tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post4073471314835541255..comments2024-02-27T17:43:37.207-05:00Comments on View From the Racetrack Grandstand: This is Why This Business May Never Get Its House in OrderThat Blog Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-76162040107488487252011-11-11T09:49:35.549-05:002011-11-11T09:49:35.549-05:00Anon, you raise some valid points.
First of all T...Anon, you raise some valid points.<br /><br />First of all Tioga and Vernon are small time markets that don't get the play they deserve. Unfortunately, for most tracks, it is the off-track handle which makes the money but there are too many tracks competiting at the same time.<br /><br />I personally see some opportunity for their handles to go up next year working with the Meadowlands.<br /><br />You can't deny the star power of horses like Zenyatta who, while a female, brought them to the track. When you go back to YR's golden era with their FFA handicaps, there were monsters racing week-in, week-out who could have been at stud but they wont.<br /><br />Ideally, I think the Europeans have the best idea, breed and race at the same time. Most horses improve as time goes on. <br /><br />What we need to do is cut purses on two year old events and add them to aged events to make it worthwhile to keep racing, and I believe he will do his part to make that a reality.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the only thing which will change this is if the Hambo Society changes the rules for the Hambo and stallion owners see the yearlings of their first crop go for a pittance of what they should due to limited earning power.<br /><br />Why should people trust Gural? He is the only one who is try to save the game? I think that is worth something but apparently others don't.That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-24979400170051121282011-11-11T00:50:27.429-05:002011-11-11T00:50:27.429-05:00I commend Jeff Gural in his efforts to keep the gr...I commend Jeff Gural in his efforts to keep the greatest harness track alive but have serious doubts on his stud views. First off, Jeff Gural has contributed to the game greatly by building Tioga and saving Vernon Downs. However, his ownership of these two tracks have had little impact on getting more people involved in the sport. The pools at these tracks are almost always pathetically small. The harness aspect of his tracks have to lose money. Without the casino these tracks wouldn't exist. What makes you think that his new idea will have any impact on the game? How can anyone tell me when to retire my horse? Why would an owner who routinely loses money every year pass up an opportunity to profit by retiring a horse to stud? There is too much at risk in a monetary sense to risk a year more on the track. <br /><br />By racing these horses hard at two and three it seems likely that they would have to regress as they age. One more note, Jeff gural hasn't bucked any trends in the harness game so why should we trust him?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com