Attendance, handle decline at Hollywood

Search

Another Day, Another Dollar
Joined
Mar 1, 2002
Messages
42,730
Tokens
Hollywood Park showed slight declines in average daily attendance and mutuel handle at the 65-day spring-summer meeting that ended Sunday.

The all-sources average handle of $10,807,693 marked a drop of 1.4 percent from the 2003 meeting.

Ontrack average attendance fell 1.8 percent, from 8,498 to 8,348, while average attendance at intertrack locations in Southern California fell 4 percent, to 9,889. The overall average was 18,237, a drop of 3 percent.

Handle figures mirrored those results. The average ontrack handle of $1,750,708 dropped 5.5 percent. Average intertrack wagering in Southern California was flat, a loss of 0.2 percent, to $3,999,484, while interstate handle fell 5.4 percent, to $3,996,544.

Betting through the Internet and by telephone grew 40.6 percent, to an average of $710,081, which exceeded management's expectations. More than $46.1 million was bet through those sources.

Track president Rick Baedeker said growth of 35 percent was projected by account-wagering services such as TVG and Youbet.

"We used their projections," Baedeker said. "We didn't think it would be that significant. Obviously, they were right."

The drop in ontrack handle did not surprise Baedeker, who said racing is suffering from competition from international betting services.

"What we're seeing is a shift to offshore rebaters," Baedeker said.

"It's not healthy. We have to figure out a way to compete."


Before the meeting, purses were cut for eight stakes. Purses for some overnight races were cut by $1,000. Purses averaged $412,350, a drop of 2.8 percent from 2003.

The spring-summer meeting marked the first time since Fairplex Park last September that a Southern California meeting did not have a purse cut during the season. Purses were reduced at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park fall meetings last year and the winter-spring meeting at Santa Anita earlier this year.

During the meeting, an overpayment from the 2003 spring-summer meeting was reduced from about $750,000 to about $250,000, Baedeker said.

The overpayment was reduced largely through higher commissions from purses, Baedeker said.

"It would have been a severe problem if we hadn't reduced it," Baedeker said of the overpayment.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5466706/
 

There's always next year, like in 75, 90-93, 99 &
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
15,270
Tokens
This is what they get for letting Willy go
icon_mad.gif


Doh ... wrong Hollywood
icon_biggrin.gif
 

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
8,781
Tokens
8,000 fans attending a track in the middle of one of the most densely packed areas in the country and people still going to call me crazy for saying racing is dying? These are scary numbers, no matter if offshore is hurting them or not.
 
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Messages
1,390
Tokens
PURSES RISE IN SECOND QUARTER
Purses in the second quarter of 2004 were up 2.86% compared with the same 3 months in 2003,the NTRA and Equibase annouced on Monday.
The increase from 284 million to 292 million,reversed a decline in the first quarter of 2004.The increase also came despite a 1.5%decline in live racing days. MATT HEGARTY DRF

From what I just read,Is this a dying sport?
 

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
8,781
Tokens
It went up thanks to slots was the takeaway from the larger story. Slot contributions in West Virginia and the new machines in New York drove about half the increase.

I have no idea, what was Del Mar at last year? I was there as usual last year and the thinning out of crowds was very noticeable.
 
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Messages
1,390
Tokens
Well then,I'll predict 35000 for opening day at Del Mar.Would you consider this thinning out.I was also there many times last year.I did not experience a thinning out of crowds.Unless your talking about the ladies size and weight.They all looked 5-10 and 120,tan and real horny.Next time your there blink a few times and walk around,youll truly learn something.
 

Another Day, Another Dollar
Joined
Mar 1, 2002
Messages
42,730
Tokens
I do not think their is any question that horse racing is suffering. I cannot speak for the world, but in the midwest, tracks are hurting due to online wagering and river casinos.
 
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Messages
1,390
Tokens
There is a BIG differnce between suffering and dying.Just like "I LOVE"and"I GUARANTEE".You know the differnce General,now lets teach the others.
I still predict over 35000 today at the BEAUTIFULL DEL MAR.Ive got goose-bumps all over.
 

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
207
Tokens
o/u attendace Del Mar today over 40000 tommorow . . o/u 20000 under .Del Mar a nd Saratoga are not the norm .Del Mar is in a vacation area and get a lot of play, not harden horse player. .I even play Del Mar and no thorougbbreds the rest of the year, I say it every year if I could only make espenses I would stay the whole meet,the longest I lasted was 2 weeks.Del Mar is like Las Vegas south attacts a lot of Vegas people to get out of the heat 110 today .I going next week.
 

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
207
Tokens
Greenhead I don t know how you can be so positive ,But I hope your right handle is not the true barometer purses are ,expect for stakes overnite purses are down . what is wrong how could handle stay about the same and purses going down every year. There are no new horseplayerts they would rather go to the boats action all the time not every 30 minutes for 2 minutes.
 

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
207
Tokens
Green head I have been in the horse business fop 40 years.You are one of few that see things as positives .I am from the midwest and whatI see is not good people get out of the business because they go broke I know of a least 20 in the last year.Reason cost and lower purses.I will not own anything I have to feed again.no dogs ,cats or horses.It has become a hobby for wealthy people .Hope your right
 

New member
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
4,477
Tokens
Horseracing will never die. It has its place. Back in the day when there was no TV, no video games, no casinos, no slots, no lotteries, horseracing was the only game in town.
 
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Messages
1,390
Tokens
Aawied,Let me correct you again.At 2:16 you write and ask how can I be so positive.Where do I write anything being positive.I quoted Matt Hegarty of DRF with the higher purses for the second quarter.Besides that, Im just trying to state some facts.2)You say there are no new horse players.That statement is WRONG.There are new ones everyday.
As for your other posts.
Sorry your not a better handicapper so you could last more than 2 weeks.Good luck next week.
Finally If you deal with the best in the business (trainers) you should never lose money.I own horses with the best trainers in the country in my opinion and have done very well.I own a % of Semi Lost in the 6th at Del Mar today that will give you a hint of my connections.Good Luck
 

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
207
Tokens
horse racing will never die completly , but will get worst before better.You will see many racetrackk close only the big will servive,maybe 10 t0 12 thoroughbred and harness combined.I have been to many racetracks last 2 yrs you could shot a cannon and not hit anyone during the week.
 

New member
Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
881
Tokens
i think the problem for the racetracks/owners is getting a bigger slice of the offtrack
simulcast pie.I do agree that attendance oncourse is off at most tracks,but this is
also the case in france and australia,I think
its holding steady in United Kingdom.
In the near future slots will fuel purses and
should help tracks/owners/breeders recover
for the time being.
 

New member
Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
881
Tokens
to the gentlemen mentioning the cannon hitting
the empty grandstand.
In australia,there was a proposal to build
a racetrack with no oncourse facilities for
customers/wagering;Just a stewards stand to
officiate the action,and perhaps a betting
window or two for the racetrackers.
In fact, the signal wasn't going to be made
available to betting outlets in Oz,but only
sent to Japan. i can't remember the exact
details,but eventually they never built the
track,but did have a site in South Aus all
picked out.
My point here is that racetracks realise
that future opportunities for growth in handle
will come from offtrack.their problem is how
to get a much larger percentage of the take
in their pocket.the only feasible idea it seems
to me is to let each racetrack offer betting
through their own website,allowing them to
cut out middlemen and keep the same percentage
of the take as they do on live handle.they
could even offer incentives for people who
bet through their own website.of course i'm
just dreaming here as various econ/political
realities will never allow such a thing to
occur.
 

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
207
Tokens
I dont think the race track owners should get a bigger cut .In ILL they own the OTB .Ithink the horseman should,also charge more out of the state and offshore more for the signal.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
1,106,787
Messages
13,438,995
Members
99,339
Latest member
billcunninghamhomeloans
The RX is the sports betting industry's leading information portal for bonuses, picks, and sportsbook reviews. Find the best deals offered by a sportsbook in your state and browse our free picks section.FacebookTwitterInstagramContact Usforum@therx.com