ALMOST TIME
TO ROCK N ROLL
The advent of daylight savings time suggests that spring
isn’t all that far away and with it the start of a
new season. Despite the uneasiness of the current economic
climate, we’ve heard nothing but positive vibrations
concerning the first crop of Rocknroll Hanover.
For the most part, they tend to be good gaited and willing-music
to the ears at this point in time.
They’ll be racing soon enough.
JIM GOT AWAY
Never fails, sell a mare and her very next foal is a world
champion. Lucky Jim, the newest trotting sensation at 1:51.3
is from Hawaiian Sierra who spent most of her broodmare
life at Perretti Farms. She left here carrying Sierras Dream
1:55.3 a Dream Vacation winner of over $150,000 and then
got bred to S.J.’s Photo resulting in Lucky Jim.
Oh well wasn’t that long ago when we sold a colt
named VERSACHE for $7,500 at the New Jersey Classic prior
to offering his dam Fashion Setter in the same venue as
Hawaiian Sierra. Somewhere along the line, Versache got
his name changed to Enough Talk…
DEMOGRAPHICS
OF HANDLE
How can you follow the money if most tracks don’t
publish attendance and handle figures? What’s the
reason for this? It’s not like there’s something
to hide? During the course of the day a certain number of
individuals-be they fans, guests, bettors etc-inhabit the
premises and money flows through the betting windows. That’s
a given. But how much and where?
The most elementary business principle is to identify the
whereabouts of the existing and potential market and service
it accordingly. That said how do we do this in harness racing
if we’re not sure where the customers are?
For instance, it was reported that on a recent Saturday,
The Meadowlands harness product handled $4.1 million total
including $678,000 bet on track. There was an additional
$1.3 million handled on site the overwhelming majority of
which was probably on incoming thoroughbred simulcast. Deducting
the on track harness from the total harness take suggests
that some $3.4 million was handled off premises on the Big
M’s signal. O.K. where? Lets have a breakdown.
Is this excess handle from other harness tracks or siphoned
handle from those tracks that might have gone to the live
product-which may or may not be as attractive as the Big
M product?
How much of this is coming from thoroughbred plants and/or
wagering forums like TVG and YOUBET? How much from that
dreaded word OFFSHORE?
In the old days (good or otherwise) the overwhelming majority
of handle could be attributed to the onsite-attendees. Theoretically,
the overwhelming majority of those in attendance could be
considered eligible target audience for any marketing campaigns
the industry might seek to devise. Nowadays, this target
audience is virtually invisible shrouded amongst the myriad
of simulcast signals spanning the globe. Thus the problem
is not only the lack of coherent marketing, but also an
inability to pinpoint potential targets via handle demographics.
Courtesy of The Newark Star Ledger’s long time harness
maven Ray Brienza, we NOW have the following breakdown for
that fateful $4 million evening. In addition to the $678,000
bet on track, some $80,000 came through account wagering;
$74,000 was handled at the Woodbridge OTB favorites; the
OTBs in Toms River and Vineland contributed $38,000 and
the Atlantic City casinos kicked in $49,000.
Thus a total of $915,000 was handled in New Jersey.
Breaking it down further, $365,000 came in from Canada;
$222,000 from Illinois, $162,000 from California; $144,000
from Florida; $196,000 from New York OTB and $95,000 from
the Philadelphia Park outlets. There was also $542,000 from
other account wagering operations.
Based on these figures it would seem that some $2.7 million
(give or take) was bet on the harness product which when
added to the approximate $1.3 million handled on incoming
signals provides the listed $4 million total for the day.
It’s a start now can we reach these people?
UNFATHOMABLE
When you think about it, it is indeed surprising- this utter
lack of curiosity on the part of the media surrounding the
abrupt departure of a racetrack executive given the stature
of the parties involved.
Were this to occur in any other sport, the print and/or
the talk show guys would be all over it and sooner or later
some semblance of the real story would surface.
Perhaps as Bob Carson eloquently implied in his February
16th edition of “Outside The Box” it is time
to join the rest of the world and report the news as it
is not as we’d simply like it to be in terms of political
correctness.
After all, trade journals DO service the industry and as
such have a fiduciary responsibility to INFORM rather just
rehash what so often tends to be self serving publicity
jargon.
INCREDIBLE
Incredible, to think perhaps among the most credible voices
in America these days might be that belonging to Jose Canseco,
none other than the flamboyant whistle blower dismissed
as an opportunistic rat and rumor monger for daring to broadcast
that some sacred cows (himself included) just might be cheaters
and steroid users.
Hmmmm!
That said, we’ve all heard the scuttlebutt surrounding
some of our suddenly successful conditioners some of whom
are probably steps ahead of the testers just as other athletes
were-or thought they were.
And should a credible insider amongst our fraternity dare
to surface and name names, what would we do? Hopefully not
merely drown this voice with tsunamis of defensive rhetoric.
Bob Marks