Presque Isle doesn't like you
 

While the sentiment doesn't surprise me, I am surprised that a Presque Isle executive would make his disdain for the horse racing side of his business so plain to a reporter. It seems like this person views racing as a necessary evil that's required to juice the slots golden goose.

http://www.journal-news.com/news/ham...rss_local-news

Excerpt from the above linked article:

Presque Isle runs horse races 100 nights a year on the one-mile track, but most of the patrons come to spend their money on the slots and the virtual blackjack and roulette machines.

“Racing does not pay its way,” Presque Isle Downs Chief Executive Richard Knight said. “Racing is not profitable. It doesn’t contribute to the bottom line at all. Racing has been a declining sport in the United States for 30 years.”

Indeed, only a small percentage of the customers at the Presque Isle track on a Wednesday night pore over the racing sheets and place bets. Most of the patrons are families who came for the $2 hot dogs and a chance to see something novel. Children are allowed to watch the races but not enter the 47,436-square-foot slots area.

People in that part of the world seem to be more retarded than most.

They simply don't care about horse racing... they don't like horse racing, they don't like horse bettors, and they don't know even the most simple and basic things about either.

No one in PID management does.

The racing sec. at PID just recently resigned with about six weeks left in the meet .. and the asst. racing sec with him.

All the rumors I heard were about stall selling and other shady things. They were the closest things to people in a position of importance at PID who have a clue ... and if the scuttlebutt is true ... they were just more worried about getting over on the management dummys above them.

Shouldnt your post included some arrows pointing to you avatard??:D

Sounds to me like he is just telling the truth.

What did you expect him to say?

Well, I figured that was just obvious, but yeah, that's a real good point!

I was at PID for the UNGRAND Opening in Sept. 2007.
It was most obvious they didnt give 2 $h!+s about the horseplayer.

However while dealing with a few people in the racing license office last year.
They couldnt have been nicer and were really helpful.

I'd expect him to act like a responsible corporate figure. Imagine a Ford executive saying, "The market for pickup trucks has been fading since the '70s. In fact, pickup trucks really suck. I wish we only sold cars." If I were an MTR stock holder, I'd be writing a letter of complaint asking that this bozo be fired.

Secondly, although I recognize that it's past its heyday, I don't agree that horseracing is in its death throes. In fact, I have great optimism that the industry, if it ever gets off its collective monolithic ass, can adapt to the changing times. Besides, I'm sick of hearing this defeatist crap, especially from someone who should be an ally, but turns out instead to only be a quisling.

Why would any business like a redheaded step child silent partner that is there to take money from them? It's not like a Poker room at a Casino that has the abilty to earn some and also get at least a reasonable percentage of crossover business. Plus the last thing in the word that the Slot company wants is people using gambling dollars to bet friggin horses instead of the machines. It's a match made in hell.

Perhaps the answer is Poker and horses. I find a ton of people in poker rooms with the DRF. The racing is always on many a TV.. Not sure how Poker Players would take to increased rake to subside ponys but at least there is some potential. Still not a believer of subsides for racing.

Neither am I. As in most cases subsidies distort the market into inefficient results. And what would be a more efficient result for racing? LESS racing. More quality, less quantity--some tracks, and a lot of breeders, need to fail. That sounds harsh, but nobody is guaranteed a chosen livelihood, or they shouldn't be. I said this 10 years ago on the AOL racing boards and it was not well understood, so I doubt it will go over big today, even though it is more true now. Obviously, in conjunction with this, the shackles also need to be taken off horse racing--if you are going to force it into a market economy, you should let it compete. So the idiotic taxation of the player has to go. And legality of interstate wagering needs to be clarified once and for all. But horse racing should sink or swim on its own.

Ford F-150 is the #1 selling vehicle in the USA, so I am thinking people are still buying pickups.