tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post116728498860188357..comments2024-03-05T05:38:22.024-05:00Comments on Left at the Gate: News and Notes - Dec 28Alan Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570505944559196118noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1167340156050153952006-12-28T16:09:00.000-05:002006-12-28T16:09:00.000-05:00Interesting about Maria's Mon...I've always felt t...Interesting about Maria's Mon...I've always felt that Monarchos was under-rated and that Maria's Mon seems to be turning out a pretty versatile set of offspring in general.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the link about the Aussie bid too - I'd missed most of the details since this whole NYRA thing is so convoluted. Speaking as an 18-34 year old (just!) racing fan, it doesn't sound like a bad strategy.Superfectahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13160193760814449962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1167340123903263132006-12-28T16:08:00.000-05:002006-12-28T16:08:00.000-05:00I think we may be giving NYRA too much credit. Amo...I think we may be giving NYRA too much credit. Among horsemen their arrogance is legendary but they are just not that smart. Witness the Detention Barn. Better the time, money and effort go into education and surveillance rather than taking horses six hours prior to race time from their familiar surroundings to the DB.<BR/><BR/>NYRA thinks it has all the cards and until the courts rule otherwise, they seem to have mucho leverage. <BR/><BR/>Alan - as for my poker group, I'd say only the three with opinions were horseplayers, the others just DG's. One of them said that NYRA was enjoying really big fields - the largest in the country. I offered another viewpoint, that if it weren't for the NY-bred races, they couldn't put on six cards a day with 6 entries each.<BR/><BR/>I do think it's super that Mr. Williams responded so quickly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1167337044034626142006-12-28T15:17:00.000-05:002006-12-28T15:17:00.000-05:00NYRA hasn't really made any attempt to counter the...NYRA hasn't really made any attempt to counter their poor image. Here's an organization that was praised to the hilt by the federal monitor for their integrity and their unprecedented efforts to address issues such as illegal medication and offshore rebate shops. Yet everytime some new detail that would emerge about their finances - things that anyone who's been following the situation were well aware of - there would be a new round of outraged newspaper editorials and criticism by politicians. And of course, Empire got into the act too. Interesting that Excelsior was able to get the nod by the committee without saying one cross word directed at NYRA. Perhaps you're right and Hayward was waiting for the smoke to clear. Or maybe they just couldn't afford a slick PR agency.Alan Mannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12570505944559196118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1167319951163534212006-12-28T10:32:00.000-05:002006-12-28T10:32:00.000-05:00>>PS Alan - Those word verifications are geting fn...>>PS Alan - Those word verifications are geting fnukier and funkier.<BR/><BR/><BR/>I disabled the word verification for about 15 minutes last week because I couldn't leave a comment on my own blog, and it took that long for a spammer to leave a plug for his penis enlargement site. I know it's a pain in the a**. I could switch to the moderation mode, but then your comments would have to wait until I have a chance to approve them.<BR/><BR/>Good point about the other bidders managing to follow the rules and meet all of the deadlines. Capital Play is blaming the mechanics involved in their being on the other side of the planet. But if they can't meet a simple time requirement, how can we be sure they can run racing properly? <BR/><BR/>And Late Scratch is right....why haven't we seen the proposals? I'm going to look into that a bit further.. I'm curious about your poker group...are they all racing fans that mostly don't have an opinion on this?<BR/><BR/>My word verification is 'tormp....Alan Mannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12570505944559196118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1167318394386207992006-12-28T10:06:00.000-05:002006-12-28T10:06:00.000-05:00Here's what I find disconcerting. At my local week...Here's what I find disconcerting. At my local weekly support group meeting last night (okay, poker game), a scientific (?) poll showed only three of eight participants had an opinion (or cared enough to formulate one) on the NY franchise business. One said he thought strongly that NYRA would prevail since they owned the land. The second said no way, that NYRA was history because of their history and the third (me) said how can anyone really form an informed opinion (altho I do have my own) without knowing what was in those pesky proposals?<BR/><BR/>And that 's what's disconcerting. Where is the hue and cry for the release of the proposals, including the Capital Play one at this point. Let's see what they said before they knew the other guys' hands.<BR/><BR/>By my reckoning, the Barret group folds in 3 days - they go out of business. Their report, along with the proposals, should be made public as soon as it delivered to the PTBs.<BR/><BR/>As for my opinion, I'm glad the Aussies are in it because it will reveal just what we are dealing with here. Was it Churchill's story that ended with, "We have already established that madam - we are merely negotiating the price?"<BR/><BR/>PS Alan - Those word verifications are geting fnukier and funkier.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1167316500519249082006-12-28T09:35:00.000-05:002006-12-28T09:35:00.000-05:00One of the major complaints about NYRA was their l...One of the major complaints about NYRA was their lack of respect for federal and state laws and regulations. Capital Play couldn't even get their bid submitted right (three other bidders were able to propoerly navigate the RFP language). <BR/><BR/>Wouldn't allowing them back in be a step backwards?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com