Under the Same Roof

How can we get this sport to cooperate... for real... and not just in front of old guys who really remember Seabiscuit. Believe it or not there are a few solutions: 1 - Expand Traknet (or something like it) to every track in the nation, and buy TVG from Gemstar. Getting all the signals under one roof in an LLC and then make those members buy the signals back ala carte. You want the signals at a cheaper rate, the LLC works out different levels based upon factors they deem critical to the expansion of our sport (Avg purse/day, # of starters, days run, safety record, whatever you can dream up). 2 - New approach to advertising. Allow advertisers to support whole stables for a single owner. Advertising appears on Jockey pants and saddle cloth. Track gets paid for putting their race on the right day, jockey gets paid for getting the horse to the winners circle, NTRA gets paid for finding the advertiser (and approving it), owner gets paid for owning the horse. Everyone lines up to grab those advertising dollars. 3 - TOBA/AGSC reinvents gradings w/ standings. Tracks want graded stakes, well if they want them they better do what is seen as proper by the owners and breeders of this sport. 4 - Ask Congress to help, in turn create commissioner: Allow sports betting only at tracks (outside Vegas and where currently legal), allow interstate betting only if they form a stronger community. 5 - Well, do you have any ideas? Sounds like they're all tapped out.

No Money No Change - Commissioner Platform II

I'm all for the changes were hearing about coming from both the NTRA and Jockey Club, but I believe it to be just lip service with maybe a slim chance some of the easier recommendations come into play, easier means cheap. I feel this way because people are making money in this sport and why fix what's not broke? How can this sport not be broke? Our greatest stars are dying on the biggest stage. For example, and noted this is a harsh example, Rick Porter lost a great filly, but he still has Rockport Harbor standing for $20k passing on genes that only got him through 8 starts, and he still might have a share in Hard Spun who somehow lasted 13 starts though his sire and grand sire are both known for not getting the most stout horse. He's sad, but would he back any sort of rules for stallions that say they need to start X amount of times or if they show any sort of genetic weakness after a given number of foals they are put out to pasture? Doubt it. So, how can there be a fix if it's not broke? Show people more money and wait for them to start losing it the old way. Eventually the industry of high priced 2yo and pinhooking will die. You can't spend 2 billion on horseflesh and only have 1 billion paid out by the tracks and think this is a growing industry. Also the mounting pressure from PETA (while given they are crazy) and the FOB (while given they are crazy too) have put enough media pressure on these people to make changes. However, while synthetic tracks look like a major change it was the first step in what could have been many and the industry stopped. All these lip service changes we are getting is because, again, the business model while crappy is not broke. However, what would a fix look like: The Fix I've been reading a lot lately, but I'm pretty sure I've read two people that realized the business model is broken and can't be fixed. There are easier ways to gamble out there. Period. End of Story. Get over it. Pitching this as a gambling enterprise is wrong and won't catch on no matter how many ADW's spring up. Those people also note that the best way to pitch this sport is... wait for it... as a sport! Commissioner Platform II (expounding on Platform I)(expounding on plan from 2.5 years ago) Buy the exclusive television rights of all if not most Graded Stakes that run May through October that promise to move their race into a more TV friendly time spot. Create a weekend show that features races across the country w/ a race for each Eclipse category. Incentivize HD cameras and saddle cloth GPS at each track, ban the whip from televised races. Sell show, or even buy airtime on VS. or ESPN news. Use standings to make it feel more as a season, more as a sport, less like Roulette. Get advertisers on board at whatever price they are willing to pay, hire NASCAR execs. Grow the sport of racing and get this business model, which will start in the red, to the black ASAP. Bring track secretaries together to write better coordinated stake schedule Get them talking about floors and ceilings for stakes purses Redistribute money to stakes other than 2yo and 3yo to balance the field Make money, make real change

Racing Saturation

No, this isn't about the quagmire that is Santa Anita. LA Daily News - With horse racing, less could be more I was going to just outright plagarize this article because I believe every word of it and I wish I had written it, but I guess I do have a conscious. So, please read it, it's a good one. --- My mind went numb when I heard that NJ was going to INCREASE racing days while in full knowledge that the purses would be dramatically less. They are still bickering over who gets what, how it gets paid, how they screw the fans. But again, the adage less is more would certainly help Jersey racing, and that's the one thing I haven't heard: an immediate cut in racing days, and why not? It's not like we have a lot of foals to support. If I've learned anything over the course of writing this blog and becoming more knowledgeable about what's going on in the industry it's that politicians rarely fix anything; they are more inclined to "fix" it for themselves to look good. So, I have little hope NJ will be saved in a good way. The thing is subsidies are not lifeblood, they do not cure a patient, they are there to help through a rough patch. Without a gameplan for a viable future w/o subsidies there is no future. I'm not sure when the voting will begin for commissioner, but I'm running.

I Might Have Been on to Something

Saving the Horseracing Industry: Snowboarding - NJVoices: Raymond Lesniak I admit I found this link off Equidaily first. But I think sports gambling should be legalized ONLY at tracks: The clientele is much more compatible with horse racing enthusiasts than the current one armed bandit lovers, it's a draw to get people to the track as TV rooms would be a great hang out, it appears to be a lot less "seedy" than the VLT aura. The best part... I've mentioned it before. He loses me a little on Dubai, and kind of cheapens the argument for me for other he grabbed their attention. The real argument of a shorter boutique season w/ higher purses I'm all for. And yes, if there's a chance for me to pat myself on the back I'll take it.

Commissioner

I figure if some people can turn their position of power into a puppet storage closet (relax you repubs I'm thinking Putin), well than I might as well run for a phony office. Add in, I'm totally bored with everything that's going on in every aspect of the world and I can't think of a better time to be a blow hard about what's wrong with everything. If elected to Commissioner of Horse Racing: Oh, wait first I should link to how I think this power could really come to be. There you go. Ok, if elected Commissioner of Horse Racing this is what I'd do: Sensible racing season - plotting out the major races, Gr I's, and working backwards to grade the preps accordingly. There would be a nice balance between all races and categories. Yes, the amount of 3yo black type will be cut. Work with racing secretaries to make sure not too many same-type races overlap, I'm thinking of you early August and your slew of 3yo derbys. Create Saturdays modeled after the BC with a Graded Stake in each category being run somewhere in the country. Two hour show packaged for TV. That would help get people motivated to cooperate on get on TV. More precise graded stakes - Gr I, II, III, also carry points to create standings. Won't compete with the Eclipse as the Eclipse is more of an MVP award. Purse floors and caps put on Graded Stakes - Purses just aren't the motivation they once were, and no one wants to be the first mover in area like this (think the NHL and salaries a few years back). I would have caps and floors to allow a little discretion and give 1 or 2 exemptions to every track. This would give a lot back to everyone's bottom line and help the secretaries create some new stakes for turf sprints and marathon dirt races or whatevever other crazy crap the BC comes up with. If you think a $200,000 diff in some stakes are keeping these horses running in the first place, I admit you are entitled to your opinion, but unfortunately your opinion is wrong. Ladies' Day will be the Friday BC day - F&M sprint, F&M Turf, Distaff, would anchor the racing while national and local charities are given retail space on the grounds. There would be a female Grand Marshall of the day who helps emcee the races and who gives a keynote speech to kick off the day. New Media and Revenue - Reality show based on the 3 week run up between the Preakness and Belmont focusing on top 3 finishers of each race. (Owners get money for committing to show). Help advertisers connect with our owners, sponsorship on saddle cloths (not silks) for an entire stable no matter where they run. The TV show I talked about early would start in July with standings already in place. Why July? There is absolutely nothing going on in sports in July. Standard Drug Rules - No drugs allowed for horses or people. Anything weird like, I don't know, venom in your barn and you are banned and allowed to transfer horses to assistants for the time of the investigation. If it turns out you can't prove that it wasn't yours you are banned and horses have to be dispersed. Lifetime bans would be commonplace and forfeiture of winnings over a given time period would be levied. Whole purses would be redistributed, that should get the owner's attention. Allow jocks to unionize and help them get group insurance - A LOT easier said than done, but I'd work on it. Maybe have them be employees of the racing congress that gave me the power in the first place. New Tote System - No new bets, but bets will have a new look. Want to know what your pick-4 will pay before the 1st leg, no problem, it's only math for crissake not nuclear fission which is what these a-holes make it out to seem. Odds won't change after the bell rings. I will work with Congress to allow for market type betting platforms where one can take and lay odds. Rebates for big bettors, but I'd help get even bigger rebates for whales who show up on-site. No more slots - I'm open to table games, and I like sports betting (C'mon Delaware, why did Oregon give up, way to go NJ you blew it 30 years ago), but one armed bandit pullers and horse players shouldn't be kept within the same four walls. 6 week hiatus - Listen everyone knows if you're not working you're not making money, but if it's worsening your product then the affect it has is negative not positive. After the Nov 15th see you January 1st. Allows for conferences, secretary meetings, real accounting, and gives everyone a breather. There that's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure people have more ideas. Go ahead and run for phony-commissioner, leave your platform in the comments.

It's Good Not to Have a King

There was some talk a few months back about how horseracing needed a commissioner, but jeez, can you imagine? David Stern has one ref throwing games. His entire league's integrity is shaken, and for the next few years everyone will yell at the ref, "Hey stop pulling a Donaghy." Horse racing quietly won't hire a few jockeys here and there, and the story drops only to be covered by the Muskegon Chronicle. Bud Selig has Barry Bonds about to break the greatest record in sports history with a head the size of a spackle buckle. Everyone knows the difference between the bottom two pics. Everyone is embarrassed, and no one wants to be there when he does break the record. Horse racing lets Patrick Biancone continue to win million dollar races. Finally, you have Roger Goodell who has Mike Vick aka "Ookie", aka "Ron Mexico" making the league a little than family orientated with his antics against Pit Bulls. We have Jorge Chop-Chop Chavez who just came back for the what number time? So, there you go, what's crazy in other leagues is par for the course in horse racing. Who in their right mind would want to tackle all these problems at once? A much more serious look is at Left at the Gate.

#600

Yes, this is my 600th post. I missed the opportunity to pat myself on the back for #100 & 500, so you're stuck w/ a number 600 celebration. And while, Alan over at LATG might only put in one sentence for his milestone 2,000th post, let me try and celebrate a little. If you can, leave me a message and tell me how much you've enjoyed or hated 1 through 600 (so that I can prove to my wife there are people who actually read this) . And, I've decided to cure racing in #600. No small task, but easy when you are not a greedy bastard w/ an IQ of 80 (I'm being nice with that 80). There's only 1 thing that makes people cooperate: Not guns (Iraq), not yelling (Congress), not editorials (blogs), but money. Fortunately, there's only one place where money comes in horse racing and that's the signal, and with everything going on right now, this wouldn't be a bad time to blow the whole thing up. First, the signal should be owned by the tracks, not just a few, but all together in a joint venture. It should be run by an entity with no ties to TV distribution, ADW ownership, or anyone w/ a French Canadien accent. The signal ownership group should be set up like a clearing house. For example, Keeneland sells their signal to the clearing house at a set rate. Why sell to them? Because, Keeneland, like every track, is part owner in the clearing group. Keeneland then goes shopping for the signals it wishes to show at its track. The rate Keenelands pays for those signals is based on factors laid down by said clearing house. Finally, because the clearing house is run/owned by the tracks the factors will be set up in a way to benefit the track (not ADW's nor TV providers). I'm just guessing what a Congress of racing would come up with for a scoring sheet but, off the top of my head: Synthetic Track? Racing Days? Medication rules? Avg Purse? Jockey Insurance? Television distribution? % back to the horseman? How an entity answers these questions will affect what they pay for the signals. It could also determine how much the clearing house will pay for a signal. Once the signals are owned by the Clearing house, there would be a veritable congress of racing. All of a sudden you can do anything and everything you've ever wanted in horse racing because entities will be forced to the table and cooperation is coerced through incentivizing signal rates. Obviously, it would be good to have a final voice, maybe even a commissioner. What does this all lead to? Racing Utopia!!! On January 1st (or whatever day is set) every track knows what it's going to pay for signals that year and what they will recieve in revenues. Tracks will spend money, when economically feasible, to score better on the questionaire and get reduced rates or getter a better price back from the clearing house. This could lead to economical responsibility maybe even viability for many tracks. This makes way too much sense.

Kick Save and a Beauty

NBC defends horses-over-hockey decision Sports Reuters Final autopsy results from the decision to go to VS. w/ the NHL overtime. You think horse racing would have caused all this uproar? We do have the Fans of Barbaro, but I don't think they've gotten as rabid as your regular hockey fan (yet). And while I'm linking to articles. This one was pretty funny. I was only 3 months old the last time there was a triple crown winner, and I think I'd take to wearing bell bottoms if it meant I could be witness to a Triple Crown winner. Finally, I know I'm in the minority, but slots will not save horse racing. Getting rid of the greed and reworking the infrastructure of the sport will. These slots are a wolf in sheeps clothing; that will be proven once West Virginia gets table games. My little thought of the day comes from the commissioner idea floated around the last few days. If we were lucky enough to have the top 3 finishers of both the Preakness and Derby somewhat commit to the Belmont (so long as their horses were healthy) wouldn't that be a great reality TV show? We've got 3 weeks to the Belmont with technically nothing on the line. People will have lost interest in the Belmont 2 million times over (figuring an attention span of 1 minute in today's YouTube age). There's absolutely nothing on TV this time of year where most shows have had their series finales. Imagine a show where you follow the jocks back to their home bases trying to focus on that day's mounts knowing they'll be racing for a classic jewel in 3 weeks. The trainers trying to keep their horses fit, and trying to figure out a workout plan for a distance the horse will never have to run again. Sounds like good TV to me.