- With the retirement of Invasor, the G1 Suburban Handicap at Belmont this Saturday is not looking too attractive. I was there for the Met Mile. I enjoyed the race. But I don't feel the need to return to the track to watch it again with 25% more distance. I understand that a number of good horses were not nominated due to the presence of Invasor, but this is not a Grade 1 Field. Corinthian has a chance to take the lead in the TBA Twinspires.com Older Horse category, but we're hoping for a big upset by Malibu Moonshine. If Corinthian wins another Grade 1, he may be retired to stud the next time he stubs a hoof.
- The G1 Mother Goose makes the Suburban look like a classy race. Four 3-year-old fillies are entered. Four. Are you kidding me? For $250,000? I wish I owned a 3-year-old to just gallop around the track and take the 5th place money. I guess the down side of Rags to Riches running in the Belmont Stakes is that she's not in the Mother Goose.
- And while I'm complaining, here's one more. The boys in the Suburban will be carrying weights between 114 and 119 pounds. How can those weights be a valid handicap? The girls in the Mother Goose are all carrying 121 pounds. Heck, the 2-year-old maidens in the 2nd race are carrying 118 pounds. I truly believe that a few pounds on thousand pound horses makes no difference. If you really want to even the field, let's go back to 130+ pounds on the best horses. Then we'll separate the stallions from the geldings.
- Valerie at Foolish Pleasure scooped me on this one. I wanted to follow up on my previous post about horses racing while in foal. Iron Goddess won again on Wednesday. This time it was the $65,000 Stage View Stakes for NY Bred Fillies and Mares. This time she won by 1 and 1/2 lengths in a nice time of 1:20:90 for 7 furlongs. Forget steroids and milkshakes - get your mares pregnant and watch them wire the field!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The Economic Reality of Aqueduct
Maybe it's the bean counter in me, but I don't think that Governor Spitzer's rumored plan to close Aqueduct is such a bad idea. At a glance, I see two under-utilized aging facilities in close proximity to each other. Both are struggling to compete for New York entertainment and gambling dollars and both need significant capital improvement. Wouldn't it make sense to spend all available resources on developing a great Belmont Park rather than splitting the limited funds and ending up with two mediocre tracks? I must admit that although I do enjoy Aqueduct (other than the Belt Parkway traffic and the way the paddock is situated), I am not a romanticist in relation to the history and I did not experience the "good old days" when both tracks were filled and Aqueduct was a premium destination.
The Saratogian had a good article providing arguments for keeping racing at Aqueduct, including:
Now, I'm not an engineer, but I guarantee that Belmont can be reconfigured to have another track. We all know that Big Sandy is just enormous. There is a lot of room inside there for a synthetic track for winter racing while still maintaining a wide grass track and a smaller inner track replacement (if necessary). Also, why do we have to do 220 days of racing? This may be a good time to eliminate racing after Thanksgiving and before St. Patrick's Day. There was a lot of buzz last winter about the poor quality of the racing at the Big A. And don't forget the human interest stories about the brutal weather conditions for the humans and equines.
Times change. There will likely never be a time again when the business model for New York racing can sustain two tracks that are so close to each other. OTBs and ADWs have changed the paradigm and there's no going back. I like the idea of one world-class racing facility (which would be Belmont). Perhaps a training facility can be maintained at the Aqueduct site for horses to be shuttled to Belmont.
Unfortunately, none of this will make financial sense unless the OTBs have their goals aligned with the franchise holder and a nationwide deal can be reached on simulcast signals. And this evening, Republican Senate leader Joe Bruno voiced his disagreement with the Spitzer plan.
This is far from over but as a racing fan and a New York taxpayer, I'm willing to listen to every idea for making racing self-sustaining.
The Saratogian had a good article providing arguments for keeping racing at Aqueduct, including:
"Adding Aqueduct's dates to Belmont's schedule would increase its number of racing days from 90-something to nearly 220....How many surfaces (dirt, turf and synthetic) would be necessary to accommodate what would become a virtual year-round schedule of competition and training?"
Now, I'm not an engineer, but I guarantee that Belmont can be reconfigured to have another track. We all know that Big Sandy is just enormous. There is a lot of room inside there for a synthetic track for winter racing while still maintaining a wide grass track and a smaller inner track replacement (if necessary). Also, why do we have to do 220 days of racing? This may be a good time to eliminate racing after Thanksgiving and before St. Patrick's Day. There was a lot of buzz last winter about the poor quality of the racing at the Big A. And don't forget the human interest stories about the brutal weather conditions for the humans and equines.
Times change. There will likely never be a time again when the business model for New York racing can sustain two tracks that are so close to each other. OTBs and ADWs have changed the paradigm and there's no going back. I like the idea of one world-class racing facility (which would be Belmont). Perhaps a training facility can be maintained at the Aqueduct site for horses to be shuttled to Belmont.
Unfortunately, none of this will make financial sense unless the OTBs have their goals aligned with the franchise holder and a nationwide deal can be reached on simulcast signals. And this evening, Republican Senate leader Joe Bruno voiced his disagreement with the Spitzer plan.
This is far from over but as a racing fan and a New York taxpayer, I'm willing to listen to every idea for making racing self-sustaining.
Statistics don't lie!
Sometime within the next nine months the Maryland General Assembly will be asked to pass a slot machine bill by Governor Martin O'Malley. O'Malley has already said that slots are needed to save horse racing, and fix the states budget. Over the last few weeks this has become a very hot issue in the news and on talk radio. It seems that the citizens and representatives from Baltimore City's Pimlico neighborhood are against slots. These neighborhoods are afraid of the problems that may be caused with increased traffic and gambling. After hearing an elected member of the Baltimore City Council on the radio yesterday, I decided to do a little homework. I went to the Baltimore City Police website and did a crime search. I figured I would start small, about a quarter mile in each direction from the finish line at the famed race course. The website was limited to the search dates, so I used the 14 day period from May 19 - June 2. Take a look!
Can you tell me how slot machines are going to make things worse? I am trying to dig a little deeper and find the most up to date stats. If the General Assembly passes a slot machine bill, and those machines are not placed at Pimlico, you can forget about Old Hilltop. Magna will shut it down, and the Preakness will be run at Gulfstream, where they would be thrilled to have 100,000 people from all over the country!
Can you tell me how slot machines are going to make things worse? I am trying to dig a little deeper and find the most up to date stats. If the General Assembly passes a slot machine bill, and those machines are not placed at Pimlico, you can forget about Old Hilltop. Magna will shut it down, and the Preakness will be run at Gulfstream, where they would be thrilled to have 100,000 people from all over the country!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Hialeah offers preview
The Baltimore Sun has an article today, "Once-proud Hialeah decays in Florida sun"
This reads like a suicide play book for Pimlico. The factors that contributed to the fall of Hialeah are the same as Pimlico. The article sites a change in the neighborhood, and competition. Boy does this sound familiar to Maryland racing fans. My favorite part of the article is the quote form Magna vice president Joe De Francis (head of the Maryland Jockey Club).
This reads like a suicide play book for Pimlico. The factors that contributed to the fall of Hialeah are the same as Pimlico. The article sites a change in the neighborhood, and competition. Boy does this sound familiar to Maryland racing fans. My favorite part of the article is the quote form Magna vice president Joe De Francis (head of the Maryland Jockey Club).
De Francis said: "Unfortunately, the area of South Florida deteriorated around Hialeah. In the face of that, Mr. Brunetti (the owner) was not willing to make the capital investment in Hialeah as we did in Gulfstream and Churchill did at Calder.It sounds like Magna already has the press release written for the closing of Pimlico. I'm sure it will make reference to the fact that the neighborhood is a dump, and they were unable to make capital improvements without an infusion of resources from slot machines. It will also reference the competition from surrounding states with slot machines. The release would read exactly like De Francis' statement about Hialeah.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Sunday Morning Notes
- Front page of the Sunday Baltimore Sun has an article about slot machines and how they fail to increase the handle at horse tracks that have them. Not an article I want to see, but the anti-slot people are doing cartwheels down Preakness Way (The street that goes behind the backstretch of Pimlico).
- The Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association is really trying hard to keep horses from going to Pennsylvania. They are introducing new two year old stakes races, and advertising "You only need to spend 90 days in Delaware to get certified." When you have to advertise your owner/breeder incentives, you may have some problems down the road.
- The Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association is really trying hard to keep horses from going to Pennsylvania. They are introducing new two year old stakes races, and advertising "You only need to spend 90 days in Delaware to get certified." When you have to advertise your owner/breeder incentives, you may have some problems down the road.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Afternoon Notes
- A few weeks back, I wrote about the change in business for Bonita Farm. Today John Scheinman has a more detailed article about the changes being made to switch from a horse farm to a different agri-business.
- This story "New Lottery game another blow to state's horse racing industry" has been bouncing around Maryland for a few days now. If you don't feel like reading the whole thing:
- Over the last week the idea of bringing slot machines to Maryland has sparked debate throughout the state. I listen to talk radio all day. Both the sports talk and news talk stations are yapping it up about slots every day. After hearing this debated on the local airwaves for over a week, I may have changed my mind about slot machines at our tracks. The people that would benefit most from the economic impact of slot palaces are the people who are fighting against them. One community leader from the Pimlico area said that slot machines at Pimlico would destroy the neighborhood. I am going on the assumption that this guy is blind, and does not actually live in the Pimlico area. Last I checked, rock bottom is about as low as you can go.
- This story "New Lottery game another blow to state's horse racing industry" has been bouncing around Maryland for a few days now. If you don't feel like reading the whole thing:
Recently, the Maryland State Lottery introduced "Racetrax," a new video game at some 1,500 restaurants, bars, convenience stores and other easy-to-find places, where gamers can bet on computer-animated horse races. The Maryland State Lottery's Web site claims Racetrax "offers the thrill of being at the track with the payout and prizes similar to live horse betting."Are you crazy? This is Keno with a horse racing twist. Computer animated horses race around a computer animated track, and the animation does not even try to make it look life-like. Anyone who thinks this Keno game will take real horse players or even casual horse players away from the track is nuts! N-V-T-S Nuts!
- Over the last week the idea of bringing slot machines to Maryland has sparked debate throughout the state. I listen to talk radio all day. Both the sports talk and news talk stations are yapping it up about slots every day. After hearing this debated on the local airwaves for over a week, I may have changed my mind about slot machines at our tracks. The people that would benefit most from the economic impact of slot palaces are the people who are fighting against them. One community leader from the Pimlico area said that slot machines at Pimlico would destroy the neighborhood. I am going on the assumption that this guy is blind, and does not actually live in the Pimlico area. Last I checked, rock bottom is about as low as you can go.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
More Bad News
The Maryland Racing Commission has approved a decrease in bonus payments made to breederss and owners from the Maryland-bred fund,
The fund, which last year paid out approximately $4 million in incentive bonuses, according to Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, will have its bonuses cut from 13.5 percent to 10 percent for the breeder of an eligible race winner and 6.75 percent to 5 percent for the stallion owner. Payouts for winning owners will remain at 10 percent. The percentages are derived from the parimutuel betting pools of each race and paid out two weeks after a horse wins. [Washington Post]The State Breeders fund in Maryland was not that great before the cuts. Now I don't know why anyone would breed to a Maryland stallion. The stallion quality in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is begining to look better than Maryland anyway.
Monday, June 18, 2007
A Monkey of his own
It took only one year for Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum to get over the bidding war for the Green Monkey. The Sheik who is laughing over the fact that the $16 million colt has yet to make it to the track, has released that he has a monkey of his own. His will be called the Godolphin Blue Monkey.
The Moktoum monkey was acquired privately, and no details have been released. An anonymous member of the Darley family told the Bug Boys that the Godolphin Blue Monkey was acquired during a game of chance on the Ocean City boardwalk. The acquisition price is believed to be in the neighborhood of $2. The details of this story are still coming in. Stay tuned to the Bug Boys Blog for more information.
The Moktoum monkey was acquired privately, and no details have been released. An anonymous member of the Darley family told the Bug Boys that the Godolphin Blue Monkey was acquired during a game of chance on the Ocean City boardwalk. The acquisition price is believed to be in the neighborhood of $2. The details of this story are still coming in. Stay tuned to the Bug Boys Blog for more information.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
The Day It All Changed
Front page of the Baltimore Sun "O'Malley sees slots as savior of racing" This is ground breaking news! We have all heard the rumors, that a slots deal has been in the works. But we have heard this for the last five years. Today it all changed. Front page of the Baltimore Sun, and and other article in the Washington Post, O'Malley Aide to Assess Nearby Racetracks. The Governors PR machine is rolling.
The details:
Stay tuned. Lots more to come!
The details:
"The racing industry and the jobs and the open space that is used by the racing industry - all these things are threatened by their inability to compete with tracks in states around us who are able to offer slots," O'Malley said during a news conference. "We can't expect them to thrive, or even survive, ... if we handicap them and don't allow them the tools that the tracks in all the other states are using." [Baltimore Sun]
"We want to look at our competition in other states, to see why it is they've been able to infuse their racing industries with new life," O'Malley said.The planned trips to Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia -- states that fuel their horse-racing purses with revenue from slot machines on site -- are the strongest public signal to date that O'Malley is seriously considering expanded gambling.[Washington Post]This morning on talk radio I heard two different members of the state legislature speak about a special session in October to pass a slot machine bill. This is very exciting! Lets keep our fingers crossed that things will continue to move forward, and the best possible plan will be implemented. With a Baltimore City mayoral race coming up in November, it will be interesting to see where everyone stands on slots at Pimlico (located in Baltimore City).
Stay tuned. Lots more to come!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The last photos from Saturday - I promise.
A few more photos from Belmont Stakes Day that came out well:
Will He Shine winning the True North Handicap:
Defeated favorite Wait a While and Garrett Gomez. The woman next to me was freaking out about Garrett and was trying to show him the t-shirt she made with his likeness on it. By the way, she's not the only one making t-shirts:
Former Kentucky Derby contender Stormello with Kent Desormeaux in the paddock before the Woody Stephens Breeders' Cup Stakes. Cool silks/blinkers combo:
Teuflesberg leading Most Distinguished and Deadly Dealer to the wire in the Woody Stephens:
The majestic Curlin with Robby Albarado entering the tunnel before the Belmont Stakes:
Will He Shine winning the True North Handicap:
Defeated favorite Wait a While and Garrett Gomez. The woman next to me was freaking out about Garrett and was trying to show him the t-shirt she made with his likeness on it. By the way, she's not the only one making t-shirts:
Former Kentucky Derby contender Stormello with Kent Desormeaux in the paddock before the Woody Stephens Breeders' Cup Stakes. Cool silks/blinkers combo:
Teuflesberg leading Most Distinguished and Deadly Dealer to the wire in the Woody Stephens:
The majestic Curlin with Robby Albarado entering the tunnel before the Belmont Stakes:
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Huh?
Now, I'm no horse racing expert, but I do think that this is highly unusual. In the 12th race on the Belmont Stakes card there was a horse racing that was in foal. Check out this list of changes. She is the 4 horse in the 12th:
The filly (mare?)Iron Goddess won by a length under Richard Migliore in a 6 furlong State-bred NW1X. Am I wrong in my understanding here? Has anyone ever seen this before?
The filly (mare?)Iron Goddess won by a length under Richard Migliore in a 6 furlong State-bred NW1X. Am I wrong in my understanding here? Has anyone ever seen this before?
More Bad News
Maryland's struggling horse racing industry took another hit Tuesday when the Maryland Jockey Club and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association said it would reduce purses and "slash" its stakes schedule for the remainder of the 2007 racing season.
The purse account for Maryland racing is facing a $3 million shortfall for the remainder of 2007, officials said in a release. To make up for this, purses will be reduced by $2,000 at every level. In addition, they will also reduce the number of races during the remaining 78 live days this year. The stakes schedule will be reduced by $1 million, the release said. More details will be announced after the Maryland Racing Commission's July 17 meeting.
At this point, slot machines would help, but we need a whole lot of things to turn this dying industry around.
The purse account for Maryland racing is facing a $3 million shortfall for the remainder of 2007, officials said in a release. To make up for this, purses will be reduced by $2,000 at every level. In addition, they will also reduce the number of races during the remaining 78 live days this year. The stakes schedule will be reduced by $1 million, the release said. More details will be announced after the Maryland Racing Commission's July 17 meeting.
"We have been saying for a number of months that we were going to run into a problem with purses and we had to react to the situation at hand," said Maryland Jockey Club President and Chief Operating Officer Lou Raffetto in a statement.
At this point, slot machines would help, but we need a whole lot of things to turn this dying industry around.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Ruffian Movie - Review
I enjoyed the Ruffian movie this Saturday night, but did not feel compelled to write review here on the blog. Then yesterday I received a great review via a comment on the blog. I wanted to share this review from Doug.
I first startd training racehorses over 30 years ago and I would like to say how shocked I was in finally being able to view a horse racing movie that had the very minimum of goofs in it. Amazing! ESPN and ABC aired one of the most realistic racing movies lastnight, I have ever seen and that goes back to the B movies of the 30s up to the modern, "Dreamer" movie. Most all of them are honey cesspools obviously written, directed, produced by people with limited backstretch experience."Ruffian", last night got it mostly right! I would guess Bill Nack is the guiding light to this rarity though I am not too familiar with the creditedwriters. Maybe they know something too. They must! The track jargon and dialogue seemed pretty true to life for a change. Shepard did a marvelous job portraying an old timey kind of trainer in Frank Whiteley. The sugar-coated emotionality common to these types of movies was unbelievablyabsent. The racing scenes were pretty nicely photographed considering that this was a low budget TV movie. I can only criticize the movie in a fewplaces. The racing scenes were obviously speeded up as is common in most racing movies. Apparently movie makers feel that normal race scenes photographed in real time seem too slow to the movie goer. Hehee. I also fault the bandaging technique of Sam Shepard but, hey, those scenes were pretty skeletal in nature. Lastly, most of the morning track scenes lackedthe customary busy activity of a real track, but they no doubt used vacated tracks or tracks under controlled conditions. No biggie. The movie is breath of fresh air to all of the crap preceding it in years past. I can die in peace now.Since the comment came in anonymously, but was signed Doug, I can not give full credit. Does anyone know who Doug may be....He has been trining race horses for over 30 years?
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Sunday Morning Thoughts
- Questions:
Can Rags to Riches (585) run against fillies anymore?
Which Coolmore stallion will get the first date with Rags? (this is probably a question for The Pedigree Guru)
- In other news.......Voters Reject Table Gaming at Charles Town Racing and Slots. I'm not sure how this plays out for Maryland racing. I think it is a good thing, but we will have to wait and see.
- Back home in Maryland.....Silmaril beat My Sister Sue in a photo for the $95,000 Skipat Stakes at Pimlico. Silmaril has now increased her earnings to over $800K.
Live racing has ended hear in Maryland until late August. Everyone has packed up the tack and headed south for Colonial Downs. I personally, am not too fond of Colonial but maybe this season will change that.
As expected, Scott Lake picked up another trainers title, and Luis Garcia won his first riding title in Maryland. I wish I can say that I enjoyed the Pimlico Spring meet.....except for a few great days, the talent pool of horses and jockeys had been pretty week.
Can Rags to Riches (585) run against fillies anymore?
Which Coolmore stallion will get the first date with Rags? (this is probably a question for The Pedigree Guru)
- In other news.......Voters Reject Table Gaming at Charles Town Racing and Slots. I'm not sure how this plays out for Maryland racing. I think it is a good thing, but we will have to wait and see.
- Back home in Maryland.....Silmaril beat My Sister Sue in a photo for the $95,000 Skipat Stakes at Pimlico. Silmaril has now increased her earnings to over $800K.
Live racing has ended hear in Maryland until late August. Everyone has packed up the tack and headed south for Colonial Downs. I personally, am not too fond of Colonial but maybe this season will change that.
As expected, Scott Lake picked up another trainers title, and Luis Garcia won his first riding title in Maryland. I wish I can say that I enjoyed the Pimlico Spring meet.....except for a few great days, the talent pool of horses and jockeys had been pretty week.
Belmont Stakes Photos
Here is my view of the instant classic victory by Rags to Riches:
And I snapped this one as she steadied herself after the bad start:
Not exactly professional photos, but I was thrilled to be in the building to witness history!
And I snapped this one as she steadied herself after the bad start:
Not exactly professional photos, but I was thrilled to be in the building to witness history!
Friday, June 08, 2007
TVG offers a helping hand
The great people at TVG have offered and alternative for my brothers wagering issue. Just yesterday Alan H posted Adios Youbet. Alan has wised up and switched to the superior Mac platform for his home computer. Youbet does not support the Mac platform.
I may have thought, Wow, these guys are really going above and beyond to win customers. However, we were alerted by our friend at Curb My Enthusiasm about this new gorilla tactic of TVG. The anonymous comment on our blog was this:
If the great people at TVG would like to generate more business from blogs, I have an idea. Maybe they should sponsor a TBA standings category. Just an idea guys.
I may have thought, Wow, these guys are really going above and beyond to win customers. However, we were alerted by our friend at Curb My Enthusiasm about this new gorilla tactic of TVG. The anonymous comment on our blog was this:
Buenos Dias TVG.com!!!It is obvious that this is a solicitation from TVG, but they could have made it a little more obvious. How many blogs are they commenting on? Do they think this will actually generate more business?
TVG allows users to bet using a Mac. Plus it is the home for the Belmont Stakes this weekend. They are currently offering a bet $50, get $50 promo for new subscribers. You can use the link above to get the promo code. I also know that Maryland is one of their states.
If the great people at TVG would like to generate more business from blogs, I have an idea. Maybe they should sponsor a TBA standings category. Just an idea guys.
Friday Morning Thoughts
- I would like to thank our friends at TwinSpires.com for stepping up to sponsor the TBA Older Horse division standings. Our new sponsor will be making a donation to
Old Friends (a Kentucky facility for retired thoroughbreds) in the name of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance.
- Speaking of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance, if you like reading this site, you will certainly enjoy the other bloggers/members of the TBA. Check them out, they cover all different horse racing topics, and bring a great prospective to the sport of kings.
- Question.....If Rags to Riches wins the Belmont, which Coolmore stallion will be waiting to knock her up in the winners circle?????? Just a thought!
- Two good articles I wanted to share "A New Jackpot in Horse Racing Slot machines ring in new profits for slumping racetracks. But many states are betting against them" [BusinessWeek] the other is Drug Issue Saddles Man Who Saddles Curlin [Washington Post]. John Scheinman is just making sure that everyone knows about the cheaters in racing.
Old Friends (a Kentucky facility for retired thoroughbreds) in the name of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance.
- Speaking of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance, if you like reading this site, you will certainly enjoy the other bloggers/members of the TBA. Check them out, they cover all different horse racing topics, and bring a great prospective to the sport of kings.
- Question.....If Rags to Riches wins the Belmont, which Coolmore stallion will be waiting to knock her up in the winners circle?????? Just a thought!
- Two good articles I wanted to share "A New Jackpot in Horse Racing Slot machines ring in new profits for slumping racetracks. But many states are betting against them" [BusinessWeek] the other is Drug Issue Saddles Man Who Saddles Curlin [Washington Post]. John Scheinman is just making sure that everyone knows about the cheaters in racing.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Adios Youbet.com
It has come time for me to switch ADW services. I crossed over to the other side and invested in a new MacBook. To my dismay, Youbet.com does not run on a Mac.
"Does Youbet.com support Macintosh?
No. We plan the release of platforms for the service according to customer demand. We do keep a record of interested
Macintosh users on file. If you are a Macintosh user and wish to be notified when Mac support becomes available, please
sign up at the OPEN AN ACCOUNT section." (Youbet.com)
Coincidentally, right around the same time, Youbet has ceased offering wagering at Pimlico. For those of you that are familiar with this little site, you know that Maryland racing is the BIG subject of conversation. So cutting me off from Pimlico (and I assume Laurel too) is just not acceptable. Here is an excerpt of the e-mail they sent:
Dear Alan,
We regret to inform you that due to contractual restrictions, Youbet.com will be unable to offer wagering from the
following racetracks effective June 1, 2007:
Lone Star Park
Pimlico
Remington Park
The Meadows
(e-mail from Youbet dated 5/31/06)
I don't know if the "contractual restrictions" relate to the circle jerk for signal or the ADW patent battle between TVG and the world, but it just plain sucks. I like using Youbet and I would have considered using my kids' computer to place my not-so-frequent bets, but this lack of Pimlico is the last straw.
Now for the hard part. Does anyone have any suggestions for what service I should use next? New York and Maryland are the most important tracks, but Kentucky, California and Florida are important too.
"Does Youbet.com support Macintosh?
No. We plan the release of platforms for the service according to customer demand. We do keep a record of interested
Macintosh users on file. If you are a Macintosh user and wish to be notified when Mac support becomes available, please
sign up at the OPEN AN ACCOUNT section." (Youbet.com)
Coincidentally, right around the same time, Youbet has ceased offering wagering at Pimlico. For those of you that are familiar with this little site, you know that Maryland racing is the BIG subject of conversation. So cutting me off from Pimlico (and I assume Laurel too) is just not acceptable. Here is an excerpt of the e-mail they sent:
Dear Alan,
We regret to inform you that due to contractual restrictions, Youbet.com will be unable to offer wagering from the
following racetracks effective June 1, 2007:
Lone Star Park
Pimlico
Remington Park
The Meadows
(e-mail from Youbet dated 5/31/06)
I don't know if the "contractual restrictions" relate to the circle jerk for signal or the ADW patent battle between TVG and the world, but it just plain sucks. I like using Youbet and I would have considered using my kids' computer to place my not-so-frequent bets, but this lack of Pimlico is the last straw.
Now for the hard part. Does anyone have any suggestions for what service I should use next? New York and Maryland are the most important tracks, but Kentucky, California and Florida are important too.
Going into the final weekend of the Pimlico Spring Meet, trainer Mark Shuman is tied atop the trainer standings with Scott Lake for number of wins (13). Shuman's 13 wins were achieved with only 33 starts, while it took Scott Lake 81 tries. Shuman also has more earnings, but tops Lake by just over $6,000. The most impressive stat on Shuman's line is "in the money". Shuman is in the money an impressive 76% of the time at Pimlico, and overall for 2007 60%. He either has an incredible barn, or puts his horses in the "right" races. Either way, kudos to Mark Shuman. I know that Shuman made a name for himself as the private trainer for the controversial stable of Mike Gill, but that does not make him a bad guy. I will be rooting for Shuman this weekend, Scott Lake does not need anymore awards!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Gambling in Maryland!
Let me start my rant with a statement:
I don't believe slot machines alone will fix Maryland racing!
I have received a number of comments and e-mails from anti-slots groups/people in Maryland. They give me all the statistical information, and family values literature. I understand the take out and profit by the slot machine operators. I also understand the concerns about gambling addiction and how some people think gambling is immoral.
Now that I acknowledged that I understand your point, let me give you a little lesson about what is going on around you.
First, we already have plenty of legalized gambling in our great state. Has anyone heard of this thing called the lottery? Yes, this is state sanctioned gambling. We have the mid day Pick-3, Pick-4, we have the night version of the same games, and add on top of that the Mega Millions, and a host of others. One anonymous commenter a few weeks back tried to tell me that those are $1 bets once or twice a week. If you believe that, try buying a bag of chips at a 7-11 downtown. You will have to wait 5 minutes for the the clerk to walk away from the guy buying $50 in mid day Pick-3 tickets. People don't play the lottery for $1! Next lottery item to address is the all mighty "scratch off". This is instant lottery! Just like a slot machine. But unlike a slot machine, these tickets can be bought twenty-four hours a day at every deli, bodega, and convenience store. You can even buy them through vending machines! Once again, this is not a $1 ticket. They have everything from $1, $5, $10, and even $20 tickets. Then they ask you to save your losing tickets for a chance to win again. Finally, the state has the almighty Keno games. This is not instant lottery, you need to wait the whole 3 minutes between games. This is just a slower version of a slot machine. If you don't think the state needs the lottery, think again. It is the state’s third largest source of revenue after income and sales taxes.
Next we will move to the illegal gambling. How about those poker machines you see in every bar, bodega, and club/lodge or hall. You know the ones that say "For Amusement Only." This is a slot machine! One that is not taxed or regulated. Don't believe me, read the Abell Foundation Report [PDF] that shows how the state is losing $15 MILLION a year in uncollected taxes, and the owners of the machines are under reporting income by more than $63 MILLION a year. While having the poker machine discussion with a friend, he suggested that people would still go to the local tavern to play poker machines (if slots were legalized) . Do you think????? The slot machine have a much greater payout, and the drinks are free or cheap in the slot palace! Plus it is much nicer than the corner bar.
I would love to go on, about the Bingo parlors, pull tabs, and other illegal games, but I need to run. I did not have a chance to touch on the economic impact of slot machines (and the complementary businesses), or the new jobs that would be created.
I hope I made my point to all you anti-slot people that are e-mailing. But thanks for reading our blog and commenting. I guess this may be the last time you visit us!
I don't believe slot machines alone will fix Maryland racing!
I have received a number of comments and e-mails from anti-slots groups/people in Maryland. They give me all the statistical information, and family values literature. I understand the take out and profit by the slot machine operators. I also understand the concerns about gambling addiction and how some people think gambling is immoral.
Now that I acknowledged that I understand your point, let me give you a little lesson about what is going on around you.
First, we already have plenty of legalized gambling in our great state. Has anyone heard of this thing called the lottery? Yes, this is state sanctioned gambling. We have the mid day Pick-3, Pick-4, we have the night version of the same games, and add on top of that the Mega Millions, and a host of others. One anonymous commenter a few weeks back tried to tell me that those are $1 bets once or twice a week. If you believe that, try buying a bag of chips at a 7-11 downtown. You will have to wait 5 minutes for the the clerk to walk away from the guy buying $50 in mid day Pick-3 tickets. People don't play the lottery for $1! Next lottery item to address is the all mighty "scratch off". This is instant lottery! Just like a slot machine. But unlike a slot machine, these tickets can be bought twenty-four hours a day at every deli, bodega, and convenience store. You can even buy them through vending machines! Once again, this is not a $1 ticket. They have everything from $1, $5, $10, and even $20 tickets. Then they ask you to save your losing tickets for a chance to win again. Finally, the state has the almighty Keno games. This is not instant lottery, you need to wait the whole 3 minutes between games. This is just a slower version of a slot machine. If you don't think the state needs the lottery, think again. It is the state’s third largest source of revenue after income and sales taxes.
Next we will move to the illegal gambling. How about those poker machines you see in every bar, bodega, and club/lodge or hall. You know the ones that say "For Amusement Only." This is a slot machine! One that is not taxed or regulated. Don't believe me, read the Abell Foundation Report [PDF] that shows how the state is losing $15 MILLION a year in uncollected taxes, and the owners of the machines are under reporting income by more than $63 MILLION a year. While having the poker machine discussion with a friend, he suggested that people would still go to the local tavern to play poker machines (if slots were legalized) . Do you think????? The slot machine have a much greater payout, and the drinks are free or cheap in the slot palace! Plus it is much nicer than the corner bar.
I would love to go on, about the Bingo parlors, pull tabs, and other illegal games, but I need to run. I did not have a chance to touch on the economic impact of slot machines (and the complementary businesses), or the new jobs that would be created.
I hope I made my point to all you anti-slot people that are e-mailing. But thanks for reading our blog and commenting. I guess this may be the last time you visit us!
Monday, June 04, 2007
Only three more days of live racing at Pimlico. It is such a shame that they only run 31 live days. Next Sunday, all the trailers will be coming and going. "Old Hill Top" will become a training facility with grandstands until next April.
The future of this historic track will probably be decided on the floor of the State House next February, or sooner. It is almost a done deal that a slot machine bill will pass during the 2008 session. It is even possible that a special session will be called this fall to get the ball rolling. The battle lines are being drawn, and the delegation form the Pimlico area are still anti-slots. If the bill passes without any one armed bandits installed at Pimlico, the track is done. Magna will sell the land to a developer, and we can say good-bye to Pimlico Race Course, and The Preakness Stakes.
Finally, I wanted to let all the readers know, that I have declined the offer from Darley to my breeding rights, so they have contacted my brother and co-writer "Alan H". Both Alan and I are from a modest New York stallion, and a unraced mare, so I don't know why they are interested! Oh, Well!
The future of this historic track will probably be decided on the floor of the State House next February, or sooner. It is almost a done deal that a slot machine bill will pass during the 2008 session. It is even possible that a special session will be called this fall to get the ball rolling. The battle lines are being drawn, and the delegation form the Pimlico area are still anti-slots. If the bill passes without any one armed bandits installed at Pimlico, the track is done. Magna will sell the land to a developer, and we can say good-bye to Pimlico Race Course, and The Preakness Stakes.
Finally, I wanted to let all the readers know, that I have declined the offer from Darley to my breeding rights, so they have contacted my brother and co-writer "Alan H". Both Alan and I are from a modest New York stallion, and a unraced mare, so I don't know why they are interested! Oh, Well!
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