninth race.
The operator erred and scratched the 5 horse from the ninth race. That horse, Letitbewritten, went on to easily win the ninth race by three lengths.
"After a scratch, you cannot put a horse back into the race," said Gates. "At that point, the horse was running for purse money only.
"When a horse is taken from the pool, the tote system automatically calculates all monies wagered on the scratched runner, and that comes out of the pool."
In the official order of finish, the runners who finished second, third, and fourth were moved up to first, second, and third.
The holders of tickets on No. 5 were refunded their wagers.
The Ontario Racing Commission and the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency are investigating.
******************************
Apparently the track wanted to do more for patrons who had what they thought was winning tickets, but they were not allowed to give any extra compensation to them.
Woodbine bias report: inside and speed still getting clobbered on the new improved Polytrack
Two plead guilty for NY harness drug doping
28 June 2007
How To Save Horse Racing
I want to first say that I love handicapping horse racing. I also think that the potential for the amount of regulars who potentially would follow the game and gamble, is far from being achieved, and that it has no chance of being achieved either, as long as the race track owners collectively are stuck in a 20th century mindset.
Horse racing allows a person to bet against the public, unlike almost every other form of gambling (which relies on a mechanical house edge), outside of poker. The only thing standing in the way of a savvy handicapper from making money in a sport he loves is the dreaded track takeout. The way things are today, where the game is full of pros, and the sucker money has all but vanished into slot machines or lottery tickets, the only people who have a chance of winning in the long run, cannot bet directly with a racetrack, but with a rebate shop instead, as track takeouts are outrageously and unjustifiably high.
John Q. Gambler only has X amount of dollars he can gamble with each month or year, etc. Since the race track, which makes it impossible for a gambler to actually win money in the long run, and even difficult to make money short term (since there are so many races a day a bettor can play, and a bettor does want the action usually), there are many other ways he can find that gives him as little or even better chances of winning, or at least gives him more bang for his buck (blackjack has a house take of less than 2%, and online poker rakes are much lower than track takeouts).
Lets not forget that handicapping horse races usually requires a lot of skill, and a lot more free time. It takes no time to get a quick pick on a lottery, and you don't have to study ahead of time to play blackjack or poker.
Word of mouth is important. If someone actually makes money, or even comes up with a down payment for a house by gambling, it will attract a lot more gamblers. A person who even wins short term, or doesn't lose that much, is more likely to bring friends to the track and get new people involved, than any horse player today. A person has to be pretty much be the devil to introduce a friend to horse racing the way it is today.
Slot machine revenue is a band aid for the game right now, and instead of counting the profits, race track owners should be using this time to attract new racing fans.
The industry should learn from tracks like Fort Erie, where the owners basically counted the money during a few great years, but did nothing to attract new horse players. Now, as slot revenues continue to decline (due to many external reasons), the race track is swirling down the toilet bowl.
THE SOLUTION
If racing is to survive 10 years from now, ownership needs to change their mindset.
All track takeouts have to be reduced to 10% or less. This will give sophisticated handicappers a chance at winning. It will give John Q. Gambler a bigger bang for his buck, and over time, he will lose more of his gambling money at the race track and not elsewhere. Also, because there is a chance that gamblers can win money in the long run, more people will be attracted to it. The game has a lot to offer, and there are a lot of people who could become players, if conditions were right.
One track won't be able to get the ball rolling on this. It will take either Churchill or Magna to get things happening quickly. For example, Magna has to advertise that their takeout is 10% and they are willing to take clients from every jurisdiction they can legally. They can't worry about the coercion that exists now, where a track won't take a signal because you aren't playing ball. Magna will get enough clients from all over to more than compensate. Large gamblers will only be playing Magna tracks, and the other tracks will feel it bigtime.
Eventually, all smart track owners will reduce their takeouts to 10% as well. This will allow for a Canada/USA central betting hub to form. All member who comply with the 10% takeout will have customer areas, that are calculated by distance from one track to another. For example, Woodbines customer area would be people living within half the actual distance between Woodbine and the nearest 10% race track in all directions. If a multi-track owner wants to do a profit splitting deal for their own tracks, that is their business.
A race track must feature the nearest two racing cards that are active each day on their TV screens and on-line, to keep competition fair. Other than that, a track can choose other feature tracks based on what they think their clients want.
Signal fees must be the same. Whether it is 2%, which still opens to the door to rebate shops, or 5% which should vastly improve the quality of racing (tracks will be forced to try to attract other tracks to feature them) and make it less viable for rebate shops to exist.
This will also lead to consistent betting rules from one track to another, and probably consistent drug rules eventually.
More importantly, this will lead to more gamblers and larger pools.
IN THE MEANTIME
Horse players, stop being suckers. There are alternatives right now that give you a chance of making money, or at least prolonging your gambling resources. Race tracks know full well about the alternatives, and have been know to strike private deals with big bettors to keep their action. They also realize that many savvy players have set up accounts elsewhere, and that they might as well get at least the signal fee they charge.
BETFAIR
Based in the UK, Betfair allows exchange betting, where the bettor actually bets against individuals. And you only pay a "takeout" when you win, and that amount is only between 2-5% depending on how much action you give. It takes about a day to get the hang of it, but it is tremendously fun, and you can pretty much bet a horse race every 5 or 6 minutes if you are so inclined. No exotics though. Win and place or show is what you are limited with. The savvy player can usually get higher odds than the track offers, and even for example, book a horse at 5-1 with 6 minutes to post and then bet the same horse at 9-1 with 1 minute to post, thus giving the player a chance to win money with no risk. Problems with liquidity are common, as some races are run too close together, and players on focused on one race over the other. The favorite usually is very liquid though, but if you like a horse at 9-1, you might have to take 7-1 in some cases to ensure you have a bet on the horse.
They also offer in-play races occasionally where bettors can bet during the race. They do this with NFL football as well. Oh yes, you can bet on just about anything there. The house is never at risk, because a bet is only made when another player matches your bet on the other side. Note: I don't think they accept US customers, but they do take Canadians.
PREMIER TURF CLUB
These guys are a new rebate shop out of North Dakota. Their list of tracks on board with them is growing, but I don't think they'll get Magna or Churchill tracks. However, their rebates are great. For exactors, triactors, and other exotic bets an average bettor can expect a next day rebate of 6-13% depending on the track, and 6% on win bets (on average). Yes, they actually put money in your account the very next day before racing commences.
They recently signed on Woodbine, but Woodbine has a stipulation with them to not allow Canadians to wager on their Woodbine or Mohawk races. But there are plenty of Canadian and American tracks to choose from. Woodbine wants to have a monopoly on Canadians. Woodbine already does have a monopoly: on arrogance, short sightedness, and stupidity.
Getting back to PTC (Premier Turf Club), it is very easy to open an account, and their online betting interface is very simple to use. HPI has a good interface too, but PTC also tracks profit and losses for specific types of bets over the short term or long term. It allows horse players to learn from their mistakes.
I get the impression that PTC wants its clients to win. The more they win, the more they bet, and the more PTC makes, because they make the difference between their signal fee cost and the rebates they give their clients.
Their is no withholding tax for Canadian clients and you get track odds with no limits. They can't do business with residents of some states.
Here is their contact page.
Pinnacle Sports
I know a few people who have an account with these guys, based in Curacao. They offer a 7% rebate on all bets and take action from just about anywhere. They do have profit limits. I don't like this. I want to be able to get paid fully if I hit a home run. But if you are win/place/show and exactor player, an account with them is better than an account with HPI. There are risks because they are offshore, though they seem minimal. They also book bets which is also a minimal risk to them.
Pinnacle also has casino games and a sports book.
Compare the above three options to HPI for example, where in order to realize a maximum of approximately 3% rebate in a week, you have to bet over $18,750 on their own products (2% on simulcast tracks). If you ONLY bet $3750-$7499 a week, you get ONE PERCENT in rebates. All HPI and other race tracks offer is a quick way to see the money, if you are lucky enough to see the money. Personally, I don't mind waiting a few days.
The thing is, I'm confident that if Woodbine gave back 10%, their bottom line would improve dramatically. But race track owners aren't willing to take any chances, they expect their patrons to be the only gamblers.
Smart players know that race tracks are rip offs, and are either staying away or gambling elsewhere.
If more people took their action elsewhere, my 10% solution will become a reality quickly.
See also: Bill Finley preaches to the choir: Reduce Track Takeouts
and
Thoughts On The Track Takeout
Horse racing allows a person to bet against the public, unlike almost every other form of gambling (which relies on a mechanical house edge), outside of poker. The only thing standing in the way of a savvy handicapper from making money in a sport he loves is the dreaded track takeout. The way things are today, where the game is full of pros, and the sucker money has all but vanished into slot machines or lottery tickets, the only people who have a chance of winning in the long run, cannot bet directly with a racetrack, but with a rebate shop instead, as track takeouts are outrageously and unjustifiably high.
John Q. Gambler only has X amount of dollars he can gamble with each month or year, etc. Since the race track, which makes it impossible for a gambler to actually win money in the long run, and even difficult to make money short term (since there are so many races a day a bettor can play, and a bettor does want the action usually), there are many other ways he can find that gives him as little or even better chances of winning, or at least gives him more bang for his buck (blackjack has a house take of less than 2%, and online poker rakes are much lower than track takeouts).
Lets not forget that handicapping horse races usually requires a lot of skill, and a lot more free time. It takes no time to get a quick pick on a lottery, and you don't have to study ahead of time to play blackjack or poker.
Word of mouth is important. If someone actually makes money, or even comes up with a down payment for a house by gambling, it will attract a lot more gamblers. A person who even wins short term, or doesn't lose that much, is more likely to bring friends to the track and get new people involved, than any horse player today. A person has to be pretty much be the devil to introduce a friend to horse racing the way it is today.
Slot machine revenue is a band aid for the game right now, and instead of counting the profits, race track owners should be using this time to attract new racing fans.
The industry should learn from tracks like Fort Erie, where the owners basically counted the money during a few great years, but did nothing to attract new horse players. Now, as slot revenues continue to decline (due to many external reasons), the race track is swirling down the toilet bowl.
THE SOLUTION
If racing is to survive 10 years from now, ownership needs to change their mindset.
All track takeouts have to be reduced to 10% or less. This will give sophisticated handicappers a chance at winning. It will give John Q. Gambler a bigger bang for his buck, and over time, he will lose more of his gambling money at the race track and not elsewhere. Also, because there is a chance that gamblers can win money in the long run, more people will be attracted to it. The game has a lot to offer, and there are a lot of people who could become players, if conditions were right.
One track won't be able to get the ball rolling on this. It will take either Churchill or Magna to get things happening quickly. For example, Magna has to advertise that their takeout is 10% and they are willing to take clients from every jurisdiction they can legally. They can't worry about the coercion that exists now, where a track won't take a signal because you aren't playing ball. Magna will get enough clients from all over to more than compensate. Large gamblers will only be playing Magna tracks, and the other tracks will feel it bigtime.
Eventually, all smart track owners will reduce their takeouts to 10% as well. This will allow for a Canada/USA central betting hub to form. All member who comply with the 10% takeout will have customer areas, that are calculated by distance from one track to another. For example, Woodbines customer area would be people living within half the actual distance between Woodbine and the nearest 10% race track in all directions. If a multi-track owner wants to do a profit splitting deal for their own tracks, that is their business.
A race track must feature the nearest two racing cards that are active each day on their TV screens and on-line, to keep competition fair. Other than that, a track can choose other feature tracks based on what they think their clients want.
Signal fees must be the same. Whether it is 2%, which still opens to the door to rebate shops, or 5% which should vastly improve the quality of racing (tracks will be forced to try to attract other tracks to feature them) and make it less viable for rebate shops to exist.
This will also lead to consistent betting rules from one track to another, and probably consistent drug rules eventually.
More importantly, this will lead to more gamblers and larger pools.
IN THE MEANTIME
Horse players, stop being suckers. There are alternatives right now that give you a chance of making money, or at least prolonging your gambling resources. Race tracks know full well about the alternatives, and have been know to strike private deals with big bettors to keep their action. They also realize that many savvy players have set up accounts elsewhere, and that they might as well get at least the signal fee they charge.
BETFAIR
Based in the UK, Betfair allows exchange betting, where the bettor actually bets against individuals. And you only pay a "takeout" when you win, and that amount is only between 2-5% depending on how much action you give. It takes about a day to get the hang of it, but it is tremendously fun, and you can pretty much bet a horse race every 5 or 6 minutes if you are so inclined. No exotics though. Win and place or show is what you are limited with. The savvy player can usually get higher odds than the track offers, and even for example, book a horse at 5-1 with 6 minutes to post and then bet the same horse at 9-1 with 1 minute to post, thus giving the player a chance to win money with no risk. Problems with liquidity are common, as some races are run too close together, and players on focused on one race over the other. The favorite usually is very liquid though, but if you like a horse at 9-1, you might have to take 7-1 in some cases to ensure you have a bet on the horse.
They also offer in-play races occasionally where bettors can bet during the race. They do this with NFL football as well. Oh yes, you can bet on just about anything there. The house is never at risk, because a bet is only made when another player matches your bet on the other side. Note: I don't think they accept US customers, but they do take Canadians.
PREMIER TURF CLUB
These guys are a new rebate shop out of North Dakota. Their list of tracks on board with them is growing, but I don't think they'll get Magna or Churchill tracks. However, their rebates are great. For exactors, triactors, and other exotic bets an average bettor can expect a next day rebate of 6-13% depending on the track, and 6% on win bets (on average). Yes, they actually put money in your account the very next day before racing commences.
They recently signed on Woodbine, but Woodbine has a stipulation with them to not allow Canadians to wager on their Woodbine or Mohawk races. But there are plenty of Canadian and American tracks to choose from. Woodbine wants to have a monopoly on Canadians. Woodbine already does have a monopoly: on arrogance, short sightedness, and stupidity.
Getting back to PTC (Premier Turf Club), it is very easy to open an account, and their online betting interface is very simple to use. HPI has a good interface too, but PTC also tracks profit and losses for specific types of bets over the short term or long term. It allows horse players to learn from their mistakes.
I get the impression that PTC wants its clients to win. The more they win, the more they bet, and the more PTC makes, because they make the difference between their signal fee cost and the rebates they give their clients.
Their is no withholding tax for Canadian clients and you get track odds with no limits. They can't do business with residents of some states.
Here is their contact page.
Pinnacle Sports
I know a few people who have an account with these guys, based in Curacao. They offer a 7% rebate on all bets and take action from just about anywhere. They do have profit limits. I don't like this. I want to be able to get paid fully if I hit a home run. But if you are win/place/show and exactor player, an account with them is better than an account with HPI. There are risks because they are offshore, though they seem minimal. They also book bets which is also a minimal risk to them.
Pinnacle also has casino games and a sports book.
Compare the above three options to HPI for example, where in order to realize a maximum of approximately 3% rebate in a week, you have to bet over $18,750 on their own products (2% on simulcast tracks). If you ONLY bet $3750-$7499 a week, you get ONE PERCENT in rebates. All HPI and other race tracks offer is a quick way to see the money, if you are lucky enough to see the money. Personally, I don't mind waiting a few days.
The thing is, I'm confident that if Woodbine gave back 10%, their bottom line would improve dramatically. But race track owners aren't willing to take any chances, they expect their patrons to be the only gamblers.
Smart players know that race tracks are rip offs, and are either staying away or gambling elsewhere.
If more people took their action elsewhere, my 10% solution will become a reality quickly.
See also: Bill Finley preaches to the choir: Reduce Track Takeouts
and
Thoughts On The Track Takeout
26 June 2007
Headlines For June 26th
Good for Emma. She is the one of the few bright spots at Woodbine. Am I the only person who sees the name Mike Fox and thinks of the old high school name prank Mike Hunt?
Racing's Nasty Secret. "In Canada, where most auctioned-off Delaware horses go, a gunshot is delivered to a horse's head, either killing it instantly or rendering it insensitive to pain. The horse then is hoisted up by its hind legs for a throat cutting that makes sure that the horse is dead."
This crap needs to stop. It should be illegal for a thoroughbred race horse to be sold for meat. I don't know what the answer is for the excess amount of unwanted horses this will produce, but slaughtering needs to be outlawed. I believe it is illegal in many states.
Jockey Molina gets 30 day suspension for kicking horse
Canada joins with other nations to seek compensation lawsuit from the USA for pulling internet gambling
Another article on the subject
Passport plan for Buffalo-Fort Erie border likely to be scrapped, Chertoff implies.
Slots at Gulfstream not doing nearly what was anticipated It'll pick up in the winter.
Bill Robinson fined for March incident where an employee was discovered with a powder substance and syringes. Robinson was out of the country at the time this occurred.
Racing's Nasty Secret. "In Canada, where most auctioned-off Delaware horses go, a gunshot is delivered to a horse's head, either killing it instantly or rendering it insensitive to pain. The horse then is hoisted up by its hind legs for a throat cutting that makes sure that the horse is dead."
This crap needs to stop. It should be illegal for a thoroughbred race horse to be sold for meat. I don't know what the answer is for the excess amount of unwanted horses this will produce, but slaughtering needs to be outlawed. I believe it is illegal in many states.
Jockey Molina gets 30 day suspension for kicking horse
Canada joins with other nations to seek compensation lawsuit from the USA for pulling internet gambling
Another article on the subject
Passport plan for Buffalo-Fort Erie border likely to be scrapped, Chertoff implies.
Slots at Gulfstream not doing nearly what was anticipated It'll pick up in the winter.
Bill Robinson fined for March incident where an employee was discovered with a powder substance and syringes. Robinson was out of the country at the time this occurred.
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