Casinos are saving racing, but will it last?

It has taken me 60 years to write a harness racing column like this one…60 years…60 years since my first one in the Horseman and Fair World trying to do something positive for our sport.

I am THE eternal optimist.

I look for the good in everything…and I am beginning to realize that is a fault in my being.

Facing reality for some is very difficult and, for me, VERY difficult.

With my lifelong kidney disease, my optimism has gotten me to this point, which is probably 20 or 30 years beyond others that have faced the same journey. So many have been relegated to “greener pastures” or, more realistically, six feet UNDER greener pastures, or in urns of remembrance.

I’m very happy I have come this far and do not fear the reality in the future.

There are parallels between my life and harness racing.

Over the past same 20 to 30 years, I—WE—have witnessed the same passing of our beloved racetracks all over our land—from Hollywood Park and Bay Meadows in the west to Roosevelt Raceway in New York in the east to Sportsman’s Park, Maywood Park and Balmoral Park in the middle—so many others, too—they are all dead now. (I’m not even counting Washington Park as they burned down!)

Surprisingly, one of the most respected venues, the parent company of Churchill Downs, seemingly the epitome of racing, “disinheriting” the thoroughbred venues Calder Racecourse and Arlington Park over the past few years, which was very disturbing.

But, as they say, “Business is business!”

As much as many dislike the casino industry bullying their way into the racing industry, they have proven to be, as some say, a necessary evil for racing to survive.

With purses at tracks in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, to name a handful of States, greatly elevated because of their presence, along with legislative help in many States, we cannot overlook the fact that they have saved the breeding industry, as well.

Veterans in our industry who have witnessed many wars since Roosevelt Raceway opened in 1940, remember when the 2:00 mile was sacred and achieved very rarely.

Even further back, in the Dan Patch, Single G and Peter Manning era, the possibility of seeing a 2:00 mile brought out crowds of 50,000 or more.

A 2:00 performer was a gold mine.

Purses were pretty decent, too, in the 1960’s with a $10,000 Open event at many tracks not unusual on a Saturday night with the lights turned out and a spotlight put on each horse in the post parade making it really something special.

It was the era of Bret Hanover when he brought $50,000 as a yearling 60 years ago as the top seller with only 35 yearlings selling for $20,000 or more in that year of 1963.

Of course, “times” have changed…in more ways than one.

The 2:00 mile is, virtually, extinct, now and frankly, the 1:55 mile is getting close to extinction, as well.

Probably 75% of all horses winning today have a winning time faster than Bret Hanover ever had and another 24% are very close—whether they be “4” claimers or two-year-olds. The others are either “DIS” or “DNF.”

Is that good or not-so-good?

Is a “4” claimer really worth $4,000 in today’s harness racing marketplace?

Is a 1:52 performer these days looked upon in the same light and worth as the 2:05 performer of yesteryear?

There is a strong argument the answer is, still, “YES.”

But some believe that the only reason that they retain value is because of the additional funding from casinos and legislatures.

As Phil Stern from the Chicago area said, “a ‘4’ claimer is worth $4,000 because it races for $3,500 or $4,000. What’s it worth if it races for $1,500??

Without their crutches—sorry to use such a blunt term—current purses couldn’t be sustained, especially when noting that, at some tracks, the purse is more than the race handle itself…or darn close.

On a recent Monday at one northeastern track, the purse distribution was about $185,000.

The handle that day was about $495,000.

In the pre-casino days, the total takeout might be a bit north of 20% with half going to purses.

It doesn’t take a math genius that, based on handle alone, purses might be in the area of $45,000 t0 $48,000 for the day.

At another track, the purses allocated for the day were $332,000 with the handle barely over $225,000—over 100 grand LESS than the purses that day!

To be fair, one race with a $40,000 purse had a handle of less than $4,000 but there were only five entered and four starters with a scratch…and that presents yet another problem for the industry, a shortage of eligibles going back to a shortage of adequate sires and mares in some States.

One argument was the purse money was for Stakes events.

That just proves the point even further as the legislative contributions play a huge role in our survival.

At yet another oval, the handle was around $294,000, enough to support purses for the day of about $14,700 or, again, to be honestly blunt, $1,470 per race.

Purse distribution was a “bit” more than $140,000 or 10 times what handle would allow.

Yet another track showed about $120,000 in purses for the Monday card with a handle of $316,000, meaning that purse distribution would have been around $16,000 for the day.

Finally, at another track posting a $507,000 handle, purses for the racing program totaled $237,000.

Based on handle alone, the purse distribution would have “chalked” in at a “nose” or a “neck” more than $50,000 for the one session…covering 10 races…for an average purse of $5,000 per…with adjustments for class!!

Yes, it was “just” a Monday, not a typical Saturday.

But “days” don’t matter anymore with the convenience of modern technology. Nobody has to go to a racetrack to participate. They can do it from their phone, sitting on the sofa!

Yes, the problem is further illustrated because not many people go to the track anymore.

Will programs designed to bring people back to the track work?

Very doubtful in this day and age as we’ve made wagering off track so easy.

Our industry is not alone as restaurants and the world-wide-web have affected many other industries.

Heck, if one wants a pizza or a sandwich these days, chances are they’ll have it delivered. Even grocery stores are delivering right to your doorstep. We are losing the battle!

Just go to Amazon and you won’t have to drive to the mall.

So where do the breeders come into play?

Well, opening night at Lexington Select Sale, a total of 121 horses sold for $22.22 million with the average being just north of $183,000 per head.

Another 239 yearlings sold on Day 2 grossing $23.2 million for an average of $97,247.

When a buyer puts up his hand, no matter the price, when the gavel hits the block, that new owner deserves a reasonable chance to recoup his investment, cover the cost of feed, equipment, training, keeping the new member of his equine family healthy and still make a profit on the racetrack.

As one former owner said, “The odds on the (tote) board go up to 99-1…the odds of making a profit are even longer when you put your hand up and the gravel goes down with auctioneer saying, ‘Your way!’

“Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds are sold and bought but, at the end of the season, only a few have made the grade.

“There’s only room for one at the top and 10 in the top 10 in each division.”

Not only does an owner have to rely on “genes” and conformation of the individual filly or colt, he or she has to rely on day-to-day luck and the casinos and legislatures to keep funding a losing proposition on their end.

So far so good, but they said what will NEVER happen, indeed, happened in Florida and it can happen anywhere.

What would be effect on breeders if the racing crutches are removed.

What REALLY matters is the money!

It does an owner little good to have a 1:50 and change pacer in his stable with under $30,000 in bounty…and there are two of them so far this season—one filly and one gelding.

Yes, the five juveniles on the SUB-1:50 list for two-year-old pacers—two fillies and three colts—have done well with some big events still coming up.

But a 1:52 two-year-old pacer isn’t even on the list of the top 50.

And by the time you get down to leading list of money winners, thus far, only 21 youngsters—seven fillies and 14 colts—have earned more than the average price of the sale on the first night in Lexington.

Yes, that number will grow in the final stages of the season, but by how much and how many?

The cards for two-year-olds are on the table already and the likelihood of a new face (or pace) in the crowd is against the odds.

On the trotting side of the ledger, there are 19 two-year-olds that have exceeded the average sale price at Lexington on Day one with T C I over $1,000,000. So, if similar circumstances occur with in future years (if funding holds up) the odds are over 900 to 1—as this sale alone has over 900 hip numbers…with another huge one to follow.

How many trotters like T C I or Karl, a 1:51.2 trotting colt, come along in a year…or, even, a lifetime?

When one says they got the “one-in-a-million,” no truer words have ever been spoken…literally!

Years ago, of course, 1:55 two-year-old trotter was just a dream.

Today, it won’t even get you on the top 50 list…and, on that list, three come to mind….the colt Call Option, with a mark of Q1:54.4 and earnings of z-e-r-o, the colt Classic Landing, 1:54.4 with $10,000 on his card and the gelding Twin B Showboat, Q1:54.4 with earnings of $3,559.

You might argue, “well, something must have happened.”

That, too, is the point and yet another possibility in the fragile world of harness racing.

What will happen to stud fees if casinos and decide that the drain on profit is too significant to continue or what if legislatures decide they need to “rob Peter” to pay or fund “Paul?”

Great stallions of the past become not-so-great as new champions are crowned and world records are continually set.

What would a yearling be worth at a sale if there is a future not fortified with hundreds of millions of dollars from casino interests and legislatures?

Wagering isn’t going to help.

The industry makes little effort to attract new fans…and, as we age, the inevitable happens and nobody even notices that we’re losing them one at a time.

“It’s just like a person going bald,” one BDHP (Broken Down Horse Players) club member laughed. “I didn’t really notice that I was going bald one or two strands at a time and, also of a sudden, I was bald!”

The industry has closed doors when it comes to transparency and, even, rule changes from those within.

Harness racing’s future is fragile…whether we look reality in the eye…or turn around and walk away from it!

Yes, I am the eternal optimist…but…having become somewhat of a realist, as well, I don’t see things getting better and the “odds” are that they can only get worse.

by John Berry, for Harnesslink