Beck - NJ getting behind racing

Examiner - Beck shows horse racing more support I'm glad NJ is keeping horse racing, but the big missing piece is: What will the horse industry do to make itself viable? Subsidies should never be permanent.

Get Back in There, Turn those Machines Back On!

I was at Monmouth Park this past Saturday, and sat through about an hour of twiddling my thumbs and making wagers against 2 other friends as every machine in the place was broken. A quick call to another friend confirmed that he couldn't bet online, and a look at the TV showed Freehold Racetrack was suspended. Ahh, the shitshow that is New Jersey. No I haven't switched over to Twinspires.com yet, but that's the straw the broke this camels back, so I'm moving. The Asbury Park Press has the reasoning, some faulty disk. What NJ can't afford a backup?

Self Sufficiency

People are still a little upset about the footwork done by Governor Corzine to get the horse industry its much needed supplement. In an editorial piece Ted Apple correctly points out that, "Horsemen need [the] long-term stability," that slots provide. But, the comment left behind I think has the best point; "Why the Governor felt the need to have had to negotiate with the casinos on purse supplements for the racetracks tells you who actually runs this state." It's not just NJ having this problem. As this AP article points out, people are starting to get curious as to why money is taken from a profitable business to save a failing one. That opinion is surely not going to go away, and probably only get louder. I still think all of these tracks would benefit by actually doing something to save themselves. At least save a little face and not come off as complete beggars with your hands out.

Jersey Slot Math

The casinos are giving tracks $30 million a year to not set up VLT's. The State Study showed that Atlantic City would lose about $100 million annually if 6300 VLT's were put up (2100 a piece at the Meadowlands, Monmouth and Freehold), so under this deal the casinos are still up $70 million dollars. The State however might be down a lot. $433.5 million ($188 per day per machine) could be generated with 2100 VLT's at each track. Why can't we put the VLT's in, give AC $100 million, give our tracks $150 million, and the state gets the rest (like $200 million)? Even if the per day machine is way overblown, lets say reality is $94 a day (50%). You could still give AC $100 million (which would be a huge gift), the tracks could get $60 million (double current deal), and the state would still be looking at getting over $50 million dollars. And maybe just maybe my property tax would go down. Here's the study if anyone wants to go through the 108 pages have at it. I also think it's HYSTERICAL that they call this a "stop gap". For it to be a stop gap at somepoint it must stop. However the tracks don't say how they'll make their product better, what they can do to get off the subsidy, or what could be done to tighten up their costs. They just want money, end of story. Worse than the New York squeegee men.

Huzzah Casino's Save NJ Racing

Premature News (hat tip to link depository) The above photo is a metaphor for the current state of NJ racing. Is the boat half-sunk? Or not half-sunk? Taking a play out of the NYRA fiasco agreement both sides are unhappy: President of the Casino association Mr Corbo says hold your horses it ain't official yet, while lobbyist Barbara DeMarco calls 3 years short-term and the money might be short, and Committee member Assemblyman Burzichelli says this isn't a partisan issue. He's right there, it's a magic show really. I wrote about Corbo a while back, and it's just a shame that both sides take extremes and the government have to decide who's telling the most truth. This leaves all of us at the mercy of magicians.

Slots in Jersey

I'm starting to become a little unnerved about what's going on in New Jersey as it pertains to the current situation.... of having literally no money for racing. For example, "Freehold Raceway, has cut its purses twice since the start of the year. The Freehold purses have dropped from an average of $53,000 a day to $34,600." Gov. Corzine has been working with the casinos and track representatives to keep the purse subsidy coming. However, the tracks are balking at their subsidy going from $21 million a year to $30 million a year. Senate President and former acting Governor (who rocked if you ask me) Richard Codey says, "If they don't do anything quick... all hell is going to break loose.'' You mean it isn't already? Gambling at the Jersey tracks is already off 25% since 1999 Now, remember I'm against VLT's. They don't mesh with the core customer of the race track. I'm also against this term subsidy. Definition: a grant paid by a government to an enterprise that benefits the public. I'd like to add that a subsidy has a time component to it not mentioned in this definition. If a government continually subsidizes an action that can not in turn use that money to make itself viable should it be trusted with public funds? With all that said, I believe New Jersey needs VLT's. A study (and Florida will tell you how good those are) says that by, "installing 6,300 VLTs at the three tracks ... $433.5 million a year (would be generated) for the state, but also would result in a revenue decline at casinos of 2 percent, or about $100 million annually." Even assuming that study is wrong that 4-1 ratio of money made vs lost has a nice cushion in it. With all that said, I believe New Jersey needs VLT's as long as a long term solution is worked out. What has changed since 1999 that caused a 25% reduction in gambling? Is it all attributable to other states with higher purses? Can the Atlantic City course become a boutique meet that drives interest in the sport? Can Monmouth cut days when purses are being cut instead of having to run more? Currently Jennifer Beck and Paul Sarlo are the two State Senate members driving to get VLT's at the tracks if no subsidy is worked out. Let them know what you think.

Dubai Heats Up, New Jersey slowly coolling

Sorry this is a semi link dump-random thoughts post. Over at the TBA homepage I've added the PP's for today's Dubai Card. You might want to check out race 5, post time is 1:00pm and I have no idea what time that is in reality. I don't think it's local Dubai time cause that would mean the race has been run, and I can't find results anywhere. Although 1pm EST is 10pm Dubai time, and that seems a little late. I remember watching the World Cup races around noon EST, so I'm totally confused. Either way.... I feel weird that, for me, this race feels like the beginning of the Triple Crown Trail, and it's occurring half way across the world. So far, I've been pretty blase about the whole thing. Small fields in California on a new surface, and horses on the shelf all the way to March will do that to a fellow I guess. Whereas this race is 16 deep with some hard knocking horses (3 & SH 3 year olds) going around a couple of turns (In Dubai who really knows how to count that semi-turn. Etched gets LaFranco and is the morning line favorite while Numaany gets a third string jockey and already seems dead on the board to me, so take that for what it's worth. Either way the race will be on video at some point and we'll find out if Etched wintered well. I'm going to hide this article down here as it's about the demise of racing in NJ. Basically Corzine hasn't done anything. Purses haven't been supplemented and sooner or later something has to give. Either way the root cause of the problems in racing won't be fixed. Finally, how does a greyhound trainer get $14million dollars to bet in the first place?

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.

Completing the NJ Trilogy of Woes

APP.COM - Revive racing, then sell tracks Asbury Park Press Online This looks like someone sent in a comment after Mr Sorbo's missive. I'm not sure private enterprise would do us any good either. Look at Magna and their debacles and even CDI has sold properties. I wouldn't be against the horsemen buying it I guess. Though I do agree horse racing shouldn't be run by state governments, rather see federal (might help in unity), but then I think about the monkeys we have at the federal level and wonder if this sport will ever be healthy. Click the label NJ racing to get links to the other articles.

Follow Up

APP.COM - Racetracks should account for casinos' subsidies Asbury Park Press Online Ugh, I'm embarrassed to say this guy went to Wake Forest, and so did I. This article is almost laughable. It's so one sided and non-sensical I wonder if it took longer than 5 minutes to put together. I said earlier I didn't want to get into this because it gets me frustrated, but this is total shite. Corbo, you know if you don't want to subsidize the tracks you don't have to; just let the tracks have slots, everyone competes fairly, and let the chips fall where they may. Oh wait you're too busy protecting Atlantic City, how's that going now that one of those casinos opened a slots parlor in PA? Good job. Here's Joe's email joecorbo@theborgata.com

Does Anyone Hear That Bell Tolling?

New Jersey cut back on some flat foots patrolling New Jersey's tracks. Really, it's a non-event. I mean what were these cops doing in the first place, and if that answer is nothing, than why not cut back to some retired guys. Police in New Jersey should have something better to do. However, racing in New Jersey is slowly dying. I hate to admit it, but it's just not set up to succeed, and that opinion could carry across these states. I think the toughest thing facing the entire sport is regulation. New Jersey is just a microcosm of it all. New Jersey has legal gambling, but no slots at the tracks. New Jersey has the BC coming, but no structure for purses after this year. New Jersey has a ton of farm land (it's the Garden State, I promise it's not all parking lots and strip malls) and foal count is down, way down. I blame regulation. Horse racing is not a free enterprise. Everyone has to get their hand in the pot and this is what causes tracks to go out of business. Not lack of slots. I won't continue writing this article, it just gets me angry, but here's a good opinion piece about the NJ Sports and Exhibition Authority.