This is an actual article from the online version of the Daily Racing Form (2/11/2008). Read it a few times, it actually gets worse with repetition:

http://www.drf.com/news/article/92207.html

Which star ran better?

NEW ORLEANS - Indian Blessing got from Point A to Point B much faster than did Pyro on Saturday at Fair Grounds, running 1 1/16 miles in the Silverbulletday Stakes almost one second faster than Pyro did winning the Risen Star. But while Indian Blessing visibly tired in her final furlong, Pyro came through the stretch like he had been shot from a cannon, covering his final quarter-mile in less than 23 seconds on the way to an improbable last-to-first win.

The question of which horse - filly or colt - ran a better race figures to occasion lively debate among racing fans this week, and fortunately, both horses emerged in good physical shape, their trainers said Monday.

While Pyro is a likely starter in the Louisiana Derby here on Marcho8, Indian Blessing was scheduled to return to trainer Bob Baffert's home base in California on Tuesday.

"I'm going to get her back here and monitor her here. She wasn't as tired as she was the one before," said Baffert, referring to Indian Blessing's narrow win last month at Santa Anita.

Baffert said Indian Blessing was likely to make her next start on dirt, adding that she was now firmly being pointed to the Kentucky Oaks. Indian Blessing, still undefeated after five starts, has looked ripe for passing in the stretch run of her two two-turn races, but she so far has held off all challengers, and did so Saturday through the longest stretch in North America.

"That's why I took her down there, to see if she could handle that," Baffert said. "A true two-turn horse will get it done."

Indian Blessing was timed in 1:43.75, and was given a Beyer Speed Figure of 99. Pyro was timed in 1:44.68, worth only a 90 Beyer, but there was no way Pyro could have run a fast final time. The Silverbulletday's first half-mile was run in 47.15 seconds, while the Risen Star went in a glacial 49.50. At that juncture, Pyro was last of 11, about seven lengths behind the leaders, and in 11th he stayed until launching a memorable run at the top of the stretch.

"Pyro's race was extremely impressive," trainer Steve Asmussen said. "It wasn't a fast final time, but I was concerned about it being too hard a race. He ran a quarter-mile, and how hard was that?"

Asmussen said both Pyro and Z Fortune, who lost for the first time while finishing second in the Risen Star, would breeze next Monday. Plans for Z Fortune aren't set, Asmussen said.

The trainer hopes to meet with owner Ahmed Zayat "and we'll map out a plan," Asmussen said. "I think we'll know a lot, how much it took out of him, after he breezes. Hopefully, he's still moving forward."

I said I'm not sure why this was published in than did Daily Racing Form with such poor command of that there english language I said. I could have written this in fourth grade and there is no way that could have known the difference in that there article was. I would have been embarassed to have that article in my newspaper, said me.

I realize some of these Form writers are paid in peanuts and goobers, but for God's sake, hire an online editor......Not only is this an embarrassingly poor example of expository writing, the content is deplorable. He essentially wrote about the hottest topic of the Triple Crown chase to date and managed to add nothing even remotely tangible or insightful.

The following is an excerpt from calracing.com that highlights the activities surrounding the record Pick-6 pool at Hollywood over the summer:

 http://www.calracing.com/press_releases.php?f=RECORDDAILYHANDLEOF113MIL.html

The biggest non-holiday weekday handle in track history came Monday, July 2, when a record four-day Pick Six carryover of $3,274,505.48 generated a single-day record Pick Six handle of $7,596,347.12 and a record Pick Six pool of $10,870,852.60.

Total handle was $18,407,581. Thirteen perfect tickets were worth $576,064.40 each, while 807 consolation tickets with five winners each were worth $2,240.40. A single winning ticket would have paid a record $7.4 million.

Eight of the tickets were purchased in California with investments ranging from $2 to $14,400. A father/daughter team had two perfect tickets at Los Alamitos — one on a $2 ticket and one on a $4 ticket. There was a $24 winning ticket at Victorville and a $432 winning ticket at Santa Anita. At Hollywood Park, one player cashed twice, once with a $768 ticket and once on a $960 wager.

At the time this story surfaced, many on this forum questioned if the $2 and $4 winning tickets were a result of impropriety instead of dumb luck, no check that, unfathomable moronic luck. My feelings on the lottery and the types of people that engage in lottery style gambling ventures are well documented. There is positively no reason for another Dennis Millerian style rant here. However, I believe those questioning the legitimacy of a winning straight Pick-6 ticket give the general public way too much credit. People love playing the same numbers, birthdates, anniversaries, lucky numbers, and all sorts of other novelties of chance on a daily basis with the hope and prayer of a huge payout.

I only rehash this because of this story from the Sunday, December 30^th version of the Form:

One New York City Off-Track Betting patron didn’t need a dollar to realize his dream. All he needed was a dime. The unidentified bettor collected the entire net pool of $23,609 when he hit the Superfecta in Friday’s third race. The winning combination of 2-6-10-4 consisted of Karakorum Roulette ($74.50) over 12-1 shot Ambidaxtrous, 43-1 shot Sounds Tacky, and 5-1 shot Phil Cat.

That is one heck of shrewd straight Dime Super play. Some may say this smells bad. I say it smells like one of the millions of uninformed degenerates in this country that got lucky. The counter argument to my sentiment is the pure statistical anomaly that allows these individuals to cash a straight ticket with so many mathematical possibilities. However, what we all need to realize is the sheer volume of people out there playing these types of wagers on a daily basis renders the statistical viability of hitting such a wager that much more realistic. 

Since I'm being dragged on a holiday weekend with a lot of "in-law" action, I need to get these three quick points out there: 

(1) After the debacle that was Del Mar, you have to think that the geeked up, speed favoring main track at Santa Anita has much to do with restoring the Grand Old Speed Highway of yesteryear. The much maligned Poly surface that “ruined the meet” of many owners and trainers where the surf meets the plastic is no doubt in the consciousness of track officials all over Southern California. If the trend holds up, and speed is once again king, consider this a market correction for the region. No two synthetic surfaces are the same, even of the same manufacturer (The Keeneland Poly plays much differently than the Arlington Poly, etc.); I’m looking for the Arcadia meet on the Cushion to be more favorable to early speed types throughout the season.

(2) Speaking of SoCal……the jockey colony went from legendary to poor and now is in the midst of resurgence to earlier glory. It’s nice to see. The next step is improving the quality of racing. Anecdotally, the 2007 campaign in SoCal was inundated with more claiming races than I ever noticed in prior years. The Pacific (Claimer) Classic should be a Grade III based on the 2007 renewal. Here’s to hoping the 2008 version is a bit stronger. Student Council? Really?

(3) As to the Mike Maloney charge, it is quite perplexing. I’m not sure what precisely Mr. Maloney stands to gain by lying or exaggerating, so I believe him. I don't buy the rationale that he is seeking two minutes of fame. I read a book entitled the, "Six Secrets of Successful Gamblers" that profiles a number of people, including a "huge handle everyday KY based handicapper". If memory serves correctly, only this particular individual and one other gambler, a Nevada based Baseball bettor did not use their actual names in the book. Although the book was hardly a NY Times Bestseller, someone seeking notority would certainly use their name, wanting any press they could get. I'm 99% certain the profiled individual is Mr. Maloney.   

It defies logic that someone with the ability to place wagers after the bell would make this known out of pure decency to better the game for all of us. It’s almost "un-American" in this culture. If he really is telling the truth, as I suspect he is, he gets my nomination for Man of the Year and perhaps a write in vote for the 2008 Presidential election. This is coming from a guy that is arguably the most cynical person on the planet, less perhaps RAVE. 

Ah, the wonders of the holiday season…….With the New Year imminent, lists, predictions, resolutions, and the like will be in full force and effect over the next week. Experts will pontificate on the issues of 2008, list Derby candidates, critique the impact of the racino, question synthetic surfaces, and consider year end awards. Since I enjoy a bit of sarcastic, deeply cynical humor with my Corn Flakes, I will attempt to write in the style of some well known figures in the racing press. I really like most of these guys, except for Beyer, so again, all in good fun, except for Beyer:

Jay Cronley: 2008 is the season to bet on claimers. 3:1 on a horse bred in the middle of nowhere with a pilot on his back of equal anonymity…I’ll take it. You can have your fancy blue bloods. A $5,000 claimer features animals that time forgot; few wager on such bottom feeders. The smart money at fancy venues wouldn’t waste time on broken down flesh. Take it to the bank-A female rider, riding the biased rail at a track in the middle of God’s country. That’s the key. The racino patron is too tied up with hearing the empty noises of the nickel slot to notice the third race double probables. The 2:1 winner of the second race paired with 8 of the 12 runners in race three pays you enough to put some extra spending money in your pocket-enough to overcome the $100 a barrel oil prices and cost of admission, a Racing Form, and a $3.00 carbonated beverage.

Andy Beyer: I’ll start the year attempting to pick the Derby winner, something I haven’t done since 1978. One of these days, I’ll realize that my excrement does in fact have a rather distinct scent, much like that of the general population. Did I mention I went to MIT? My figures are perhaps the greatest invention of the century, barely edging out the car, computer, air travel, and a cure to a devastating disease. Synthetic surfaces are imprudent because my God figures, I mean Beyer figures, are less important. Beyer on Speed, which once again uses my surname in the title (see Trump, Donald), will be the greatest selling book in 2008 along with the bible and “Harry Potter and the Warthog Hogwarts Warlock”. “Beyer on Cooking” is another book I’m working on which features 30 minute boxed lunch ideas for those spending all week at Laurel. The PB and banana with Cheetos is my favorite.

Steven Crist: In 2008, people that create “caveman” multi race exotic tickets will be ritualistically rounded up by DRF data specialists and be forbidden to access online wagering services. How any human being could construct a ticket without the “A”, “B”, “C”, “X” system is beyond my understanding. Did I mention I went to Harvard? Of course, my system assumes you have a daily handicapping bankroll of $15,000. My year round handle is roughly equivalent to the GDP of Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta. My prediction in 2008 is that the NYRA, New York Times, and all other New York institutions will be a complete joke.

Steve Haskin: I’ll start my list of Derby contenders the way I finish my list of Derby contenders, by describing how majestic the coats of 18 of the 20 postward animals look. I believe that horses on the muscle with good works will win the Derby and I will give you my 15 horse Exacta Box on May 2^nd, since I actually like most every horse in the field. 10 of the 20 Derby entrants “travel well”, “well within themselves”, and “with ease”. They’re all handsome sons of someone, which is my favorite part of the Derby as you’ve probably noticed. By physical appearance alone, 275 horses can win the Derby right now.

McCarron: I’ll be bitter and make fun of everyone else in an attempt to hide the fact that I have low self esteem. Since it’s easier to note the flaws in what other people do or say, I can sit behind the comfort of my own keyboard and type away with no repercussions. Since I sit in my little office all day as a small cog on a large wheel of the corporate world, I use horseplayer.com to vent on the daily occurrences of a hobby I enjoy to make myself feel better about life in general. Hyperbole and cynicism rule, since such emotions are easier to convey than most others. My end of the year profit was once again impressive at the cost of having any sort of other life beyond sitting at my home office desk, yelling at a race occurring 2,000 miles away, in what can only be described as the pinnacle of post-modernism gone wrong. I wonder when the IT department at work will check my laptop to find “cookies” with youbet.com, betpad.com, and equibase.com, sites I visit while traveling for work at night, in my hotel room, after the workday is done, and terminate my employment. As a complete aside, I also wonder when the tax code on exotic wagering will reach 19^th century sensibilities.

Randy Moss: At some point during a 2008 telecast from the Derby trail, I will look Hank Goldberg directly in the eye, on air, and ask him how he got the racing analyst role on ESPN. As a very strong public handicapper and analyst, it will finally piss me off to no end to hear his uneven and obvious comments for the final time, pushing me to challenge him to a duel.

Of course, this is all in good fun, except for Beyer, and I hope you were mildly amused by it. At the risk of sounding sycophantic, I thoroughly enjoy this site and the quality of content therein. A site like this has been sorely needed in cyberspace-it’s a fantastic diversion from the monotony and predictability of other such spaces. Thanks to JP, Tom Quigley, and the judges for the contest, and to the fantastic contributions here on a regular basis. It’s been fun, worthwhile, and most of all, informative.

Anyone that will be in Vegas for the HPWS, let me know. I always sit with some friends in the quiet, third room, away from the masses.

 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…..Here’s to hoping next year is just as miserable as the last!!

 “Saving” racing is a popular topic both on the boards across cyberspace and in the racing press. The pertinence of this particular subject is perplexing. What exactly needs saving? Let’s be entirely realistic about what racing really is; an unpopular form of wagering and an equally unpopular spectator event. Sure it has an abundance of problems, but as thehoarsehorseplayer pointed out, it’s not going anywhere.

The complexities of wagering keep people from betting on the horses in greater numbers. I’ve made this point before using the lottery as an example. Often in life, intelligent human beings are way too kind when assessing the mental power and tendencies of the general population. There is a reason why the lottery is fervently popular, Deal or No Deal continues to thrive, and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? is a hit. I repeat, there is actually a television program called Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? and worse, people watch it.

Do we really expect the average American to learn to read a Racing Form when they can barely read the USA TODAY (which is written on a ninth grade level)? For the record, according to the USA TODAY, the weather was blue today in New York. Thank the Lord I had my winter coat ready to go. I just wasn’t ready for the blue this morning!

No one wants to take the time to learn how to piece together “difficult” wagers when they can pull a lever (push a button these days-a lever takes to much time and physical effort for the obese American public) of a slot machine, ask for a “quick pick” (since most are too lazy to take out a golf pencil and bubble in their own number “choices” for the lottery), or find a nickel between the couch cushions and rub off the metallic film on a $5 scratch ticket. Why bet on those complicated horses with all of those confusing numbers on the little screen with all of those weird sounding track names like Pimlico? What do all of those numbers mean? Numbers are everywhere, it’s just too much! What is an exacta again? Why can’t you just pick a numbered case and find out if you’ve won? Pass me the KFC gravy bowl, I wasn’t done with the mashed potatoes……

Games of skill and the pursuit of interests that are time intensive are all but lost in this society filled with constant communication devices and tools of instant gratification. The glory days of packed grandstands with fans wearing suits and fashionable hats are long gone. I’ve grown tired of the comparison to yesteryear. Things change, everyday realities are different, societies evolve, or in this case, devolve.

Unfortunately, we live in a collective society that elected George Bush not once, but twice. Large groups of people, the majority, are often times wrong or misguided. There is absolutely nothing wrong with loving something that is unpopular. I love the Pittsburgh Pirates and hate the Beatles. Perhaps my love for handicapping stems from that contrarian nature. I know it’s hard to believe there is actually someone in the world that is repulsed by the Beatles, but I just don’t buy the hype. Cu Cu Cachoo? What the F does that mean? I honestly think the Beatles were so famous at that point that one night while hammered they decided to write a song with made up words just to show the whole world that they could write a piece of crap song about nothing and people would still love it. If the Beatles wrote and performed “Ice Ice Baby”, not one person today would mock it. The masses lose all sense of objectivity when it comes to the Beatles, it’s unhealthy.

Back to the subject at hand……We’re way past the point of bringing new bettors into the fold in large numbers. It just won’t happen. Making this sport better moving forward is not about promoting its stars, adding new wagers, or undergoing intense new marketing campaigns (not that the industry will even bother trying). As Thehoarsehorseplayer articulated in his very nice piece, it’s all about the regulars like us.

We love an unpopular sport. It would be more popular if bikini clad models holding numbered plastic cases stood on the dirt or plastic track and allowed the customers to select a suitcase at random in the hopes of winning a prize.

As many have already noted, the powers that be of the sport are inept. The sensible, pragmatic voices of forums like this are well aware that the key to long term success is paying attention to our needs. It’s such a simple concept, yet so difficult for the geniuses that run the ship to comprehend. It’s the first rule of most successful retail companies-LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMER!

Everyday, I hear a different complaint about the way a local track or the industry as a whole treats the regular player. Sadly enough most are legitimate gripes. I can’t imagine the brain trust at Churchill asked any actual living, everyday horseplayer about the Under/Over wager. Did any regular customers really crave Extreme Day? I know personally the idea of a race with all gray horses is just so gosh darn interesting from a betting perspective. You think RAVE was the voice of the horseplayer that led to the wiener dog race between the 3^rd and 4^th? Was it Turf Course: Heavy that asked management for the Ostrich race? When do you think we could get some 18 year old high school drop out with fake blond hair and a fake chest to shoot a T-shirt or two through the air bazooka up here in the Grandstand?

Gimmicks like Extreme Day with sideshows that deemphasize racing are nice marketing tools that increase attendance (for a day) and pan to the lack of sensibility of the greater culture as a whole. This may increase awareness of horse racing in the general consciousness of the everyday American and also increase gate receipts for those given days. However, it will not lead to greater long-term handle or viability in the sporting realm because the regulars don’t need or want such sideshows; their handle is what counts. Racing, “is what it is”. As much as I loathe that statement, it’s apt in this context.

It’s clear the Breeders’ Cup wasn’t concerned with perhaps running the idea of adding three more races by a focus group of actual wagering, real live players. But why is that surprising? This is an unpopular sport and that’s just fine by me. I just wish they could find a way to make people like us a little bit happier, and in doing so, make the product stronger for those that live and breathe it.

Mission Accomplished.