At the only track with VLT's that I have been to, Finger Lakes, racing seemed to be the poor relation. I wandered through the downstairs casino, looking in vain for a game that even referenced horse racing (the closest featured a unicorn logo). The most telling sight was a man sitting in front of the VLT, cane in hand, using the handle of the cane to press the button. Movement reduced to an absolute minimum. Downstairs all was shiny, carpeted and new - upstairs, fluorescent lighting and old linoleum ruled - perhaps a deliberate contrast designed to push people towards the "glamour" of the caisino. I doubt there was a whole lot of bleed the other way.
I haven't been to Mountaineer or Charles Town - perhaps these have a happier marriage of the two elements?
A New Track in Texas?
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SymRanch
- Maiden Special Weight
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 12:56 pm
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Well... this thread hits me in my backyard. Literally. The Pflugerville track site is a couple miles from my house, and I spent Tuesday night at the City Council meeting trying to get them to recommend the proposal.
That said, I hope I'm not delusional about the type of track we could get, and the impact to our town.
My basis for comparison?? The similar sized town in which I spent the first half of my life -- Saratoga.
I was able to meet the partners in the proposed track, and hope they are as willing to listen to ideas about how to package the venue as they seemed. We talked about using the track in off season for galloping eventers. And horse shows. And community events. And backstretch tours. And the idea of creating a "saratoga in the south"
Is that totally outside possible?? I don't know. It's certainly a far cry from the organized crime/drug dealing/prostitute infested sewer that the angry, torch-carrying masses here seems to think is the inevitable fate.
Anyone have experiences with successful, pleasant tracks that have opened within the last 100 or so years???
That said, I hope I'm not delusional about the type of track we could get, and the impact to our town.
My basis for comparison?? The similar sized town in which I spent the first half of my life -- Saratoga.
I was able to meet the partners in the proposed track, and hope they are as willing to listen to ideas about how to package the venue as they seemed. We talked about using the track in off season for galloping eventers. And horse shows. And community events. And backstretch tours. And the idea of creating a "saratoga in the south"
Is that totally outside possible?? I don't know. It's certainly a far cry from the organized crime/drug dealing/prostitute infested sewer that the angry, torch-carrying masses here seems to think is the inevitable fate.
Anyone have experiences with successful, pleasant tracks that have opened within the last 100 or so years???
Hello hello...
What I think is funny is the beggar attitude of all the horse owners/trainers/jockeys... they are so grateful to be receiving 2-3k more per race while the casino/track owners are carting off millions.
I have yet to see any horse association or group of owners stand up and say we want a higher percentage of the slots revenue... they just hold out their little hands for a tribble of change. and every now and then the slot owners will add a few more crumbs to the purses. Right now everyone in Okla and Tex are just 'holding' their breaths hoping for a slot vote.
Look at NFL/NBA... and other sports... no one ever dreamed those owners were carting off all that money until free agents were demanded.. and now look at the players salaries...and it is still a small percentage of the overall take....
also no one complains to the local tv stations that no horse racing is on their sports broadcasts... they have invented pay channels that most can't receive out of a metro area and placed them right along side of the porn channels.. lol...
even streaming video has been shutdown for free viewing... without giving your life's history and pedigree and placing it out there for them to sell to the rest of the world...
The only way horse racing is going to move ahead is to form owner, trainer and jockey unions and become flambouyant and just refuse to run horses at certain tracks until things change... but then we have all been brainwashed to be anti-union and politically correct.. we are like worker ants running up and down the path to no where... laughing texas...
What I think is funny is the beggar attitude of all the horse owners/trainers/jockeys... they are so grateful to be receiving 2-3k more per race while the casino/track owners are carting off millions.
I have yet to see any horse association or group of owners stand up and say we want a higher percentage of the slots revenue... they just hold out their little hands for a tribble of change. and every now and then the slot owners will add a few more crumbs to the purses. Right now everyone in Okla and Tex are just 'holding' their breaths hoping for a slot vote.
Look at NFL/NBA... and other sports... no one ever dreamed those owners were carting off all that money until free agents were demanded.. and now look at the players salaries...and it is still a small percentage of the overall take....
also no one complains to the local tv stations that no horse racing is on their sports broadcasts... they have invented pay channels that most can't receive out of a metro area and placed them right along side of the porn channels.. lol...
even streaming video has been shutdown for free viewing... without giving your life's history and pedigree and placing it out there for them to sell to the rest of the world...
The only way horse racing is going to move ahead is to form owner, trainer and jockey unions and become flambouyant and just refuse to run horses at certain tracks until things change... but then we have all been brainwashed to be anti-union and politically correct.. we are like worker ants running up and down the path to no where... laughing texas...
I STARTED OUT WITH NOTHING...
AND STILL HAVE MOST OF IT...
AND STILL HAVE MOST OF IT...
KAl, I have to agree with you that nothing beats live racing. I have been going to Saratoga for years, but this year I stayed local and went to Delaware Park. I couldn't have been happier. The crowd at Delaware was supporting great racing by playing the slots and unlike Saratoga, there was all kinds of room at the track.