Sam Houston Race Park

texas tea · Postby **texas tea** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:29 pm

I went to the races Sunday at Sam Housto Race Park. They are a prime example why nobody wants to go to the races in Houston. $8 to park, $24 for 2 box seats ( even though they were all empty ), $5 for a program, $1 for pencil, $5 for a hotdog, $4 for slice of Pizza, $5 for coke. $52 to get in, sit down and have a snack. Attitudes of those behind the counter(s) were like they were doing you a favor to sell these items. Claiming races were basicaly owners hoping they would lose their horses to a good home to be a pet. Purses were so low, even if you won a race, you about broke even with the trainer. Trainers owned a lot of the horses racing. Pedigrees that were unrecognizable. It's just an off site betting parlor for other out of state tracks. I have two horses that I run in Louisiana. The difference between the facilities, people and quality of racing is unbelievable. I use to think some day I will run in Texas. I can see that will never happen.

ageecee · Postby **ageecee** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:44 pm

$8 to park are u kidding me? Thats ridiculous...

Sailor Kenshin · Postby **Sailor Kenshin** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:56 pm

Wait till you get to New York. :lol:

jellac · Postby **jellac** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:25 pm

$8 to park are u kidding me? Thats ridiculous...

texas tea - Was $8 the 'standard' parking rate? I/E to drive in and find your own parking space then walk into the facility? OR, was it for the 'Valet Parking' at the S. Canopy Entrance to the facility? Just curious - it seems much higher than prior years' front gate rate to park which I recall being $3.00, but then that was then, this is now.

IF true for general parking, it IS ridiculous but points to the fact that they, SHRP, have a 'captive' audience when it comes to on-site handle/attendance: there's no public mass transit that serves SHRP: no bus, no train, no nothing and to my knowledge not even a bus stop within reasonable walking distance OR if there is one within reasonable walking distance I'm sure it doesn't run late enough to assure you can catch a ride home after the last race.

SO your choices are: take a cab (another industry in H-town that views you as 'captive' to their rates once outside of the immediate downtown area) or drive and park........
.......................Oh yeah.....OR: you could just decide to NOT attend the races at SHRP. Many do just that. OF course it's worth noting that SHRP Management is posting some decent "handle" figures these days so I suppose one should congratulate them on coming up with some kind of program that attracts bets/bettors to put down their money. The current program mix appears to appeal to some bettors and I assume they must be at other tracks, playing SHRP's signal because SHRP races are sure not being posted on TVG/HRTV for ADW bettors/viewers, OR they are at SHRP betting other tracks' programs?

Another thought is that perhaps the high gate rate to get in and in postion to do some handicapping is an effort to keep the 'riff raff' away?????

Bast · Postby **Bast** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:40 pm

Sailor Kenshin wrote:Wait till you get to New York.

All served up with a gracious smile, too. :roll:

River Downs has free admission AND parking.

Sailor Kenshin · Postby **Sailor Kenshin** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:48 pm

Kewl.

I sort of stand corrected on that---in most NY venues (not just racing) you would kiss the ground for a mere $8 parking fee and count yourself lucky.

But this made me curious so I looked at the NYRA Aqueduct site. Grandstand admission is cheap, a buck or two. So is parking. VALET parking, though, is about ten.

Can't vouch for the cost of food, but The Duck has everything from concession stands to la-di-dah bars. Haven't been there myself since they renovated the place.

Bast · Postby **Bast** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:15 pm

Sailor Kenshin wrote:Kewl.

Well, you have to realize the nature of racing at River Downs. You will see starters with 100+ starts and 10-11 years old... :shock:

Sailor Kenshin · Postby **Sailor Kenshin** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 6:50 am

They must have discovered those elusive 'catalysts to soundness.'

Bast · Postby **Bast** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:02 am

Sailor Kenshin wrote:They must have discovered those elusive 'catalysts to soundness.'

Perhaps Louis should visit the backstretch of River Downs.

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:29 am

jellac wrote:

. . . Another thought is that perhaps the high gate rate to get in and in postion to do some handicapping is an effort to keep the 'riff raff' away?????

It must have been quite sometime since you attended a meet in NA. If it weren't for the "riff raff" daily attendance at most NA tracks would be zero.

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:33 am

Bast wrote:

Well, you have to realize the nature of racing at River Downs. You will see starters with 100+ starts and 10-11 years old...

There was a claiming race at Tampa Bay the other day for 4 and up where the majority of the entrants were 5 year old plus maidens. The HRTV commentators were actually taken back. We're finding a whole new venue for older horses and its based on American economic hard times.

ratherrapid · Postby **ratherrapid** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:01 am

Having been in LA a couple of times or three, though a few years back, I seem to recall everybody having their hand in my back pocket the minute I hit the guard shack, but then horse people bitching :shock:

---what else is new???

Interesting post though! and gives us an update on state of things in Texas and at race tracks generally in terms of live attendance. My own opinion is that the days of live attendance are primarily over and that racing management will figure that out eventually. Who the heck these days has the time to drive to a track, spend all aft. there when u should be working, and then drive back home. How many times really can u expect the average racing fan to spend a day at the race track.

I think the future of the sport is internet wagering, and luckily we have a sport made for that. An even bigger shock for me of late is to see a TVG add on the National Journal ("conservative" (whatever that is these days) newspaper website. Been on there all week. Somebody is actually advertising the sport! which is encouraging.

As an aside--I too have observed and been impressed on more than one occasion that in terms of live attendance the good folks at the race track are such that it's hard for them to put on a show. Horses that are neither trained or appropriately cared for, pony persons that fail to care. People with observational abilities will quickly pick up on this even if they're non-racing folks. good post, and best of luck in Louisiana!!!

tinners way · Postby **tinners way** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:27 am

To paint all Texas tracks with the Houston brush is unfair, and also to delegate the sport to purely internet is short sided as well.

Lone Star does a great job at combining racing with additional entertainment. While I understand that to get live attendance up will continue to be a struggle, if you give up on that it will lead to further decline.

If SHRP is in that bad of shape for the fan, hopefully they will see what is being written and take it to heart. The first couple of weeks fan interest was up with live attendance.

Lone Star newly remodeled Bar & Book has gotten rave reviews, and for a racetrack facility during live days in my opinion they do a great job with cleanliness, food, and customer service. Everything goes in a cycle. As the last post said, who has the time to invest in a day at the races. My argument would be, when people need in expensive entertainment, the race track should be a great place to go. Providing that experience, and getting the consumer to come back will be on the backs of the tracks.

I hope SHRP is listening.

ratherrapid · Postby **ratherrapid** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 2:21 pm

good points. I've always thought that that way to get fans to the track is with big pots, and specifically pick six pots. the racing secretary at Ak Sar Ben used to be excellent at structuring the racing so there would be huge carry overs. and, i have never understood why tracks never advertise their pots (other than that they do so little advertising.).

Bast · Postby **Bast** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 2:40 pm

Shammy Davis wrote:Bast wrote:
Well, you have to realize the nature of racing at River Downs. You will see starters with 100+ starts and 10-11 years old...

There was a claiming race at Tampa Bay the other day for 4 and up where the majority of the entrants were 5 year old plus maidens. The HRTV commentators were actually taken back. We're finding a whole new venue for older horses and its based on American economic hard times.

Tampa Bay ran one today won by a 5 y o maiden.