Top 5 Derby horses at this point

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Withers

I repeat: no one is proposing banning gambling at the tracks. I am not arguing that we should be discouraging gambling (for heaven's sake).

Yes, gambling is extremely important in order to maintain horseracing in its current state. I'm just very doubtful that your emphasis on gambling can safeguard its future. If you feel that horseracing has reached its maximum potential for popularity, ticket sales, and broadcasting in the 21st century, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it...but I disagree.

Enlighten me....tell me exactly how racing is going to fund itself in addition to betting revenue and slot revenue. I would love to hear your ideas....seriously.

[Withers]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Enlighten me....tell me exactly how racing is going to fund itself in addition to betting revenue and slot revenue. I would love to hear your ideas....seriously.

Seriously, my only point is this: in the end, since people can choose to bet on any sport they like these days, even if you are going to argue that betting is king, it still helps if you have a popular sport. And that ultimately means a greater number of people watching it. There's no way that "educating" people about betting on racing is going to solve anything. Educating what people? Who is suddenly going to get interested in wagering on horses when they don't find anything of interest in the races? Why should non-fans (but people who might like betting) somehow like betting on horseracing (when it's arguably more complicated and harder work) better than betting for their football/basketball team to win on Monday night, when that's a simple choice of team A versus team B and they actually enjoy watching the games, because they can talk to people the next day who have also watched the game?

Again, I am not overlooking the importance of wagering to the sport, far from it. I'm just saying that marketing horseracing means milking the KD and TC for all it is worth, because that's the only place where mass public awareness and interest in the sport resides. The fact that no horse has won it for so long -- that's a story, and that's what has brought people out to Belmont Park in droves for the last few years when the TC was on the line (and yes, happily they bet once they get there, even if they only know SJ or FC and haven't a clue about the rest of the field). And maybe the following year, they'll watch a few preps on ESPN too because they get interested in the 3yos and the next one that might do it, and that interest might even extend to the 2yos and some of the non-TC winners who actually stay running after the TC and in the BC. And maybe that helps keep horseracing on TV before it is forgotten all together. Maybe if more people watch there are ratings and advertising revenues at stake, and more corporate sponsorship, etc. I agree that those revenues are not going to replace betting revenue and slots, but it doesn't have to be one or the other: a wider following for racing would ultimately boost the sport's bottom line, and that irrespective of these new fans' interest in or lack of interest in wagering. Now, if they both watch the sport on TV and bet, that's even better...but please don't tell me that higher TV ratings are not an asset for a sport, or I was obviously not raised on the same planet.

[blackthroatedwind]

After both not understanding my point about educating fans, and criticizing it, you offered some vague possibilities and events that do happen, and attempts that have been tried many times and failed, and did not offer a single idea of your own as to how racing is going to make money without gambling.

Once again, if you create fans, and then don't teach them in any way how to bet even mildly effectively, then they will not contribute to the health and survival of the game. I did not say that my ideas about fan education are even close to the be-all-and-end-all for racing, but I believe they are the correct direction racing needs to take, and is currently not doing so.

Unless you have an original thought about how racing can help itself, and not telling us about putting races on TV, which has been done and is done, then it seems pretty ridiculous that you continue to make the assertions you do. The truth is if you don't understand that racing will only survive, or strengthen itself, by creating fans that bet, then you really don't understand the dynamics of this industry.

[Antitrust32]

Use monkeys as jockeys. this is not an original idea. In my first RTIP class, wendy showed us an old video of a mexican dog race with monkeys strapped in as jockeys.

Maybe the funniest thing i have ever seen.

I think that monkeys could do just as well on the backs of T-breds (gotta be better than Tyler Baze) and a lot more people would go to the track to see it.

















man i really have to stop, i am so not funny

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

Use monkeys as jockeys. this is not an original idea. In my first RTIP class, wendy showed us an old video of a mexican dog race with monkeys strapped in as jockeys.

Maybe the funniest thing i have ever seen.

I think that monkeys could do just as well on the backs of T-breds and a lot more people would go to the track to see it.

I tend to agree. You could've put an anchor on Epic Power this weekend at Santa Anita and that anchor would've put Nakatani to shame.