How does racing today compare to the 70s or 80s?

[LARHAGE]

I think the saddest difference today is the complete lack of interest in racing, I remember being a kid and every weekend you could count on the now defunct Herald Examiner here in L.A. with a racing article about the weekends stakes, I remember when Ack Ack and Cougar ll met the front page of the sports had them facing each other face to face, I had that hanging in my room for years ( wish I had kept it ). My Uncle was a HUGE racing fan and they lived in Arcadia, I would go to their house and he would take me to Santa Anita I would leave him and go spend time in the paddocks and walking rings before running up to see the race, I feel so fortunate that I was able to see Ack Ack, Cougar ll, Chinook Pass (rip) Affirmed, a lot of the Whittingham monster mares, Spectacular Bid, John Henry and so many of those great horses of the past, I remember even petting Quack! I wish people just cared about racing just a fraction as much as back then.

[westcoastinvader]

Originally Posted by LARHAGE

I think the saddest difference today is the complete lack of interest in racing, I remember being a kid and every weekend you could count on the now defunct Herald Examiner here in L.A. with a racing article about the weekends stakes, I remember when Ack Ack and Cougar ll met the front page of the sports had them facing each other face to face, I had that hanging in my room for years ( wish I had kept it ). My Uncle was a HUGE racing fan and they lived in Arcadia, I would go to their house and he would take me to Santa Anita I would leave him and go spend time in the paddocks and walking rings before running up to see the race, I feel so fortunate that I was able to see Ack Ack, Cougar ll, Chinook Pass (rip) Affirmed, a lot of the Whittingham monster mares, Spectacular Bid, John Henry and so many of those great horses of the past, I remember even petting Quack! I wish people just cared about racing just a fraction as much as back then.

There's lots of good news out there though. At least in my backyard. The local OTB has overflow parking on nearly any big national race day.

And hardly a seat to be had on any Saturday.

I mentioned elsewhere that I went to a "homecoming" celebration event for Martin Garcia on Monday evening at the little deli where he used to work. I bet at least a few hundred people dropped in while he was there.

Different racing, but I know when races like "The Carolina Cup" and "The Colonial Cup" are held in South Carolina it's still the place to be with fine attendance.

I took my wife to Golden Gate Fields on Memorial Day and The Turf Club was packed and the apron had a healthy crowd, too.

I know when the fair meets start out here, track attendance will be great on the weekends.

Just saying there's some good, too.

[MisterB]

Sorry, you already missed the best racing. You can't find a race track that can card a race over a mile on dirt now a days. I blame the greedy breeders that breed the bad one time wonders who race 3 times and retire. Then the owners are sucked in to pay enormous prices for their off spring, who by the way was retired do to injury. Then they start all over again, breeding one time wonders.

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by MisterB

Sorry, you already missed the best racing. You can't find a race track that can card a race over a mile on dirt now a days. I blame the greedy breeders that breed the bad one time wonders who race 3 times and retire. Then the owners are sucked in to pay enormous prices for their off spring, who by the way was retired do to injury. Then they start all over again, breeding one time wonders.

that along with the drugs has caused this. plus, they worry about losing too much. i started getting into racing in the 70's. the track was down the street when i was a kid. horses ran longer distances, a longer schedule and a longer career. the great ones lost and shook it off..they did not go into hiding or "cherry pick" the soft spots as much. there was less money and less choices of tracks. someone mentioned creating interest in the sport. thats hard to maintain when the best horses retire or spend most of the year avoiding each other until that horse racing killer called the breeders cup....this is not football. having some stupid "super bowl" of horse racing kills the rivalries that actually made the game great.

[Indian Charlie]

I lay blame fully on the entire Rocky Mountain range.