tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.comments2024-02-27T17:43:37.207-05:00View From the Racetrack GrandstandThat Blog Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comBlogger2661125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-68549268450536921962017-07-24T18:10:21.179-04:002017-07-24T18:10:21.179-04:00Judge was the first horse I ever placed a winning ...Judge was the first horse I ever placed a winning bet on. I can't recall if it was 1970 or 1971 but know that I was only 11 at the time (it was a different Era where they treated some families like "track families" and my grandfather had been a well-known handicapper at Brandywine and Delaware Park) and I won $30. Three standout favorites from those days were Albatross, Judge and Rotybus (sp?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-13834241738077014842017-07-06T06:11:15.789-04:002017-07-06T06:11:15.789-04:00
I am going to turn over the blog to another indiv...<br />I am going to turn over the blog to another individual who has been involved in harness racing for a long time. That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-39542313961666459032017-07-05T18:18:00.367-04:002017-07-05T18:18:00.367-04:00PL?PL?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14391408245642333359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-89090542716320533472017-06-23T15:14:34.364-04:002017-06-23T15:14:34.364-04:00This comment has been hidden from the blog.Countnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-54316536889983512802017-06-23T08:58:02.850-04:002017-06-23T08:58:02.850-04:00This comment has been hidden from the blog.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06147061743382016178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-1682051976905674792017-06-23T01:21:06.041-04:002017-06-23T01:21:06.041-04:00This comment has been hidden from the blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-1531814791949708552017-06-22T23:05:04.175-04:002017-06-22T23:05:04.175-04:00This comment has been hidden from the blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-36600338164489460702017-06-22T17:20:14.933-04:002017-06-22T17:20:14.933-04:00This comment has been hidden from the blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-48102247225384528712017-06-16T08:03:41.759-04:002017-06-16T08:03:41.759-04:00Hopefully Vernon WILL close, and then be followed ...Hopefully Vernon WILL close, and then be followed by several other smaller venues that exist only because of slot revenue. While a few horsemen MAY be inconvenienced (having to ship a little further to race every week), the overall health of the racing industry is at stake; unless we finally see some contraction, the cycle of falling handles will continue, and likely worsen (ultimately leading to the complete demise of the game, once the state governments gradually end the slot subsidies)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-52637607296073861452017-06-15T15:48:36.289-04:002017-06-15T15:48:36.289-04:00Moving the GTA racing out of Woodbine to Mohawk is...Moving the GTA racing out of Woodbine to Mohawk is a mistake. Mohawk is significantly out of town whereas Woodbine is not far from Pearson Airport. Harness used to race at Greenwood Raceway (aka Old Woodbine) which was downtown on Lake Ontario. Look at harness racing in California. It went from THE place in the fall to race at Hollywood Park in the 1970s to a winter Los Alamitos meet featuring stakes for $100k-250k and now to Sacramento where a top weekly open goes for about $6500. CalX attendance is small and always has been. <br /> People drive handle which drives purses. Slots nearly went away in Ontario a few years ago. When the slots stop supporting the handle, a track 30+ miles out of town is no way to develop new patrons and bettors. Of course, I don't think anyone is trying to develop new fans anymore which means all this is a slippery slope to the bottom with an industry that does nothing to stop the slide.Marvhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07492130857796273001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-73954245358438518722017-06-01T04:37:24.373-04:002017-06-01T04:37:24.373-04:00good! I believe the majority of people would agree...good! I believe the majority of people would agree the passing lane should go away<br /><br /><a href="https://www.gclub-casino.com/" rel="nofollow">Gclub</a><br /><a href="https://www.gclub-casino.com/baccarat/" rel="nofollow">บาคาร่า</a><br />koi seohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349877513976113883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-32479979461650214942017-05-29T11:00:10.412-04:002017-05-29T11:00:10.412-04:00Unsure I agree with Anonymous. It took awhile for ...Unsure I agree with Anonymous. It took awhile for Miso Fast to clear the long shot leaver. Once he did at the quarter, it appeared to me that Kakaley took a pretty good hold, rather than overtly trying to park the eventual winner. In any event, truly refreshing to see a race at Yonkers not assume a predictable lineup 100 yards after the start.JLBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-26328431221449700712017-05-29T06:45:52.319-04:002017-05-29T06:45:52.319-04:00Speaking of Miso Fast, the Rooney might have been ...Speaking of Miso Fast, the Rooney might have been one of Kakaley's worst drives ever - attempting to "soften" the beastly Downbytheseaside was doomed to fail, and that's not an opinion offered in hindsight (since no horse could have been "softened" any more than the winner was the week before, and it still didn't faze him). If Kakaley releases the winner more readily, Miso Fast almost certainly finishes 2nd; instead, his foolish drive resulted in the 2nd best horse going home with no check, and likely some hurt feelings (I happen to think Kakaley is an excellent driver, just not on this night)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-36090699584164879252017-05-28T14:03:33.320-04:002017-05-28T14:03:33.320-04:00We DO give the customers "what they want"...We DO give the customers "what they want" - it's called casinos, poker, and sports betting. And big rebates, for the few remaining horse players. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-16620602965753523762017-05-26T23:29:00.708-04:002017-05-26T23:29:00.708-04:00No one but Walter Case can answer the question if ...No one but Walter Case can answer the question if he wants to drive again or not. So that being said and seeing how he's done the time that fit the crime. I strongly believe that he should totally be considered for reinstatement and if the State Racing Boards are satisfied with their meetings with Walter then it should be up to him wether he wants to drive again. Everything I've been reading in this blog a lot of people are saying that maybe he doesn't want to come back. These are all assumptions and no one knows what he wants to do. I've been watching racing for almost 50 years and I watched Walter race many times and I can say with all due respect. The drivers he raced against when he was on top and the drivers he would be racing against today would not be very happy. Because it will not take very long for him to be right back on top again. My wife and I own several horses and would not hesitate one bit to put Walter up on all of our horses. Walter or Luanne if either of you see this My wife and I would love to be able to support you in any way we could and we would be proud to stand with you at any hearings needed to get you back where you belong. If either of you feel that we could be helpful in any way at all please reply through this blog and we can figure out a way to be able to talk. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-8739358129552853982017-05-25T17:42:25.450-04:002017-05-25T17:42:25.450-04:00I read Ray Cotolo's column, and while I agree ...I read Ray Cotolo's column, and while I agree with him that Miso Fast is a horse to watch for 2017, he mistakenly repeatedly refers to the horse as being small last year. Miso Fast was a strong, good sized yearling and sold for $125,000. He was likewise a very good sized 2 year-old as can easily be seen in the video link next to the story Cotolo wrote about him in his article. So, am not sure what would cause Cotolo to refer to him as being small. <br /><br />Larry KarrLarry Karrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16021536562658471206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-46940255058510221172017-05-25T13:23:26.921-04:002017-05-25T13:23:26.921-04:00There was talk of running dual breed cards at the ...There was talk of running dual breed cards at the Meadowlands a year or two ago, but it never materialized. <br /><br />Anthony Downs in Kansas used to run dual breeds - alternating horse races with greyhound races.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-3073699119291849222017-05-12T00:00:08.752-04:002017-05-12T00:00:08.752-04:00It's not that people "prefer" The Me...It's not that people "prefer" The Meadowlands - racing patrons are purely creatures of habit, and seem to just automatically do what they've "always done". It's the same reason that Monticello will outhandle Chester despite racing cheap horses, with bad drivers, and the same few trainers winning every race - the "regulars" are used to "their track", and it takes a lot to get them to switch. Obviously the Meadowlands racing doesn't resemble "Meadowlands racing" anymore, but the old timers just continue to wager on what is now an awful product (and where they have even LESS chance to win than they used to, thanks to having to play against a cartel that is afforded the unfair advantage of having a direct link to the tote system, unavailable to "regular guys").Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-71778594110977782422017-05-11T08:36:26.598-04:002017-05-11T08:36:26.598-04:00A nine race card of six horses each does not make ...A nine race card of six horses each does not make a good race card, certainly for bettors. Of course, for horsemen, having to beat only one horse is a dream come true.That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-17687597306832174742017-05-11T08:07:17.362-04:002017-05-11T08:07:17.362-04:00Shame on Vernon management for cancelling Friday&#...Shame on Vernon management for cancelling Friday's races with 55 horses drawing in. That is more than enough for a 9-race card. And Pacingguy, you know more than anyone else that without the special treatment given to the Meadowlands syndicates artificially boosting the Meadowlands handles, of which they contribute next to NOTHING toward the horsemen or the purses, that their handle would resemble Dover Downs handles of the 80s. No one at any other racetrack is betting the Meadowlands via simulcast.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-56463841999541498212017-04-21T01:14:27.376-04:002017-04-21T01:14:27.376-04:00Change the month from August to AprilChange the month from August to AprilBlainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01099944785495100269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-31089136865715123032017-04-05T08:20:21.985-04:002017-04-05T08:20:21.985-04:00You raise a good point about who is paying the reb...You raise a good point about who is paying the rebate, often it is the ADWs which offer it but while the rake is the same for all, the net result is those players which get those rebates have a net cut in the cost of wagering, call it rake or something else, the net result is the same. <br /><br />In some states, laws keep you from legally finding an ADW which offers any good rebates. New Jersey is one of them. That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-45102407052871500412017-04-04T23:35:19.570-04:002017-04-04T23:35:19.570-04:00With all due respect, your post about rebates sugg...With all due respect, your post about rebates suggests that you don't really understand how they work (comments like "offering rebates to whales while the little guy has to play against the full rake is patently unfair" confirm this). The truth of the matter is that BOTH the "little guy" and "the whale" are playing against the full rake - the only difference is that the "middle man" (generally the ADW) is making LESS money on the whale, than he is on the little guy (in that he "pays more" for the whale's business, than he does for the casual player). And by the way, there are several ADWs that offer nice rebates to even the smallest of players - failure to take advantage of them is just foolish, and "lazy" on the part of those whining the loudest!<br /><br />With today's small harness pools, it's virtually impossible for ANY large player to turn a profit, because the pools simply can't handle large wagers without significantly hurting the payoffs. But without the rebate, the large player (if he's even marginally intelligent) will take his action someplace else, leaving almost nothing in the pools for the "little guy" (if you don't believe me, get a breakdown of where the handle comes from for almost every harness track, and you'll see that a huge percentage comes from a handful of ADW's, fueled by the bigger players). <br /><br />The only gripe players (large and small) have is with the Meadowlands, which allows THEIR biggest wagering group to have direct access to the tote system, allowing their own computer to make a large assortment of wagers right at the very end, using an arbitrage formula to play all the existing "overlays". This truly gives them an huge edge, unavailable to any other players. That is NOTHING like a rebate, which in no way gives any player an advantage over another. I hope this clears things up a bit. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-83642577880728450062017-04-04T11:35:07.454-04:002017-04-04T11:35:07.454-04:00Watching live racing at the track is my preference...Watching live racing at the track is my preference. Unfortunately, my closest track has take out that includes 30% on trifectas and superfectas. Over the years, I've made numerous suggestions for offering extra value to customers who take the time and spend gas money traveling to the track. There have been good promotions in that time, but virtually no daily benefits for on track bettors. Could be free live racing programs, drawings for betting coupons and food, lowered or zero takeout on certain winning bets and increased rebates on only bets made at the track. Management didn't buy into those ideas or anything similar. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-84853950152482121502017-04-04T08:26:45.874-04:002017-04-04T08:26:45.874-04:00Big bettors NEED a rebate so that they don't l...Big bettors NEED a rebate so that they don't lose and to justify their level of play??!!!?? Why thank you almighty gambler, anything else we can do for you? This is harness racing, a RECREATIONAL activity for those betting on it and enjoying it but you make it sound a lot like the rigged stock market of today! Yes entitled anonymous one (aren't they all anonymous?), I am very jealous that I don't spend the majority of my household income on a fun activity that I enjoy (or at least used to enjoy) and instead choose to invest it in my household and family. Imagine someone in 1975, when men were men, asking for a rebate when they make large wagers so that they can't lose? "Waah" - that is your reality my friend!Countnoreply@blogger.com