You be the Judge

[bostonborne]

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - Wagering on the Hambletonian Day card at the Meadowlands was up 14.6 percent over the 2018 program. Both cards saw 16 races, but this year's total of $6,501,778 was approximately $800,000 more than the year before.

Saturday's 11-race Marylou Whitney Day card at Saratoga, featuring three graded stakes and highlighted by McKinzie's victory in the 92nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney, generated an all-sources handle record of $31,835,863, eclipsing the previous Whitney Day record of $30,153,138 set in 2017.

[slimshady]

What are we judging ?

[bostonborne]

The overall health of the industry. The market relevance of the industry. The inability of the powers that be to attract dollars that are being bet. Your choice.

[Rabbi Of Racing]

It's a DEAD game,period

[slimshady]

Boston   ....   I don't think comparing the sport of kings to the sport of rurals is of any value.   What's important is building the handle in the Standardbred industry year over year, not only on big dates, but weekly.   The industry needs to be marketing to the next generation of bettors.

Where is the Standardbred presence on social media?
What are tracks doing to attract families?

[dinkadoo]

In the last 50 years or so of horse racing, never has Harness racing topped the runners in wagering. I think it's hard to compare.

I think you look at it as a positive for the Meadowlands --- and see if there is any bump in interest as racing continues on for the next two months with grand circuit racing moving on.

** Was not at the Meds but from the numerous camera shots of the grandstand area and apron it did not look a like a huge crowd -- may be wrong

** I was at Belterra casino in Cincinnati yesterday. Sitting in the TV seats with a quite a few regulars. Out of 125 individual seats, I was the only one appeared to be playing the Hambo card ---- Two guys to left that are there every Saturday, had no idea what the Hambo is but were impressed it went for a million and that horses were racing twice in one day.

[bostonborne]

Boston   ....   I don't think comparing the sport of kings to the sport of rurals is of any value.   What's important is building the handle in the Standardbred industry year over year, not only on big dates, but weekly.   The industry needs to be marketing to the next generation of bettors.

Where is the Standardbred presence on social media?
What are tracks doing to attract families?

With you 100%. My heart will always be with the SB's. I have owned them. I have never owned a TB. The TB's are too fragile for my taste. I like a consistent war horse that can go 30-35 starts a year. Wish I had the answer on how to attract new blood in the light of increasing competition, Too me it is very hard to see a huge handle at Saratoga which means people still bet on horses. How to capture those dollars is the question.

[slimshady]

Boston  ....    I don't have the answers either, but I look back on how I ended up at a track and think about my Dad or Grandpa.

How about a kids and grandpa night.
Hot dogs and a drink for $2.
Every kid under 10 gets 20 betting coins to play the races.   No monetary value, but at the end of the night they can use them to buy toys or tshirts or or or !!
Kids love junk!!

Try something.

[Papillon]

Boston   ....   I don't think comparing the sport of kings to the sport of rurals is of any value.   What's important is building the handle in the Standardbred industry year over year, not only on big dates, but weekly.   The industry needs to be marketing to the next generation of bettors.

Where is the Standardbred presence on social media?
What are tracks doing to attract families?

until last year..... total handle dropped 4.4% in 2017 on top of the 4.4 % it declined in 2016 to boot.

Gimmicks like the 20 cent rainbow carryovers for knuckleheads to think they can get rich on mandatory payout days has helped stop the bleeding, along with some French Yonkers handle.

Let’s not forget Gural gives Dana Parham a huge rebate for his and other algorithmic pool analyzers.... add the Lexington bets that have a longer than ever open window

take away the above and handle would drop off massively

[slimshady]

Papillon  ....     All entertainment success is measured in money, which is generated by bettors.

I'm an owner whose wish list is about fair racing.   Remove the cheats and level the playing field.

But I understand, there are no owners without bettors.  You are the key.
What can be done to attract more of your dollar and more of the next generations dollar?

[Superfecta]

Papillon  ....     All entertainment success is measured in money, which is generated by bettors.

I'm an owner whose wish list is about fair racing.   Remove the cheats and level the playing field.

But I understand, there are no owners without bettors.  You are the key.
What can be done to attract more of your dollar and more of the next generations dollar?

Nothing at all. The general public doesn’t have any interest in harness racing. They just don’t like it. When you get a hand full of newbies they are quickly turned off by the driver that sits 3rd on the rail at 4/5 and never has any chance.

[zoot]

the whole industry, runners and s/b's has suffered in the last 20-30 years since it lost its monopoly on the legal gambling business in this country. now it competes with the state run lotteries, casino s and legalized sports betting. runners have enjoyed a misplaced perception by the general public as being a more legit and honest game than the s/b's. definately not the reality, but it is the perception. harness racing's betting scandals were made front page news in the 60's.

the huge number of newer tracks, often built with no real demand or market and subsidised by connected casinos have diluted racing to a point where most tracks struggle to fill races on a day to day basis and many once prestigeous stakes struggle with 5 or 6 horse fields. more often than not, a bettor is given the prospect of betting on or against a 1/5 shot in a 5 horse field. add to that the huge takeouts by the tracks. why would anybody with common sense be interested ?

the industry is on thin ice and once the casinos divest themselves of their needless dependent and cuts the welfare they provide to racing it will just be a matter of time before all racing dries up. once the casinos disappear, you may see a handful of major centers of racing with adw's . going to a track will be a thing of the past

[Papillon]

Nothing at all. The general public doesn’t have any interest in harness racing. They just don’t like it. When you get a hand full of newbies they are quickly turned off by the driver that sits 3rd on the rail at 4/5 and never has any chance.

it’s too late .... it for bettors

do away with half mile racing...it’s garbage and the late betting kills any common man interest

lower the takeouts... you owners say ( directed at SlimShady)that’s out of your jurisdiction... well mention it on your meetings

do away with rebates it kills the price and the whales anylyze and buy mandatory payout pools with their sophisticated pool analyses which can see the combinations that nobody else can

the juice trainers and beards are a horse of a different color

Mr. Superfecta summed it up nicely

[Village Idiot]

I'm not sure what can be done. Catering to families I'm not sure that is the way to go (it didn't work for Vegas when they tried that). I do like the idea of having kids with winning tickets for picking horses and trading them for toys, candy, etc ala Chuck-e-Cheese. I really think it has to be done through social media to get the 20-30 year olds to the track. Almost make it some kind of social media event complete with selfies with the horses and maybe internet celebrities of some kind. Maybe even using these internet celebrities (paying them if need be for a weekend) to show them having fun and winning at the track. Just my opinion.

[spaheaven]

Big money bettors dont trust harness racing, how could you when Allard loses 3 races in a row he could have easily won just to prep for a stakes race.