PAULICK TO EQUIBASE AND NTRA: STOP BEING SO NEGATIVE

by Paulick Report Staff | 11.17.2010 | 12:48am

By Ray Paulick What the hell is wrong with Equibase, the industry’s official database, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, horse racing’s down and almost out league office?  

Each month, Equibase compiles and the NTRA dutifully distributes a report called “Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators.” The report is very simple—in fact, it’s too simple. It is a month to month and year-to-year comparison of handle, purses, and racing days for North American Thoroughbred racing. Each month, as handle and purses decline, Equibase and the NTRA continue to send out this gloom and doom report without sharing the fact that the news really isn’t all bad.  

We have learned from Monmouth Park’s 2010 meeting that less is more. The New Jersey track dramatically cut back on racing days; handle and purses per day soared. Nationally, the same is holding true, though to a lesser degree.  

The most recent Equibase report for August shows an 8.03% decline in total handle, a 7.92% decline in total purses, and a 13.23% decline in racing days. NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE. Gee, I thought that was the media’s job, to be negative about this industry.

Doesn’t anyone at Equibase or the NTRA have a calculator? If they did, they might use it to insert an additional statistical line with a very positive piece of news on this monthly report, namely that average handle per racing day in August INCREASED by 6.0% and average purses per day INCREASED by 6.1%  

(FYI, Bloodhorse.com ran the story with a headline reading: “Indicators: Handle Off $100 Million in August,” while Frank Angst wrote a story for Thoroughbred Times.com headlined by: “Wagering, Purse Figures Show Some Encouraging Trends.”)  

Maybe Equibase and the NTRA don’t want to get involved in spin. Just the facts.  

Well, this isn’t spin. The fact is pari-mutuel handle on Thoroughbred racing, not only in August, but for several other months since the Paulick Report first pointed this out in March, has increased for each racing day.  

C’mon Equibase and NTRA. Stop being so negative.

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Sally in Indy

Ok, Ray, I took you to task last week about your Nicanor/Lentenor/FOB commentary, but this is one on which I can agree with you wholeheartedly.

I’ve said for years that racing seems bent on following a self-fulfilling, self-destructing prophecy. I don’t get it – never have, never will.

There are so many great storylines in this sport – yesterday, today and no doubt tomorrow. Why, why, why isn’t someone, somewhere telling these stories on a consistent basis, and successfully luring the public back to the tracks???

Few people want to be associated with a loser, and if you look at the “news” coming from the sport’s powers-that-be, that’s how horse racing is depicted. I don’t sense that when i visit my area tracks (Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois) – I see people, esp families, having a great time! I see incredible equine athletes, and human athletes, giving awe-inspiring performances. I see one of life’s simple pleasures: a day at the track.

I’m right there with you in advising racing’s leaders to stop killing their own sport!
Bucky In Kentucky

Well put Ray, the isue is no one is driving the bus, they take numbers at face value without delving into the meat of the issue.

The equine world is filled with hard working optimists, they keep forging on despite the stacked deck against them at times.

What they don’t need is their “leadership” putting out bad numbers to drag the entire sport down and hindering it’s possibiity of garnering corporate sponsors.

Good job Paulick Report.
bustin’ stones

Only if you quit being so negative Ray.
Ray Paulick

Bustin’ Stones….

C’mon…it’s Good News Friday. I’m all about keepin’ it positive.
I. Davis

Great article! Totally agree w/buacky in KY!! When are the “powers that be” going to get a rudder for the sinking ship?? Without leadership, enthusiasm for the sport, and good marketing, Thorughbred racing will continue it’s downward spiral. Let’s build it up, and not tear it down w/the negatives, especially coming from NTRA. NYRA may not have a lot to be cheery about, but Hayward does a pretty good job keeping it positive, as much as possible. Accentuate the positive!!
Steve

Equibase.Give out the PP’s for free.Grow the sport!
Craig

It is not in the best interests of those in power of racing, the Jockey Club who controls NYRA and Churchill Downs who controls KY racing to have positive data published. They are both trying to get slots approved in their states or installed in NY. Would not help the cause if the data was positive for the industry. Equibase and NTRA are both controlled by the Phipps Club and Churchill Downs.
Need better solution for the long term health of the industry even though slots might be a great bandaid to industry problems we need to use them as that and not assume that they are a cure.
Picksburg Phil

Stupid comments against exchange wagering are up over 200%
ITP

I guess it’s tough for cheerleaders in the industry to really understand numbers.

When you run 3 days instead of 5 and now on the 3 days you have 12 races instead of 9….or….when you run 5 days instead of 6 and you now have at least an extra race each of those days…….and the days dropped are Mondays, Wed, Thurs with those extra races added on Fri, Sat, Sun

I think that probably explains why handle and purses per racing date iare up 6%.

If Hollywood Park next meet raced only on Sat/Sun with 20 races a day, their avg. daily handle and purses compared to last meet would probably be up somewhere around 75%-100%.

All the cheerleading dolts would be jumping up and down saying that racing is back, the downturn is over!
Ray Paulick

ITP #9.

Not going to argue with your logic. Wouldn’t be prudent. And I appreciate being called a cheerleader. I have been called worse.

Obviously, weekends should do better than weekdays, and 12 race cards better than nine or 10.

That’s why, last year, I suggested to Equibase that their reports include not just race days but total races so we could get a more accurate accounting of handle and purses. Equibase chose not to incorporate that change.

In the meantime, can I send you some pom-poms?
ITP

Ray,

I wish I could be a cheerleader when it comes to racing and use those pom-poms to cheer at the top of my lungs.

I just can’t cheer about re-positioning races and race days to make it look like things might be getting better when they are obviously not.
Paula

Is it possible that Alex Waldrop is just “too busy” writing “justifications” for why the NTRA should exist rather than actually studying the numbers himself??

We’re also still in a serious economic downturn, so for handle & purses to be up at some tracks, like Monmouth, that is a positive sign.

Anyway, we have seen news today about Gulfstream’s restoration of the Florida Derby purse to $1 million…. someone tell me that is a “negative” indicator?? LOL.

Waldrop is a bafoon. I don’t want to know what HE thinks they are doing @ the NTRA….because it doesn’t really matter to any segment of racing…..
DickHertz

Be careful, Ray. Equibase may start charging you for the monthly figures.
Roy

I agree – I have two people, doom and gloom types, that stay at my house. There was an article in our local paper on cutbacks at our local track. They both read the article as ‘the track is going to close’. I read it as ‘ they are finding ways to keep it open.’ It is so easy to be negative but there is usually a positive side also – and remember – if your not part of the solution you are part of the problem.
CG

I have an idea, lets just race at one track each month for only one day. Per track day handles will go through the roof.
Caleb B

Craig Says:
September 3rd, 2010 at 5:07 pm

It is not in the best interests of those in power of racing, the Jockey Club who controls NYRA and Churchill Downs who controls KY racing to have positive data published. They are both trying to get slots approved in their states or installed in NY. Would not help the cause if the data was positive for the industry. Equibase and NTRA are both controlled by the Phipps Club and Churchill Downs.
Need better solution for the long term health of the industry even though slots might be a great bandaid to industry problems we need to use them as that and not assume that they are a cure.

*******************************
The sooner we get to the end of the Phipps Regime at the Jockey Club and Waldrop et al at the NTRA the better.

The Jockey Club is self-serving with the real interests of the larger industry coming second to the egos of Jockey Club leadership. It’s a corrupt and abusive organization.

The NTRA just needs to go away already. They’ve had chance after chance to prove their worth and in every instance they’ve failed. Anything the NTRA does is either already being done by others or can easily be taken up by others. I think the only thing propping the NTRA up at the moment is MID’s continued involvement. The NTRA lacks courage and bold, decisive leadership!
Garrett Redmond

When I read Comment #16, I did a double-take — wondering if I had written it !

How long have I been telling the Thoroughbred world what Caleb B. is now saying about The Jockey Club?

Phipps and the “Family” can relax. Nobody in a position to do something about it will do a damned thing. No guts.
Auntie Jo

Sally In Indy asks an important question:

“There are so many great storylines in this sport – yesterday, today and no doubt tomorrow. Why, why, why isn’t someone, somewhere telling these stories on a consistent basis, and successfully luring the public back to the tracks???”
Concerned Observer

Ray, Sorry but it is not a positive story industry wide. If Monmouth is such a success who has stepped up to take it over from the state? They still can only make it with big subsidies.

Why is NY racing and Cal racing in such poor shape? Houston, 5th largest city (and growing) on the verge of shutting the doors.

Sugar coating the truth, will only give the “powers that be” reason to go back to sleep, not make any changes, and we continue down, down, down.

Tell the truth. The story ain’t pretty, and the rank and file are waking up. Maybe we can get something done!
Joe

Well, put Ray.

Reduced days has been the biggest reason for declines the last two years! When major tracks like Churchill, Hollywood, Golden Gate and others cut dates… it has a major impact.
Dermot Carty

Ray
I can honestly say you are bang on in this . Well said
What i cannot understand is the obsession by Industry leaders about Doom and Gloom. perhaps if they took their heads out of the sand and looked up at the sky they would see how wonderful life is, if it is lived.

Quick question. How many of you are aware that the Canadian Thoroughbred sale is going to take place starting Tuesday.?????
Ratherrapid

None. A new mantra on Paulick possibly??? Anybody posting anything negative should be required to post their solution to the problem or the post gets struck.

Reading the plans of broadcasting the Keenland sale, are we missing something by failing to poast video adds–on ESPN e.g.–of our auctions. Seems to me the interesting dynamic of the auctions would create a lot of interest. Canadian TB sale e.g. advertised on something else beside Paulick Report or horse related sites??????????????????????????????????
Tony

Just as a matter of record, California is not the center of the racing universe. So all the bashing of Churchill and NYRA and other jurisdictions is way off base. When it comes to out-of-control institutions, Stronach is leading the way in misery. So when the Jockey Club and the Phipps get battered by comments here, it’s a case of “pot-kettle-black”.

And, as long as we’re here, why bash the NTRA and Equibase? I don’t see Mr. Paulick volunteering to be the founding father of any group that’s trying to put the best spin on harsh economic realities. You bash the two groups, but where is the Paulick Report’s solutions for racing’s malaise amidst all the very real bad news?