Mancino on the Job

Jeff Gural often talks how horsemen aren't investing funds into getting people back to the track.  Well, thanks to the Executive Director of the Ohio Harness Horsemen Association, Renee Mancino, that may be changing in the Buckeye State as she has some ideas to promote the sport.  Her plans start with the Drivers of Ohio Calendar to show how young people can be part of the sport, hoping to capitalize on the X games phenomenon.  Of course, this is just a start but with Mancino, grass will not be growing under her feet.  With Northfield Park's Brock Milstein's plans to start promoting harness racing, this may be a period where horsemen and management work together to get people in the seats, betting.

Another issue Mancino hopes to work on is fixing the broken ADW system.  The realization is many gamblers have been lost to the ADWs but the amount tracks receive is a pittance. Track deserve a larger portion of the ADW pie.  Fixing the existing system may be hard due to anti-trust issues.  Forgetting about anti-trust laws, tracks can't afford to block their signals to ADWs, handles will reach all-time lows.  Ohio horsemen and tracks should work on forming their own ADW to compete against the national ADWs.  Even with offering rebates, they will manage to get a larger portion of the commission.  

Some fear track-operated ADWs.  There is no reason to fear them.  Unless you are in a state such as New Jersey which forces you to use only one ADW, they will be competing against other ADWs.  Horseplayers are much more sophisticated than they were in the past.  They will shop for the bet deal so unless they offer rebates, gamblers will remain with national ADWs.

The Meadowlands has its first six figure Super High Five Jackpot carryover ready for the taking  tonight in the 10th race.  Remember hitting the Pick-5 will get you a nice payoff  if more than one person wins the wager as only 25% of the daily handle goes into the jackpot; 75% goes to the nightly winner(s).but you need to be creative and be the only one to hit the Pick-5 in order to take down the Jackpot.

Those planning on wagering on weekend racing in the East this weekend need to be aware the region may be hit with temperatures the coldest in twenty years.  Hence tracks may decide it is too cold for horses (and drivers) and cancel their cards.  if this happens, Cal Expo and Pompano Park may be beneficiaries of track cloures with handle worth wagering on.