Action resumes at the Big A on Wednesday, and could it be that slots will be in operation there before racing moves to Belmont? After all, Genting's original plans called for 1,600 machines up and running within six months after contract approval. That approval came on September 14 when DiNapoli signed off on the deal. So, that would put slots at the track by Wood Memorial day! (Not that I'm holding my breath.)
Wednesday also marks the debut of live streaming of NYRA races on the NYRA Rewards site. Gee, that's a revolutionary idea....at least here in New York State it is! Whatsmore, they'll soon stream races from out-of-town tracks as well. I haven't had much experience with other ADW sites, so I can't say which is best. But NYRA's site is pretty great in my opinion. It's a user-friendly interface, they take every thoroughbred track that I know of, you can transfer money from your checking account in about 30 seconds, and they've really ramped up the efficiency - I was betting Breeders' Cup races this past November with mere minutes to post, and the site was lightning fast. So the addition of the live races really seals the deal. (Note: NYRA is a sponsor of this website.)
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Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Big A Streams Back to Action
Posted by Alan Mann at 8:27 AM
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13 Comments:
I echo that the NYRA Rewards site is very, very good for wagering. Now, if they would just make an iphone app...
I'm hoping the card won't be decimated by scratches, but if not, it is one tough set of races.
The chalk looks pretty tough in the first, but in most of the rest of the races, it is hard to know who will be favored. I'll be doing my bomb-sniffing dog routine.
In the 4th, watch the post parade carefully and if you can spot a horse with 4 legs, play it.
NEWSCONFERENCE
NYRA HEADQUARTERS
LATE DECEMBER 2010
REPORTER 315: Sir, can you explain why you and so many NYRA employees received raises at a time when business is in the tank and 1,000 employes at OTB and NYRA have been laid off?
BOSS: You slithering . . . Um, sure, BECAUSE of the layoffs, we now have to do more work. We deserved it!
REPORTER 315: The racing manager at Fair Meadows Tulsa asked for a pay cut because business was slipping. Shouldn't you be doing the same:
BOSS: DO YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY? It's much higher than Tulsa, wherever that is . . .
REPORTER 315: Isn't high executive pay and chronism what brought down OTB?
BOSS: You schmuck, it takes high pay to attract high talent. I can see you're newspaper must be on a wage freeze! (chuckles all around) I want to know WHO LET THE CAT OUT of the bag? Yippy ay O!
REPORTER 315: I passed your accountant in the hallway. He said you were distressed.
BOSS: Of course, laying off all these fine employees really brings me down.
REPORTER 315: No, he said you were distressed about going to a higher tax bracket and having to pay more taxes. Also I ran into your travel agent, the hotel in the Bahamas has been booked, and the drapes guy said your gold NYRA drapes would be ready next Thursday . . .
BOSS: Drapes are a way to attract talent too. I bet you didn't know that . . .
Wow. Tutti va bene with the live streaming - I can watch the horses in the walking ring! No more waiting for TVG!
Tutti will no va so bene for the horse of that name, though. This one looks like a chalkover.
Dying whale alert!!!
Some big spender has been hitting the win pools at AQ. In race 2, Black Pen went from around 8-5 to 1-9 in one flash with about 9 minutes before post, only to float up to even money, with almost no money spreading on that one huge bet into the exacta or DD pools (or place or show). I'd guess it must have been between $5k and $10 in one chunk.
Same thing just happened with Drink with Pride. May that bet lose as well!
NYRA Rewards is not available to us Ohio hicks. This is interesting since my first ever phone account many years ago was through New York.
I don't know if it was NYRA or OTB.
Yesterday's (Wednesday) handle:
SANTA ANITA: $4 million
TAMPA BAY: $4.2 million
@Steve in nc - the first thing you know about that guy is he's not too bright. He's betting against his own money. He could get the same (or larger) return betting less.
As to the takeout, I can't believe anyone would say takeout is unimportant.
I saw a tape from years ago, Mike Wallace interviewing Eddie Arcaro. Wallace admitted that he didn't know the first thing about horseracing and asked Arcaro if the player could win.
Without hesitation Arcaro said, "Not with the takeout at sixteen percent" I believe that when parimutuel betting was first legalized the takeout was TEN PERCENT. That would be a fair game.
Anyone who thinks the takeout doesn't matter needs to have their head prayed over.
Bally -
Agreed that the big bettor surely wasn't bright, even if he had found a way to bet without ruining his own odds. I handicapped those races and those were older in & out horses he played, and no sure things even if you had an inside tip that they were at their best.
This guy is clear evidence that lots of cash on hand has no necessary link with brains. I only wish he had played the exotic pools where I swim.
As for the take, we agree that it is important, that it should be lower, and that it would be a better and more attractive game if the vig was back to 10% as in the old days.
I'm sure you also agree with me that breakage should get rounded up as well as down and that the gov't should stop double & triple taxing winning bets. And that the prevalence of drugs, "supertrainers," etc., has driven away some players and deters new ones.
Our only difference is that I think those issues should have been the targets of any player political action. I don't think an additional 2 or 3 cents on the dollar on certain exotics in one state is any kind of industry-wide tipping point, financial or political.
The difference between roughly 20% and 10% is huge; the difference between roughly 20% and 22% is not unless you're a whale, or hit 5-figure scores.
So I think it's a tactical mistake, but since it is happening, I sure hope it succeeds. The last thing horseplayers need is a failed political action. The only reason to hope it fails is if one thinks the HAMA leaders are bad guys or would be irresponsible if given a seat at racing's table speaking for horseplayers. I have no reason to think that, so upon reflection, I'll stay away from CA, and hope AQ has better cards than they did Wednesday.
Happy New Year, all.
Best,
Steve in NC
Steve, you are an excellent advocate.
I will stay away from California too now that there are other decent tracks open (nothing to do with my abyssmal opening day performance of course).
I am torn though because I really wanted to support the return to true dirt. The last thing I want is the State to spin the decrease in handle as surface related.
Santa Anita - Race 8
#3 Sirocco Strike (10/1 ml)
Not sure where this price is coming from. This horse has run extremely well in all four of his turf sprints, most recently a very good 4th in the extremely tough (and fast) Caracortado race, from which 3rd-place finisher Amazombie returned to win his next start, then subsequently missed by a nose in a main-track race earlier this week. Also, 5th-place finisher Stoneside (right behind Sirocco Strike) returned to miss by a head yesterday over this same downhill course. And as you know, Caracortado returned to finish a very sharp third in the Grade 1 Malibu on opening day. Back to Sirocco Strike, he then emerged from the Caracortado race to run a close second behind the afore-mentioned Amazombie, who incidentally looked great in that one while overpowering the solid frontrunner El Scorpio. As for today's race, Sirocco Strike figures to get a good trip here by sitting off the Dance With Gable (who may be dealing with Regally Ready if that one gets sent), and there's absolutely no reason he shouldn't be a major factor here despite the tough field. Excellent value on a major contender here.
Who cares about your SA picks?
Now if you give me another track i might be interested.
Now if we could only get Hack Handel to lift the streaming ban to 4njbets. Have you noticed that's his only accomplishment since he's been in the job? It's the only issue they let him talk to the press on. Every time something important comes up Hayward does the talking. NYRA probably woul have been better off with the $125K per month guy from OTB.
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