He’s actually at least talking about making changes and breaking the status quo. In this pathetic industry, its a breath of fresh air and that’s good enough for me.

Many will call this naive, or say it’s been tried before–and granted we are still learning about horseracing every day–but obviously the current system needs much improvement. We wish Mr. Minor all the best in his visionary endeavor.

I have heard that attendance has been a little slow down there but in this economy it makes sense. Thing’s always go up and down.

But, one thing I did notice at Del Mar is how expensive the prices are for concessions. A beer is $7.50 or $9.00 and food is very over-priced. I do not understand why an industry which relies on people to bet charge such high prices for foor and drinks when that is money that doesn’t go to the windows.

I am not saying things should be free but it doesn’t make any sense.

If John Brunetti wants to make Hialeah something special he will make sure tjhat concessions are reasonable priced. Charge $4.00 for a beer instead of $7.00, considering a 6 pack costs $4.00 that at a store I think you will still make it on your profit margin.

Look, the Masters charges $1.00 for a water…$1.00!!!!! They seem to be doing just fine every year.

If he follows a different path that the other race tracks have he may be able to make it work because the current model is broken.

He founded CNET. Where is that company today in the “ratings” in it’s field?

He bought a big piece of land and will turn part of it into a stud farm. He is not the first new-money billionaire to do that. Several have failed. How do we know Minor will succeed?

He has bought several super-expensive mares. The foregoing question also applies.

“The [racing ] day has got to be shorter and faster”. Why? Hialeah’s golden past was a time of more leisure and less passion for speed. Does Minor believe that less time between races will attract more horselovers? Seems to me horselovers want more time, not less, to see the horses in the pre-race walking ring. Only inveterate gamblers want races within minutes of each other. Minor talks of casting horses and racing, rather than gambling, as the feature attraction. Short, fast days seem a contradiction. Point: Golf lasts all day, but millions still watch it live and on TV.

If he can’t buy Hialeah, maybe he will build a new track. How will he persuade any racing commission to grant dates at Hialeah or elsewhere? Of course, if he can operate without Pari-Mutuel betting, he may not need any commission’s blessing. Steeplechase meetings go very well without betting, but they are one-day events.

With 40 per cent of the public reportedly against horseracing and thinking of Stronach’s failure to get a permit to build in Dixon, CA. , why does Halsey Minor think he will get permits anywhere?

To conclude this. It would be nice to see someone come in and upend most of the old establishment and put new life into this business. Maybe Halsey Minor is the one to do it. However, he needs to answer a whole lot of questions before we greet him as racing’s Messiah.