DOUBLE-DIGIT DECLINES AT HOLLYWOOD PARK
The conclusion of Hollywood Park’s 57-day spring meet showed double-digit declines in attendance (10.4%) and wagering (10.3%). The average attendance was 12,676 vs. last year’s 14,149 and the all sources daily handle of $9,474,780 was down from 2009’s $10,561,323.
Track president Jack Liebau attempted to put a positive spin on these numbers. "Although we are disappointed with the numbers, we thought the meet was exciting from a racing standpoint," said Liebau.
Tags: blood-horse, Hollywood Park, jack liebau, Paulick Report
July 19th, 2010 at 9:31 am
Sure. nothing like 3 and 4 horse fields to keep the degenerates on TILT…….
Liebau needs to commit to racing and stop with the threats of closing down. Then the industry will rally around him and his meet if for no other reason to spite the Austrian guy with the sprinkler system…..
July 19th, 2010 at 10:08 am
I didn’t make one bet at HOL this meet. Why would I? I need more than a $5.80 exacta to make money and have fun. Contraction of the sport is the only way to get quality racing. Shorter meets, less tracks, dark peroiods and smaller cards would do a lot towards raising the quality of races and would thus attract more bettors regardless of takeout. I call for an end to year round racing in all markets!
July 19th, 2010 at 11:10 am
smaller cards would do a lot towards raising the quality of races and would thus attract more bettors regardless of takeout.
Not Me!
July 19th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Steve:
then keep collecting your pennies on the dollar payouts. I’ll put my handicapping skills to the test on larger fields and reap my weekly rewards without regard to takeout.
July 19th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
The data Hollywood Park reported on handle and attendance are for “Southern California”, which includes off-track sites. On-track handle and attendance were far lower. On Hollywood Gold Cup day, there were fewer than 7,000 people at the track and it was easy to see in the near-empty stands.
July 19th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Hollywood is dead and people see it that way. The track looks like cr-p on TV, brown grass, tractors, empty delapidated grandstand, small fields, it’s about to be closed. It’s all very depressing to watch. I avert my eyes to Monmouth.
July 19th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
I bet Large fields and the Lowest Takeout.It’s called Monmouth Park pick4 and pk 5 at 15% Takeout.
I wouldn’t bet NewYork racing pk4 at 26% takeout,I’d feel stupid.
July 19th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
The numbers are much worse than reported. Remember they dropped Wednesdays and didn’t race a bunch of Thursdays. Those average handle numbers are now focused on more higher handle days being compared to less handle days from last year.
July 19th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
They had 12,000 people at Hollywood Park when Zenyatta ran, never even came close to that number on any other day.
July 19th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
I walked into the Hollywood Park Turf Club on Gold Cup Day 20 minutes before first post - without a reservation - and received a perfect table precisely on the finish line. That says it all…
July 19th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
personally, i love short fields. since I understand odds and do know how to handicap, fewer, the better. to increase profits, increase amount bet. simple formula. Using Mr. Ed’s reasoning–let’s contract everybody out of the sport so that our good handicappers can concentrate on one single track were presumably all the good horses would be racing and by the same token quit pestering them with so many tracks, races and cards–i might expand my horizons beyond exacta bets, and concentrate on pick six betting since that’s where the real jack pots are. Of course, it helps to have more than one pick six pot to shoot at, but then we violate Mr. Ed’s premise of having only one race track. were there e.g. pick six pots all over the country for our good whales, instead of trying to pick a winner out of a 20 horse field, you can make 20 pick six bets, although you’d need to expand racing instead of contract for that.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Hollywood Park did everything they could to prevent me from participating on their cards regularly. Not the least of which was an increase in night time racing cards that end at 1:30 am Eastern time.
This racetrack unfortunately does not care much for a national audience, as it does for local DEVO concert-goers.
The latest news is that Hollywood Park “may” go to a four day week in the November.
BUT … “may” race five days a week in December.
C’mon folks. Plan your work and work the plan !
July 19th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
They are spinning the numbers like others have already mentioned. Last time i was at Hollywood Park there was more seagulls then patrons in attendance which was sad unless were were playing “chicken drop” not the horse races. The place has become a bad joke and it really needs to just be shut down already not die this slow and now meaningless death.
July 19th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Just close it, already. What pathetic fools.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
I vote for 2 days a week racing then maybe I’ll look there direction.