“We have done met da' enemy, and he is us!”

[Whirlaway]

Richard Duchossois, part-owner of Arlington Park and chairman of The Duchossois Group, gave a speech to the Thoroughbred Club of America in January in Lexington, Ky. The text of that speech can be found at the link below.

This guy must be living on another planet if he thinks the same individuals that have caused the demise of horse racing can bring the great Game back.

http://dailyherald.com/article/20110418/sports/704199995/

[zinn21]

Nothing specific in his speech. He thinks we have a great sport and we do. The bottom line is we are in stiff competition for the "gaming" dollar and our product is at a huge cost disadvantage. It's not a fair fight. I strongly believe we need to have all various forms of gaming available at all racetracks. We need the revenue stream. We need the patrons to come in the door, pull a slot, roll the dice, get blackjack then watch and wager on horses.

Those who think we don't need Casino gaming are dead wrong, IMO. We cannot compete with them on separate fields. We need to include Casino gaming under our umbrella.

[bdw0617]

Nothing specific in his speech. He thinks we have a great sport and we do. The bottom line is we are in stiff competition for the "gaming" dollar and our product is at a huge cost disadvantage. It's not a fair fight. I strongly believe we need to have all various forms of gaming available at all racetracks. We need the revenue stream. We need the patrons to come in the door, pull a slot, roll the dice, get blackjack then watch and wager on horses.

Those who think we don't need Casino gaming are dead wrong, IMO. We cannot compete with them on separate fields. We need to include Casino gaming under our umbrella.

'

it's even more primitive than that.

I remember when I first signed up at this site, which seems like decades ago, I would have long, drawn out arguements on just how important the bettor was in the first place.

my point is, everyone first needs to first come to the conclusion that the gambling dollar is what churns the industry. Without the gambling dollar, it's just a bunch of rich people buying horses running around a track for bragging rights. But to have a horse racing INDUSTRY, you need people to make wagers.

Those who think we don't need Casino gaming are dead wrong, IMO. We cannot compete with them on separate fields. We need to include Casino gaming under our umbrella.

I do not agree for 2 reasons. First, the casinos use horse racing as a foot in the door. Look at Pararie Meadows and Parx. they will try to get rid of the horse racing. Secondly, it's all gambling but it's not all the same. People who pull slots, are not the same people who try to make money handicapping


There are 5 things that while won't turn the industry around overnight, I think will go a LONG way towards turning around the ship


1. Get rid of all drugs. This just has to be done. I can't take my kid to the track (I don't have a kid but you get my point) and watch the horse break down in the stretch because he's too doped up to realize he is sore.

2. Do something seriously about the slaughter issue. This is 1a. and 1b. The people who run horse racing need to realize.. this isn't the 70's. We have youtube. We have facebook, we have twitter. "Do you know when you go to youtube and type in horse racing, "horse racing accidents" automatically pops up? horse racing, more than anything, has a negative perception issue and that matters in a world where I can find a video clip of anything I want, in seconds. No you just can't put up a preverbal blue tarp around the issue and hope it goes away anymore. This has to be addressed,. This and the drugs. And until they are, they are playing games.

3. Get on a freaking schedule that is coordinated. While this will not bring in more clients, it will get the gamblers like myself to spend more. I normally wager on 10-12 races a day. That would jump to about 15-16 a day if the tracks did not bump heads on certain races.For instance, turf races are my thing. Nothing peeves me off more than when tampa bay, santa anita, golden gate and gulfstream are all running a turf ace at once. I can only wager on really one of them. So that's 3 races, that I cannot wager on, but would if they weren't running at the same time. last year, the united nations and the suburban, on a holiday weekend no less, ran 2 minutes apart from each other. I don't even know what tracks like lone star are thinking running on Saturdays, that's a track I would love to play,.. on a Tuesday. Not on a Saturday afternoon in the summer.

Why do I have too many races to chose from on Saturday and I'm looking hard at freaking bulah park on monday lol. come on spread it out. this matters. alot. some tracks just aren't putting themselves in a position to be successful.


4. All tracks should have instant racing. It just makes sense. Like Simulcast made sense. But just instant racing. No casinos.

5.This is going to hurt some people's feelings, but it's the truth. some of the cheaper races have got to go. Santa Anita wants to talk about how great their product is but you tune in on a Thursday and watch 6 claiming races, a starter allowance and the feature race is a state bred turf race lol. ]

This is why keeneland is so popular. You are going to see some top flight horse racing, for the most part, from race 1 through race 9. Keep it short and sweet. Cut days if you have to. There s too much of it, and most if it is not good.

[zinn21]

BD wrote:

People who pull slots, are not the same people who try to make money handicapping

That is why we need slots at Race Tracks. To expose those who do not play horses so we can develop new patrons. I know few people when taken to the track, bet on a horse and watch a race do not enjoy the experience. On the flip side of your statement; slot pullers might not bet on horses but horse players do play casino games. Gamblers will gamble and if horse players can't bet horses they will find other forms of gaming to fill the need.

The bottom line is we either add casino gaming to racing's funding stream and to a very good job at getting these patrons to bet on our racing product or we will see racing shrink significantly in the coming years. Race wagering works best with big fields that create high wagering returns. For that you need lots of owners. There are fewer owners today because purses are stagnant and costs are high. Race track wagering has dropped because indian gaming grabbed a huge piece of the gaming dollar in the last 15 years. This is the first recession where pari mutual wagering has dropped rather than increased and that is because of stiff Indian gaming competition.

[bdw0617]

BD wrote:

People who pull slots, are not the same people who try to make money handicapping

That is why we need slots at Race Tracks. To expose those who do not play horses so we can develop new patrons. I know few people when taken to the track, bet on a horse and watch a race do not enjoy the experience. On the flip side of your statement; slot pullers might not bet on horses but horse players do play casino games. Gamblers will gamble and if horse players can't bet horses they will find other forms of gaming to fill the need.

The bottom line is we either add casino gaming to racing's funding stream and to a very good job at getting these patrons to bet on our racing product or we will see racing shrink significantly in the coming years. Race wagering works best with big fields that create high wagering returns. For that you need lots of owners. There are fewer owners today because purses are stagnant and costs are high. Race track wagering has dropped because indian gaming grabbed a huge piece of the gaming dollar in the last 15 years. This is the first recession where pari mutual wagering has dropped rather than increased and that is because of stiff Indian gaming competition.

That is like saying, we are going to put Victoria's secret inventory in a lane Bryant store, to expose the lane bryant clients to new inventory. you can expose it all you want, no one that shops at lane bryant is going to fit in something that can be bought at Victoria's secret lol.

horse racing people, really aren't gamblers. that's the thing. If you ask me do I gamble I will instinctively tell you no I don't. never been to a casino in my life.

people who do gamble, have no real interest in learning the nuances of playing horses, and if you are going top just throw money on long shots all day you might as well put it in a slot machine.

it's two totally different mind sets.

If you are going to do antyhing, put poker rooms in horse racing tracks. now that's the ticket.

[dublino]

bdw0617 please don't use the term expose and Victorias Secret in the same sentence.

[bdw0617]

bdw0617 please don't use the term expose and Victorias Secret in the same sentence.

lighten up Francis

[madelyn]

Nothing specific in his speech. He thinks we have a great sport and we do. The bottom line is we are in stiff competition for the "gaming" dollar and our product is at a huge cost disadvantage. It's not a fair fight. I strongly believe we need to have all various forms of gaming available at all racetracks. We need the revenue stream. We need the patrons to come in the door, pull a slot, roll the dice, get blackjack then watch and wager on horses.

Those who think we don't need Casino gaming are dead wrong, IMO. We cannot compete with them on separate fields. We need to include Casino gaming under our umbrella.

'

it's even more primitive than that.

I remember when I first signed up at this site, which seems like decades ago, I would have long, drawn out arguements on just how important the bettor was in the first place.

my point is, everyone first needs to first come to the conclusion that the gambling dollar is what churns the industry. Without the gambling dollar, it's just a bunch of rich people buying horses running around a track for bragging rights. But to have a horse racing INDUSTRY, you need people to make wagers.

Those who think we don't need Casino gaming are dead wrong, IMO. We cannot compete with them on separate fields. We need to include Casino gaming under our umbrella.

I do not agree for 2 reasons. First, the casinos use horse racing as a foot in the door. Look at Pararie Meadows and Parx. they will try to get rid of the horse racing. Secondly, it's all gambling but it's not all the same. People who pull slots, are not the same people who try to make money handicapping


There are 5 things that while won't turn the industry around overnight, I think will go a LONG way towards turning around the ship


1. Get rid of all drugs. This just has to be done. I can't take my kid to the track (I don't have a kid but you get my point) and watch the horse break down in the stretch because he's too doped up to realize he is sore.

2. Do something seriously about the slaughter issue. This is 1a. and 1b. The people who run horse racing need to realize.. this isn't the 70's. We have youtube. We have facebook, we have twitter. "Do you know when you go to youtube and type in horse racing, "horse racing accidents" automatically pops up? horse racing, more than anything, has a negative perception issue and that matters in a world where I can find a video clip of anything I want, in seconds. No you just can't put up a preverbal blue tarp around the issue and hope it goes away anymore. This has to be addressed,. This and the drugs. And until they are, they are playing games.

3. Get on a freaking schedule that is coordinated. While this will not bring in more clients, it will get the gamblers like myself to spend more. I normally wager on 10-12 races a day. That would jump to about 15-16 a day if the tracks did not bump heads on certain races.For instance, turf races are my thing. Nothing peeves me off more than when tampa bay, santa anita, golden gate and gulfstream are all running a turf ace at once. I can only wager on really one of them. So that's 3 races, that I cannot wager on, but would if they weren't running at the same time. last year, the united nations and the suburban, on a holiday weekend no less, ran 2 minutes apart from each other. I don't even know what tracks like lone star are thinking running on Saturdays, that's a track I would love to play,.. on a Tuesday. Not on a Saturday afternoon in the summer.

Why do I have too many races to chose from on Saturday and I'm looking hard at freaking bulah park on monday lol. come on spread it out. this matters. alot. some tracks just aren't putting themselves in a position to be successful.


4. All tracks should have instant racing. It just makes sense. Like Simulcast made sense. But just instant racing. No casinos.

5.This is going to hurt some people's feelings, but it's the truth. some of the cheaper races have got to go. Santa Anita wants to talk about how great their product is but you tune in on a Thursday and watch 6 claiming races, a starter allowance and the feature race is a state bred turf race lol. ]

This is why keeneland is so popular. You are going to see some top flight horse racing, for the most part, from race 1 through race 9. Keep it short and sweet. Cut days if you have to. There s too much of it, and most if it is not good.

I agree 100%.

[griff]

When you say get rid of all drugs are you including stuff for bleeders??

but more important for us Pogo fans, the qoute is:

"We have met the enemy and he is us".

griff

[bdw0617]

When you say get rid of all drugs are you including stuff for bleeders??

but more important for us Pogo fans, the qoute is:

"We have met the enemy and he is us".

griff

yes.
This isn't about what I think this is about public perception. As long as horses are "drugged" in some way shape or form to race, american racing will be at a disadvantage. that's just the fact of the matter, rather you like it or not.

[TJ]

When you say get rid of all drugs are you including stuff for bleeders??

but more important for us Pogo fans, the qoute is:

"We have met the enemy and he is us".

griff

yes.
This isn't about what I think this is about public perception. As long as horses are "drugged" in some way shape or form to race, american racing will be at a disadvantage. that's just the fact of the matter, rather you like it or not.

Careful what you wish for. A glimpse of horse racing without legalized meds:
Ya think it's tough to handicap now:>) The gambler's that are out there complaining about "juice" trainer's will have nothing to complain about, a good thing....or is it? It really won't last long, because complainer's complain and cheater's cheat, no matter what the playing field rules are. The winner's many gambler's have currently under legalized meds basically because their horses held their form a bit longer...because of a little bute, but more importantly lasix......These gambler's will all go broke expecting these same horses to duplicate their form without it. Then you'll hear gambler's grumbling they're pulling horses....which is exactly what it will look like when a favored horse under drug free racing....get's beat off, because he bled big time. Or maybe one get's a tinge of pain and puts on the brakes. I was racing in NY when Lasix was not permitted. This will be just a taste of what will happen down the road....then there will be some other racing bandwagon for the general public and gambler's to get on.....you will see big price winner's, inconsistent form, gambler's screaming cheating, etc. Currently a little bute and a little lasix helps maintain their form for a longer period of time. There won't be any way gambler's will bet on horses when their real form return's every month or two when they are over their last bleeding episode or normal aches and pains that was just enough to stop one on the track. Back in the day it was a gambling trainer's dream, here's the scenario.....his horse get's beat off a couple times, he finds out what happened.....trainer works on the problem.... horse get's over his ailments or heals his bleeding after his last poor performance....the trainer drops him down a bit to assure the win.....gambler thinks he's a real throw out now:>) Trainer know's he's right but the fans think he's a bad horse off his recent bad form trainer wants to dump....POW....a $40 mutel payoff. The trainer, owner and his/her buddies are cashing in and the gambler's start screaming foul, while they're outside looking in.....mark my words, this will happen. Then the next step in the progression....some trainer will start looking for something new to use that they think won't test......yet other's more larcenous won't care if it tests or not willing to get suspended to cash a big bet......cheater's will always cheat.....only without legalized drug use the cheater's get better prices on their bets and less competition in the field from trainer's following the drug free rules. Honestly I'm in favor of no drugs......I seldom run on much of anything as it is......but the gambler's will end up pulling the one arm bandits because there will be no credible form to go by......because you won't know which horse is going over "right" (old, new or past form lines), the one that may bleed, or the one that's not feeling so hot. You can also expect short fields because horses won't be "right" to run back often enough while off meds to fill the races. You have to remember the races are run faster and over harder surfaces here than the other side of the pond.....more stress on their legs and lungs.....they will need more time to recover from their racing effort. Drug free racing here in America should put an end to racing all together....well, at least the type of racing we're used to seeing in America. Watch what happen's....These same proponents of drug free racing will change their mind's very quickly when they realize they are losing revenue due to short fields.....it's the exact reason why they instituded lasix and race day drug use in the first place.....and the beat goes on. TJ

[ElPrado]

A horse that bleeds in a race needs to be given a break, not a diuretic. What lasix or whatever they call it for horses now does is mask other drugs. Of course they run better on it. They get hopped up better on it. Lasix just moves the urine out faster, making it easier to get rid of traces of other drugs.

[Bast]

You can analyse and detect just about anything, if you really want to.

I know. I've been doing analytical chemistry for decades. If an organization is willing to BUY the right equipment (none of it is cheap) and HIRE competent analysts (good ones, not someone who works cheaply who just knows how to load the autosampler tray and hit start and who would not recognize a bad result due to an instrument problem) can keep up. Sure, stuff slips through (that's why you freeze samples for future analysis), but an organization can keep up, if there is the will to do so.

[jellac]

I'm in complete agreement, along with Madelyn, with what bdw0617 has posted in his/her very first post on this thread. "Horse people" who love racing and racing thoroughbreds DO need to realize it is the "Horse Player" that makes their world go round in any economic sense that would qualify horse breeding/raising/training and racing as an 'industry'. Otherwise it is a minor sport enjoyed by a few aficionados like point-to-points/chasers and polo/polo-lacrosse. Maybe - just maybe - its the Horse Players that ought to be consulted once in a while when the "horse racing industry" is contemplating it's future in this hemisphere? I would add one thing - and its more to emphasize a point already hinted at by bdw0617 - jurisdictional fence-pissing contests between competing race dates, scheduling of similar stakes in head to head competition, and attempts by one track to out compete another for "top horses" and/or for signal/televised racing is a form of economic suicide for this sport and ought to stop. I can't believe that all winter long (when many of us, even in the southern zones are more or less happy to stay indoors) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings about all you can catch on TVG/HRTV is harness racing/trotters and they're racing on bloody black ice half the time - in blizzard conditions many nights! Meanwhile come Friday night into the weekend there are way too many so-called "quality" stakes races, even graded stakes races for anything but the spring 3YOs that are 6 or fewer entrants when the gates open. Come Saturday your card is full to overflowing with possible races to handicap/wager. Yes - even if you do your handicapping the night before - its nigh impossible to check the appearance of horses in post parades/pay attention to behaviors/appearances in the saddling paddock,keep and ear open for late scratches/equipment and jockey changes, horses acting up behind the gate/inside the gate AND get a bet down unless you limit yourself to one or very few tracks. That's bettor dollars going begging for the lack of ability to make an intelligent wager folks in the short time frame allowed....bettor dollars that could serve to swell purses, improve racing. I think its amazing how out of touch the tracks and the industry in general is with its paying clients/stakeholders....if not for subsidies from 'state bred associations' to the purse structure, and from the casino crowd in the form of slots this proliferation of racing venues/racing dates and races of little to no consequence would have long ago imploded upon itself....but don't kid yourself casino gambling establishments/business investors are not in the business of sharing THEIR TENT with the horses for any reason other than to get their camel's nose under the tent in populous jurisdictions that are currently without casino gambling/slots. It is the horsemen that are - temporarily - being invited to stand under the casinos' tent. Not the other way around.

Finally - I have absolutely NO FAITH that someone who pushes buttons on a slot machine can be attracted to the complexities of handicapping the horses. Poker yes - Baccarat yes - Gin possibly - these are games of chance that require thinking/odds evaluation/re-evaluation with every card drawn/shown or bet made - but you can forget about slots players having any interest in something that requires analytical thinking, prolonged study to play.

[bdw0617]

I'm in complete agreement, along with Madelyn, with what bdw0617 has posted in his/her very first post on this thread. "Horse people" who love racing and racing thoroughbreds DO need to realize it is the "Horse Player" that makes their world go round in any economic sense that would qualify horse breeding/raising/training and racing as an 'industry'. Otherwise it is a minor sport enjoyed by a few aficionados like point-to-points/chasers and polo/polo-lacrosse. Maybe - just maybe - its the Horse Players that ought to be consulted once in a while when the "horse racing industry" is contemplating it's future in this hemisphere? I would add one thing - and its more to emphasize a point already hinted at by bdw0617 - jurisdictional fence-pissing contests between competing race dates, scheduling of similar stakes in head to head competition, and attempts by one track to out compete another for "top horses" and/or for signal/televised racing is a form of economic suicide for this sport and ought to stop. I can't believe that all winter long (when many of us, even in the southern zones are more or less happy to stay indoors) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings about all you can catch on TVG/HRTV is harness racing/trotters and they're racing on bloody black ice half the time - in blizzard conditions many nights! Meanwhile come Friday night into the weekend there are way too many so-called "quality" stakes races, even graded stakes races for anything but the spring 3YOs that are 6 or fewer entrants when the gates open. Come Saturday your card is full to overflowing with possible races to handicap/wager. Yes - even if you do your handicapping the night before - its nigh impossible to check the appearance of horses in post parades/pay attention to behaviors/appearances in the saddling paddock,keep and ear open for late scratches/equipment and jockey changes, horses acting up behind the gate/inside the gate AND get a bet down unless you limit yourself to one or very few tracks. That's bettor dollars going begging for the lack of ability to make an intelligent wager folks in the short time frame allowed....bettor dollars that could serve to swell purses, improve racing. I think its amazing how out of touch the tracks and the industry in general is with its paying clients/stakeholders....if not for subsidies from 'state bred associations' to the purse structure, and from the casino crowd in the form of slots this proliferation of racing venues/racing dates and races of little to no consequence would have long ago imploded upon itself....but don't kid yourself casino gambling establishments/business investors are not in the business of sharing THEIR TENT with the horses for any reason other than to get their camel's nose under the tent in populous jurisdictions that are currently without casino gambling/slots. It is the horsemen that are - temporarily - being invited to stand under the casinos' tent. Not the other way around.

Finally - I have absolutely NO FAITH that someone who pushes buttons on a slot machine can be attracted to the complexities of handicapping the horses. Poker yes - Baccarat yes - Gin possibly - these are games of chance that require thinking/odds evaluation/re-evaluation with every card drawn/shown or bet made - but you can forget about slots players having any interest in something that requires analytical thinking, prolonged study to play.

GREAT post


the sad thing.. wouldn't cost a dime to do.not one. Just coordinate. stop having pissing contests about who can draw what horse in the thumb up my butt stakes on a Saturday

tracks like.. Arlington.. no wait I actually do play Arlington that turf course is amazing... but lone star park, calder golden gate.. seriously I would LOVE to play them, but if there is anything else worth while going on while they are running they are getting bumped.

I have alot of other things that peeve me off to, for instance i kinda wish socal would bump theri start time back 2 hours on a daily basis, 3pm PST, 5PM CST, 6PM EST but those are the main. God that would be perfect every freaking day. Just perfection right there. Right when gulfstream / Churchill ends/ Fair Grounds ends. 5. 4 actually costs me money.