JC / Railbird

The Sport Archive

Needed: One Bugler

Lone Star Park is looking for a bugler to play the “Call to Post” before each race during the Breeders’ Cup meeting this October. Auditions will be held on September 1. Appointments are encouraged; walk-ups are welcome. (Thoroughbred Times)

Posted in The Sport on August 23, 2004

Wagering Down, Purses Up

The NTRA’s second quarter report on racing economic indicators released this week shows mixed numbers: “Total wagering declined marginally from $4,113,889,920 to $4,110,567,732 (-.08%)…. Purses, which showed a one percent drop in first-quarter 2004 over the prior year, rebounded strongly, showing a 2.86 percent increase ($292,902,564 to $284,769,311) over the comparable quarter in 2003.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

Posted in The Sport on July 22, 2004

Del Mar Delights

Sure, the racing at Saratoga is superior, concedes Jay Privman in the Daily Racing Form, but of the two summer meets, it’s Del Mar by far that’s the more fun.
Related: “Del Mar kicks off its 43-day season” (ESPN), and “Racing now riding high” (San Diego Union-Tribune).

Posted in The Sport on July 20, 2004

A Day at the Races

The Morning News guys spend a day at Belmont.

Posted in The Sport on July 15, 2004

Needed: Young Bettors

Saying the “current customer pool had just about reached its betting limit,” New Zealand racing board chairman Warren Larsen told delegates to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing annual meeting that racing needs young fans and it needs them now. No surprise — young people surveyed by the board expressed distaste for the seedy atmosphere of betting outlets, an irritation at the lack of information on betting, and wanted to see better food service and improved facilities (Otago Daily Times).

Comment: It’s not just the youth of New Zealand who feel this way. I think of the amenities at Suffolk, and other tracks I’ve visited recently, such as Belmont and Bay Meadows, and what comes to mind is the cavernous concrete architecture and the sad little concession stands dominated by hot dogs and cheap beer of each. Ok, the hot dogs aren’t bad … but it would be wonderful to see improvements in the form of better food and more choices and a nicer environment in which to eat and drink, and why not get a franchise or two to set up shop in the grandstand? There have been so many afternoons where I’ve longed to sip a Frappuccino while perusing that day’s Form.

Posted in International, The Sport on July 12, 2004

The Dog Days of Racing

“There’s another feeling of nothingness in the air as racing trudges its way through this summer…. Few know and few care who wins races like the Suburban Handicap, the Hollywood Gold Cup, the United Nations, the Arlington Million or any of the Grade I events that dot the summer schedule.” A few owners and breeders are working to change that, Bill Finley reports (ESPN).

Posted in The Sport on July 7, 2004

So That Was Smarty’s Problem

It was the lack of distance races that cost Smarty Jones the Triple Crown, writes Earl Ola in the Blood-Horse. What the sport needs are more races 1 1/2 to 2 miles long, not fewer. What’s all this emphasis on speed, anyway?

Posted in The Sport on July 7, 2004

Out of Sight …

“Racing’s desperate mission this summer is keeping Smarty Jones alive,” writes Stan Bergstein in today’s Daily Racing Form. Not alive, of course — Smarty’s doing just fine, but alive in the public mind. It’s racing’s perpetual challenge. Too bad for trainers and tracks and fans alike — unlike human stars, horses don’t have wardrobe malfunctions, knock down paparazzi, or check themselves into rehab. If only! Think of the headlines.

Tangentially: “The good sports behind Azeri’s return” (ESPN).

Posted in The Sport on June 30, 2004

Good News/Bad News

Bay Meadows attendance up, handle down (Daily Racing Form). One thing that pops out in this article is the mention of the Memorial Day crowd, which, at more than 11,000 fans, was the largest single-day crowd at Bay Meadows since 1993. Hm … the Belmont Stakes crowd this year was also record breaking, and the attendance at Suffolk for the MassCap was the largest ever at more than 17,000. Is there a trend here? Perhaps racing’s future isn’t as bleak as commonly believed (Boston Globe).

Posted in The Sport on June 23, 2004

Same Old

Just another Monday at Suffolk — small crowd, small pools, quiet in the grandstand. What a change from Saturday, when more than 17,000 fans turned out for the big race, live music played, Japanese journalists wandered the clubhouse, and owners filled the paddock. Of course, it’s not just Suffolk — tracks all over struggle with low and declining attendance (Washington Post), with only a few posting gains (Thoroughbred Times).

Related: Poor Funny Cide (Daily Racing Form). He drew a standing ovation from the grandstand crowd on Saturday and was competitive to the end of the MassCap, but Mike Watchmaker won’t cut him any slack for his recent performances.

Posted in The Sport on June 21, 2004