Too bad the sport, or the stars, don't get any exposure.....

[Harness racer]

Very few days in harness racing give me even a half chub anymore.  I am looking forward the the Breeders Crown though.   A lot of good 2yo's this year.

[pocketrocketwinner]

All the exposure in the world won't help until the takeout rate reduced to something close to competitive with all other gambling options

[Any1Left]

All the exposure in the world won't help until the takeout rate reduced to something close to competitive with all other gambling options

The track could reset with a 5 percent rake as the game is slot infused these days and tracks only get 4 percent on most bets that are placed and i am not sure that would work unless we replaced management and drivers plus judges and racing leaders,,,,,,,,,,

[JT]

Very few days in harness racing give me even a half chub anymore.  I am looking forward the the Breeders Crown though.   A lot of good 2yo's this year.

A good race for 2 year olds on Saturday night at Northfield.. Ohio sire stakes final race 5..Rick Wink, Swingtown and Sippinonsearoc

[gh2009]

The drivers don't close holes because they don't want to make enemies of their fellow drivers. It's the old, I'll let you in so in return you'll let me in. It's not right, but that's the way it is.

[JT]

All the exposure in the world won't help until the takeout rate reduced to something close to competitive with all other gambling options

This and getting rid of the post drag.. no more than 10 minutes between races.

[jupiter]

The game is old and stagnant, what incentive do young people have visit their local harness track. How many of you can sit through a full program of overnight horses at any track. I can't anymore, the between race chatter by people who have no clue, including the present group of, the Ottens, Wendy the Heather's. Have you really listened to any of their interviews? Also look at the driver colonies, who ya gonna interview at the any of our tracks? Does anyone  see any real up and coming talent at the Meadows, Batavia, Vernon, Northfield etc. The talent pool has dropped, no Palone's Campbell's, Peirce's out there. The smart kids never got in, most parents saw the hand writing on the wall.

[Any1Left]

The game is old and stagnant, what incentive do young people have visit their local harness track. How many of you can sit through a full program of overnight horses at any track. I can't anymore, the between race chatter by people who have no clue, including the present group of, the Ottens, Wendy the Heather's. Have you really listened to any of their interviews? Also look at the driver colonies, who ya gonna interview at the any of our tracks? Does anyone  see any real up and coming talent at the Meadows, Batavia, Vernon, Northfield etc. The talent pool has dropped, no Palone's Campbell's, Peirce's out there. The smart kids never got in, most parents saw the hand writing on the wall.

Perfect post,,,,,,,,,,,GUYS LIKE JT who get excited about great races do not exist these days and will be gone forever soon,,,,,,,

[pocketrocketwinner]

All time spent doing anything but fixing the gambling part of the industry is a total waste. This includes trying to get anyone "to the track".

[gh2009]

Getting people to the track is over with other than on Little Brown Jug Day and their attendance is also down from what it used to be. Even on Hambo Day the crowd isn't that much.

[Any1Left]

All time spent doing anything but fixing the gambling part of the industry is a total waste. This includes trying to get anyone "to the track".

In a real world you are 100 percent correct but today the game is so poorly run with poor racing and drugs making horses pay 1-2 and horses dropping huge when leaving the gate and go to management and tell them that not shutting off betting before gate leaves is not moral and totally corrupt and they look at most money being bet by advantage players and unlike in VEGAS were the house gets killed that in this case it is the honest gamblers getting screwed and who gives a shit about them,,,,,,,,Ask any driver who gives up holes for no reason if he is doing something wrong and they will say no and if they watch a video about an old lady falling and 15 people walking by with doing nothing and they will tell you about the lack of soul in society,,,,,,,,,,

[Grandstand Handicapper]

Interesting point of reference.....Fro m HRU.....an interview with John Campbell.....

https://harnessracingupdate.com/2024/05/12/john-campbell-reveals-his-super-power/

An excerpt from the interview.....sai d Campbell, “Also, just how popular The Meadowlands was during that period when you were out, away from the track in Bergen County. Everybody in Bergen County was aware of The Meadowlands at that time and would go, not regularly, but periodically. People away from the track were so aware of The Meadowlands and that’s not the case anymore in Bergen County.

“My oldest daughter, Lisa, when she started high school, pretty much everybody knew who I was. [My youngest daughter] Brittany is 11 years younger and when she started high school very few people knew who I was."

It sounds to me like the bottom line amongst most people here is.....one, you feel this sport is dead already, simply on life support, and will simply go the way jai alai or dog racing has gone.....or, two, you feel it will survive, reinvent itself, adapt, change, whatever, and the sport will always be around. The former, that's all you post about. Hecklers, nay-sayers, critics, problem pointers (as opposed to problem solvers), focused on and only speaking to the problems, mainly a source of negativity.....or the latter, who at least have ideas, are willing to post/speak opinions, whatever, on how to make things better, how the sport can survive and thrive, how the industry can adapt, changes that will help, and so on. You may be a sole voice here, or the voice of the few everywhere, but you still are the voice.

Maybe I am not describing each group well, properly, etc. But, you know who you are and you know which group you are in. I think some of the former group are there because they are angry and frustrated at what the sport and industry has allowed, has contributed to, has allowed to happen to this once great sport and industry. Either way, to me it's very transparent, which group you are in. Look at one of the members here. It may be sad and it may be an extreme example, but look. This person may done a lot for individual horses, and I do not question his love of horses, and while it may in fact still be there-----over time, it's as if his world has into a mere rant and rave, finger pointing, besmirching mission, simply wanting/needing to be right. He has little to nothing nice to say about anyone. While he has no standing/stature in the sport or industry, he must insert himself into situations, incidents, etc., because he is the self-proclaimed voice of-----not justice-----but showing and telling what's wrong. With everyone and everywhere. He belittles and smears people in this sport and industry who do have stature and standing, hold offices, contribute, own and operate business, and actually play a role somewhere in the life-cycle of this business.

Me, I'm a lifer. If they ever banned harness racing, sure, I'd think about shifting into the t-bred game, but I am not sure I would. Apples and bowling balls. This sport will adapt, change, re-invent, morph, tweak, whatever you want to call it; and it will be around long after any of us. You may not like what it becomes, and that's OK. But it will be around.

[gh2009]

I understand there are drugs around whether I like it or not, but it's not going to stop me from betting on or watching races because just like you, I am a lifer.

[Grandstand Handicapper]

I understand there are drugs around whether I like it or not, but it's not going to stop me from betting on or watching races because just like you, I am a lifer.

 

[Grandstand Handicapper]

The track could reset with a 5 percent rake as the game is slot infused these days and tracks only get 4 percent on most bets that are placed and i am not sure that would work unless we replaced management and drivers plus judges and racing leaders,,,,,,,,,,

 

Good place to start!!!