'Dying Sport' Is looking Pretty Healthy

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Bernies Blog

For the benefit of those who like to keep track of just how much trouble the 'dying sport' of thoroughbred racing is in, here are today's figures so you don't have to go through the trouble of finding them yourselves. I know it's a problem for most of you to actually check facts.

Gulfstream led the way today with another robust handle of $16,739,523. Aqueduct chipped in with $10,043,533 even though in New York they have to contend with short fields and no grass racing. Tampa Bay Downs added $6,645,570 to the mix, $287,576 of it on-track for a per capita of $72.58. Oaklawn Park's total was $4,388,208, of which $1,057,037 came on-track. With an announced crowd of 18,500 (sounds fishy), the Hot Springs people are sending it in to the tune of $57.12 per person on-track. Of course, the Hot Springers do know how to throw a party. Santa Anita's wagering was second best for the day - $13,667,279. The per capita for the Hollywood set was $209.76.

Total for the five tracks - $51,484,113. If that's the definition of' 'dying,' one has to wonder what amount would have to be wagered to consider the sport healthy?

MORE OBSERVATIONS FROM A BUSY SATURDAY: Songbird didn't appear to beat much in the Gr. III Santa Ysabel but the way she did it was a thing of beauty. It only added $60,000 to her mounting bank account, which now stands at more than $1.7 million. She won by 3 3/4 lengths, but Mike Smith had her in reverse for the last eighth of a mile. At this rate, she won't be very weary come the Kentucky Oaks, and let's hope they don't change their minds and go for the roses. She's now 6-for-6 by about 35 lengths.

AM I WRONG? - Or does the announcer who subs for John Imbriale at Aqueduct sound a lot like Dave Johnson?

I WISH - TVG would get its salespeople on the ball and go out and get some new advertising. The ad for Web.com (for a free website) plays about 50 times a day and it's making me nuts. The Betfair Casino ad is constant, too, as is the Montel Williams spot for Money Mutual.

By the way, I called Web.com when I made the changes to this website more than a year ago, and believe me, don't believe them. The supposed "professional" web designers came up with the website from hell, and the 'free' is free only until they put your site up. Then it's $119 a month (the first installment of which they took out of my account without telling me. I got it back when I told them to take the horrendous site down).

And I love Montel's two great lines, the first about how over one million people "have turned" to Money Mutual - but no info on how many actually ended up borrowing money. Second, how about the line at the end that informs you that MM's interest rates are so high they have been banned in New York.

GET A THERMOMETER - According to Caton Bredar, a goodly number of horses in the Gulfstream paddock before every race are "looking well." I assume they have all been sick in the recent past. Isn't there at least one horse that looks good?

GOOD FOR LARRY - Gulfstream announcer Larry Collmus is still trying desperately to help the TV analysts pronounce Leparoux correctly. Today, during one winning ride by Julien, Larry loudly enunciated Le-paroux TWICE in the stretch. But it just doesn't hit home. They're still convinced it's either Lay-paroux or Leppa-roux, and, amazingly, they call him both.