Social security for two-year-olds

Up in simulcasting the other day, a member of the BDHC (Broken Down Horseplayers Club) was celebrating his birthday with a few friendly wagers at his favorite track—Northfield Park.

“Well, happy birthday from all of us at Harnesslink and Mane Attraction…December 28?”

“No”, he said, “It’s April 28…but I am now good to go for Social Security.

“I’m lucky it’s still available…I’m afraid that it won’t be when the grandkids get to be my age.”

That “foaled” the idea for thus Mane Attraction.

Some months ago, our Mane Attraction floated the idea for Equine Social Security for our beloved trotters and pacers.

I didn’t expect anything would come of the idea—no new ideas do—but, in reality, every one of our participating horses, trainers an drivers are on a type of “Social Security” right now.

That “Social Security” comes from State legislatures and casinos that (1) are in the heart or surrounding heart of Bluegrass Country or (2) in other areas that made a promise to subsidize the racing industry with the approval to build a competing casino, enabling them to make, potentially, hundreds of millions of dollars per year by bolstering purses by 10, 15, 20 million to keep our industry—both thoroughbred and harness—alive and healthy.

Of course, promises made are promises easily broken as proven by the demise of so many tracks in recent years.

The remaining tracks really don’t know their future—it’s proven to be very fragile—but it’s no secret that casinos and legislatures now have a way out of supporting racing with the almighty dollar and the politics lurking over the entire industry.

Voters who, first, spoke with their “yes” votes in a vote to build casinos in the first place, can now be ignored with dollars taking precedent over their voting rights and subsequent opinion and transferred to those in the political power arena.

So, when pari-mutuel handle can no longer support an industry, it turns in to a type of “Social Security” for every participant—whether they be drivers, trainers, owners and, yes, our own trotters and pacers from ages two through 14 and, in some instances, 15.

It’s awesome that a two-year-old can race for a purse of, say $40,000…$50,000…$80,000…even more in some instances, when the pari-mutuel handle for that particular event would dictate and/or support a purse of $2,000…or even less!

The fragility of our industry is, now, for the most part, ignored…and we’re doing nothing about it as everyone is content with the way things are right now…this minute…this second…not looking ahead to the future…or caring about it.

Social Security recipients get a small C.O.L.A. (Cost of Living Adjustment) every year.

Our industry doesn’t guarantee anything like that as costs escalate—what’s a pile of shavings and sawdust cost these days? A couple of thousand?? Maybe more?

What’s good hay cost? $30…$40 a bale?

Thank goodness for Equine Social Security.

Previous Mane Attraction columns have suggested some things to improve our waning industry.

We’ve suggested the importance of a Commissioner for our sport…like in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League and just about every other major sport…

We’ve suggested that harness racing has shown to have “macular degeneration” while turning a “blind eye” to those that have denigrated the sport and we have pointed out the need for a Commissioner with an iron hand to level the playing field—yes, in our case, a racetrack—needed now more than ever.

It would have to begin with State regulators, the FDA, Customs and Border Patrol…even the FBI.

But the stumbling block would, obviously, be the need for the transfer of power to the Commissioner—something the big-wigs in the industry would never do!!!!

With field sizes shrinking, we need LESS RACES, shorter programs…our FILL IT OR KILL IT proposal…longer races…1 1/4, 1 3/8, 1 1/2 miles. (10 furlongs, 11 furlongs, 12 furlongs for our cousins.)

Today, harness racing has a $2.60, $2.40, $2.20 syndrome handing over it.

We hear it from the BDHC members all the time…NO VALUE…NO VALUE…NO VALUE.

The sport needs “lottery like” payoffs…a proposal suggested in this column before and which, of course, was “DEAD ON ARRIVAL.”

It could be done with larger fields…13, 14, 15 starters…LIKE EUROPE!

Millions of people put their money on a “mindless” lottery quick pick with a 40% or higher takeout in search of riches—$500,000,000 and up!!!

How about a Pick-8 BONANZA with a 20% takeout…

Half the races—double the purses…all horses getting “Social Security” payments!

Easily, some of these lottery type wagers could be seeded with $5,000,000.

Look what happens when there is a carryover over of, even, $50,000 or $75,000 at any track. The handle explodes!

But we never learn!

There are so many differences in rules from State-to-State, it’s amazing that any infraction gets addressed in a uniform manner.

As one former horseman put it, “The reason nothing gets done is because, after an infraction, there are appeals that take months and months and, while that is taking place, the party In question continues to race!

“It’s amazing that this stuff goes on…and on…

“It’s getting so bad that I’m expecting some of the women trainers to start growing beards!”

Yet another horseman said, “There are so many stains on the industry these days that you could pour gallons and gallons of bleach on them and you’d still never get all the stains out!”

When it comes to broadcast exposure, we are at the mercy of other racing networks.

WE NEED OUR OWN HARNESS RACING NETWORK…WITH EXPOSURE 365 DAYS A YEAR FILLED WITH CONTENT TO ATTRACT NEW BLOOD AND KEEP THE AGING FANS AS LONG AS THEY ARE WITH US!

We can’t control our own destiny UNLESS WE CONTROL OUR OWN DESTINY!”

Field shrinkage is a big problem at some tracks.

The “median” win odds in a five horse field is about 3 to 1. In a 10 horse field, it’s 8 to 1…In a 15 horse field, it’s 13 to 1.

There is no more picture clearer than that as to why we lose customers.

The casinos have a huge advantage in the churn factor—a push on the slot “bet” button every three to four seconds.

On a 60 cent machine, the churn is about $9.00 a minute—about $180.00 an hour.

A $1.00 pull churns about $15.00 per minute—roughly $300.00 per minute.

With on-track attendance in the “nil” category at most tracks, well, you get the picture.

Our racetracks have a churn factor every 20 minutes!!! That, in itself, should be a “red flag!”

Many States have statutes that have harness racing as a nighttime sport—6:00 or 7:00 p..m post—not to be in competition with the T-Breds.

THAT IS SO ANTIQUATED THESE DAYS SINCE HARDLY ANYONE GOES TO A TRACK LIVE ANYMORE.

Times have changed in racing from the coveted 2:00 mile to the ho-hum 1:51 mile.

Yet, “times” have hardly budged in the business model of harness racing for the past quarter century. WE ARE BEHIND THE TIMES!

We are in the “pico-gram” era in this medication era.

The chemists seem to be lengths ahead of our testing facilities these days and it’s impossible to catch the vast majority of what is going on.

We, jokingly, suggested leveling the playing field by making everything legal! Yes, it’s a joke…but more and more may be joining the fray as the odds of being caught are still longer than the longest shot on the tote board.

One BDHC gent said, “Ban all betting on horses and let the horse people do what they want. We would save our money as we don’t know what a horse has been given—except for lasix!

“I remember when lasix was the hot item at the track…how it helped the horses.

“We’re in the dark now.”

When one turns on the news, there seem to be cameras all over the place detailing time-stamped details to the second giving clues to solve all types of crime

A Mane Attraction column also suggested the installation of “front door cameras” planted every 20 or 30 feet from the eighth pole at the start to the 16th pole near the finish to assist the judges in any inquiries or objections in any race.

No stone should be left unturned when it comes to a situation involving any question as to the outcome of a race…especially for the punter that has $2 on a horse’s nose!

Yes, as much as we have let things go, it’s still a spectator sport!

Headlines are rampant on sports enthusiasts jumping on the bandwagon of proposition wagers.

Yes, we have a few that resemble prop bets like future bets on the LBJ and Hambo but, by and large, we are many lengths behind the leaders…as far back as the last horse in any race with the drivers leaning all the back leaving that horse in can impossible situation 30 lengths back.

Many players are creating their own prop bets and harness racing can certainly do the same thing…

Imagine, making up a prop bet for a “buck” or two where Alfredo, Geremy and Braiden each have a driving double on their respective racing programs.

The options are endless!

A past Mane Attraction column told about one guy from Rushville, Indiana—about 50 minutes from Hoosier Park—who cashed in on a $5 prop bet from his couch to the tune of $72,785.

Too bad that headline was NOT from. Hoosier Park about our sport but, rather, pro football.

Pick your own two—three—four horse parlay.

Will Brett Beckwith win more races than Aaron Merriman in 2025? Will Trace win more races than Tim? Will Steve Oldford or Larry Ferrari win a total of 20 amateur races this year??

MAKE UP YOUR OWN PROP…Let’s get some headlines!

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!

And one other thing…

When a casino pulls the plug on a track, it not only hurts thousands of employees by putting them out of work, it also has an effect on surrounding businesses—fast food restaurants, bars, mom-and-pop stores…

It hurts the real estate industry, hotels, motels, gas stations…

It not only hurts…it destroys!!!

If another casino or two or three needs to bolster their bottom line for shareholders…or another State legislature or two or three needs to “rob Peter to pay Paul”…from where is that money coming?

Take a wild guess!

It is coming from harness racing’s “Social Security.”

May The Horse Be With You!

by John Berry, for Harnesslink