Maryland - 2007 Bad, 2008 looks worse!

The Maryland Jockey Club announced its total handle declined by 8% during 2007, with five fewer racing days. All sources of handle totaled $883.8 million as compared to $960.2 million from the same period in 2006. The daily average handle from all sources decreased 6.5 % from $4.1 million to $3.8 million.

This is bad, and it is only going to get worse. The MJC has already cut purses and racing dates in Maryland, while our bordering states have increased purses. Purses in Pennsylvania for 2008 are almost double that of a daily card in Maryland. In 2007 we saw a decline in horses entering the gate, and the quality of horses racing also declined. In November, Marylanders will have the opportunity to vote if they want slot machines in the state. If the vote passes, horse racing will get an enormous boost to purses and incentives. Will it be too late? Will anyone breed to a Maryland stallion in 2008 when you can get a 40% bonus in PA on already HUGE purses?

Ten Days at 10 Percent

In a bold move, the Maryland Jockey Club has announced “Ten Days at 10 Percent—Racing’s Best Bet.” During the Laurel Park summer meet (August 10-23), the takeout will be cut almost in half.

“We want to get people focused on the Maryland product during a very competitive period,” said Maryland Jockey Club President Lou Raffetto. “We hear a lot of talk about what reduced takeout can do for business and this seemed like the perfect time to experiment with the concept.”

The takeout will be 10 percent on all bets on all live races conducted at Laurel, plus the legislated percentage to be allocated to the Maryland Million Fund, resulting in a blended rate of approximately 11.4 percent.

The lower takeout is an even better deal on the trifecta, superfecta and Pick 6, for which the standard takeout rate would have been 25.75 percent. As a result, payoffs on these wagers will be 20 percent greater.

Now the big questions......Will this help increase the handle at Laurel? Will they continue this through Timonium, Laurel Winter, and Pimlico Spring meets? Will they still try to attract horse betters if a slot machine bill passes early next year?

Final question.......Will the (assumed) increase in wagers make up for the lost revenue?

OTB's in NJ and Real Quiet

New Jersey opens first OTB - 6 years after legislation past to allow off track better facilities, Favorites at Vineland will open to the public on Friday. It is owned by Greenwood Racing, whose holdings include Philadelphia Park, Atlantic City Race Course, and a network of Pennsylvania OTBs.

Favorites comprises 13,500 square feet, and is dominated by an oval sports bar. Fans can watch ballgames and races on high-definition televisions while dining on a grill menu. It will be open noon to midnight, seven days a week.

This place sounds great. I would love to have really OTB in Maryland. We currently have two OTB's (throughout the entire state) that are in remote parts of the state. I think a high end sports bar / OTB would be very successful in Baltimore, and would help create more fans of the sport.....But what do I know?


Real Quiet is back in the breeding shed after being treated at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center for abscesses in both hind feet. Syndicate manager Mike Jester said,

"Just to make sure, he covered three mares on each of his last two days at New Bolton. Dr. Dean Richardson and his staff did a great job with him."

Wow...What a great life it must be to be a stallion.



Real Quiet is back in the breeding shed

Dime Superfecta

Over the last year I have spoken to a number of people about the "Dime Superfecta". The casual fans love it. They love placing this wager on-line, they even place it at the track (where available). The big time gamblers hate this wager. They complain that it slows down the windows at the track, and dilutes the wagering pools. Courier Jounal has dug deep enough to get us some solid statistics.

" At The Courier-Journal's request, Turfway looked at superfecta betting, using Fastrack Rewards on-track members -- the core racing fans -- as a control group. According to Turfway president Bob Elliston, these players doubled the amount of money they wagered on superfectas after the dimes were introduced. During that same time, wagers on the Pick 3, Pick 4 and trifectas grew at a slower rate. To Elliston, that indicated there was no cannibalization from the other pools, because they'd have shown decreases instead of steady growth. "

OK....So we now see that the wager works for the track. In my opinion, this is part of the solution to increasing the fan base.The casual two or three time a year track patron needs to add a little excitement. Win-Place-Show started getting old, so they bet an Exacta. Then they went crazy and bet a Tri-Box, but not on every race. When they started to get bored, they looked at the Superfecta, but lost interest because of the cost on a box or multiple horses. Now, enter the Dime Super's, and you have the fan hooked. They can enjoy the excitement of reading the form, picking a boat load of horses, and not dropping a fortune at the window. Once the small time fan hits a Dime Super, they are hooked. I just wish we had them a Maryland tracks!