37% Decline in TV Ratings For Belmont
 

After better Derby numbers I'm surprised to see that kind of drop.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...-ratings-slide

Where did all those new fans that the Derby broadcast supposedly created go?

Back watching Bravo I guess.

I am still waiting to see the Woodford Reserve Manhattan on ABC...

Keep waiting. But don't blame NYRA for that. They did the same bullshit for the race before the Derby and Preakness.

This is BS, I am old enough to remember ABC showing races prior to the main event. Seriously to show Dale Romans and G Fox's relationship when there was nowhere else to view the Manhattan was pure unimaginable stupidity.

I agree but I've accepted that the networks don't care about racing fans and bettors. Come to Jesus CSC.

Is there really any surprise that the ratings are down considering neither the Derby nor Preakness winner ran? Considering this years crop and the field that ran, it is unreasonable to expect more.

Dale Romans is in a relationship with Greg Fox?

:tro::tro::tro:

I just watched the video on BloodHorse. It was an exciting race. Winchester and Gio Ponti were together nearly the entire race, around 8-9 position, and then . . . well, I'll let you watch. ;)

You tell me...though I have to LOL at the thought, what's her name Gail Fox, she's the ex jockey. Regardless it was a waste of 5 mins of my life.

Oh Tammy Fox

Tammy, thanks.

Greg...Tammy.....easy to see the confusion.

Her brother Billy rode Forty Niner to his win in the NYRA Mile. Jocks were on strike.

I know.

Scab

Of course there's the pesky problem that one network doesn't own all 3 race rights. Is it next year we could have that again? Makes the likelihood of a bonus easier. I don't blame them for not being enthusiastic about watching the Belmont. I mean it wasn't exactly clash of the titans, and a lot of kids are out of school so people that can find better things to do just might take the opportunity. June's harder for tv viewing, period. Not everybody thinks about the Belmont by name, they just know there's a 3rd race if you have a Triple Crown, so that's another problem. I tried to tell someone I couldn't come with them because the Belmont was on Saturday, they looked at me like I'd said "I can't come with you because I need to learn to play the nose trumpet."

How can horse racing expect the average person to sit there with 30 minutes in between races? That's 8 or 9 halftimes a card. I'm never surprised when ratings come back low, it's a brutal sell.

Halftime in football is 15 minutes

Uh... What are you talking about? There was only one race.

I'm talking more about the all day broadcast, not necessarily the ABC portion... but even then... 90 minute broadcast for a race that lasts the time for a 94 Beyer. Lots of dead time, Manhattan or not. Really hard sell.

But its being compared to the same setup as the year before, or did they have 10 minutes last year?

Its pretty much apples to apples, except for the great Mine That Bird was not in the event.

I like this idea more than the human interest crap, this was an abysmal year for the triple crown and this is coming from a horseracing fan. How are they going to sell the game to fairweather fans when the race I was looking fwd to was the Manhattan on Sat? Something has to be done, whether this is to find this generation's Jim Mackay, Charlsie Canty, and Whittaker. There is no more people recognition that used to make this a special event. They definitely should show more races or atleast sprinkle them in between the human interest stories.

Last year's Triple Crown had more appeal... impossible longshot, Calvin Borel became a household name and then Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness. This year, no where near the same.

I personally just think that as long as there is no TC on the line, people just view the Belmont as another horse race. And with the weather being what it was in the NY area (and I'm guessing it was pretty decent around the rest of the country), people just preferred to be out and about as opposed to be in front of a TV watching hours of coverage waiting for a race that's going to take a couple of minutes.

Andy- Didn't he also pop Chris Antley on the picket line?

I remember a kid named Jose Romero, who used to ride for Lukas never got a shot after being labeled a "scab"

Exactly.

In my office full of non-horseracing fans, the monday after the Derby I was asked by several people if I had Super Saver. The monday after the Preakness I was asked, "What happened to Super Saver?" Yesterday? Crickets.

Last year's triple crown was one of the best ever . This year all people see is the NYCOTB robbing horse racing and the 10th year of no vlt at Aq. It turns a lot of people off .

I don't remember about Antley one way or another.

I remember Jose Romero....especially when he opened a 20 length lead on some nice priced Lukas horse I bet at Belmont only to get run down late.

Worth noting, as much as I loathe her, a hot AOL search right now is apparently Sarah Palin at the Belmont Stakes. Maybe some people will at least take note of the race's name.

Yeah, but the news had nothing to do with horse racing and everything to do with "did she get a boob job?"


http://www.newser.com/story/91796/di...-boob-job.html

Since when does horse racing reference + breasts discussion not constitute at least a partial win for our press? ;) It's why they loved having Pamela Anderson come to the Derby every year before PETA went 'uh pssst, Pam, we don't like racing..'