Yes, could take a fairly cheap horse and maybe cash a check. Turf course was very nice. They just cut the grass and it was always a good course. Unlike Parx which is a hell-hole. They made money there. Maybe not from racing 6 days, but they could have made much more.
If I was the king of the world I'd have closed Parx from June 1 until Labor Day and raced at AC and kept the dirt track and barns. I loved it there. People came from Philly since it was a 45 minutes drive for most.
Steve mentioned a good thing today, about racing days. I know in PA it's all about revenue. The Racing Commission is a political vehicle for revenue. I worked for years on the PA Breeder's Board and wanted reduced dates and reduced takeout. It made sense and still does. The handle at PARX was $56,000 on Saturday. That's nine races and about $6,000 per race. That's horrible.
Del Park is also reducing days, not for Profit-Loss but just because they hate racing. Many of the operators just hate racing. It's a scab on their arm. They make millions in slots and casino and make thousands in the racing. It's hamburgers and hot dogs.
But I do know it's never going to go away. Every kid I've taken to the track loves it. I love it.
|