SC Amorebieta

Bill Peterson asked:


It is said that many of the people who run horse racing in the United States, and perhaps in the world, are hide-bound and slow to change. Like the U.S. automakers who are taking so much heat now, the people who run race tracks and control horse racing in the Untied States are often thought of as stuck in the past and stuck in a rut. Is that really a true and fair assessment and if so, what could be done to improve horse racing?

I have a fan’s eye view of horse racing and once owned race horses, so I have two perspectives that I can use. I’ve never run a race track, though I have been a track employee on one occasion, so my understanding and knowledge of what it takes to run a race track is limited. However, since racing cannot survive without the fans and during these tough economic times, the fans have very limited resources for entertainment, it would behoove the racing officials and track owners to ask the fans what they want and then, if at all possible, to give it to them.

It all comes down to a few factors, like value, entertainment, convenience. When I spend a dollar, I want to get something for it, to feel that I have gotten my money’s worth. I don’t have to pay to walk into a casino to gamble and they give me perks, like free meals and even a free room if I gamble enough. What do I get from the race track?

Here in Southern California, a day at the race track is an expensive proposition. I have to pay to park, pay for a good program with some past performance information, and pay to get into the track. I can then stand in long lines to use an automatic teller machine or to place my bet with a clerk. I think this is a case of poor value and poor convenience. Don’t you?

Now if I simply want to bet on simulcast races and go to a local race track on a day when they aren’t hosting any live races, I still have to pay to go inside and pay for past performances. Greyhound race tracks have free past performances that can be downloaded off the internet and if they charge admission, it is usually only a buck or two, though many offer free admission.

I love horse racing, but that doesn’t mean I should pay a premium just to attend a race track. Other people like to gamble and will go to a casino instead of a race track because of the associated costs. I’d rather spend my dollar on a bet than admission and parking. By the time I park my car, get into the track, and buy past performances, I’ve spent over $10 and I haven’t even seen a race or placed a bet. That is just the price to get into the grandstand area, too. If I want to join the swells in the clubhouse it costs much more.

So here is a suggestion give free admission and free parking and some kind of free program that has enough information in it for the average person to make an informed decision about a race and to bet it. More clerks so the betting lines will be shorter and treat every customer, both the swells and the average person, the $2 bettor, like a valued customer. Without the bettors there will be no racing. Losing your fan base is how you lose the sport.

Many years ago I worked at a greyhound race track. We did a survey of the customers as they came through the door, in fact, I stood and greeted them, handed them a free gift, and asked them what they would do to improve their day at our track. Many of them were also horse players and they said that they wanted to be able to bet on exactas at the dogs. At that time, the track I worked at and most of the other greyhound tracks only offered quinellas.

So the tracks gradually started adding exactas to the card and the people bet on them and revenues increased. I would do just the opposite at the horse tracks. I would offer quinellas. To me, betting an exacta box is a waste of money because I am buying two combinations so one is a guaranteed loser. Even though a quinella may pay less than an exacta, psychologically, I like the quinella better. I can spend $2 for an exacta box and get the payoff for a $1 exacta or I can spend $2 for a quinella and get the entire quinella.

I think that offering the quinella on horse races like some tracks already do, would be one way to improve racing. Finally, the best thing they could do to improve racing would be to lower the takeouts. Between the takeout and breakage, we are being bled too much. Give the fans a break financially and they will replay you with their attendance, otherwise, horse racing is going to suffer the same fate the auto industry has met.

Simon M. Skinner asked:


Betting on horse races is certainly nothing new. It would certainly be a good bet to assume that as long as there have been horses, there have been people betting on which horse can race the fastest. Even so, the way in which betting has taken place has certainly changed and evolved over the years.

One of the most well known ways of betting on horse racing is to actually be present when the race takes place. On track betting is the most traditional and common way of placing bets on the outcome of a race, or at least it was, until the Internet changed the entire landscape of horse racing.

Today, more people are enjoying the fun and challenge of betting on horse races because of the fact that they no longer have to be present at the race or even make a trip to the race track in order to place their bets. In the past, many people were prohibited from being able to enjoy the benefits of betting on horse races because they simply were not able to make it to track. While there was the ability to place the bet over the telephone, this method still lacked quite a lot.

Online horse racing betting brings together the convenience of being able to bet off track with the excitement of being able to watch how the race turns out online. You can enjoy all of the thrill and excitement that is associated with horse racing without even needing to leave your home.

Due to the convenience of online horse racing, you do not even need to be located near a race track in order to place a bet on the outcome of the race. As a result, an entire new world of horse racing has opened up for individuals who enjoy the thrill and excitement of racing. You can easily be located on the west coast and place a bet on a race that is taking place on the east coast. For that matter, you can be anywhere else in the world and place a bet on a race that will be taking place half a world away. Individuals who have never been able to previously participate in the fun of betting on horse racing are now able to do so. Consequently, online horse racing has truly become the future of horse racing.

Joe Goertz asked:


Racing has taken a number of different forms, including foot, dog, horse, airplane, boat, car, motorcycle and bicycle. The object in any form of racing is to win. Being the fastest is what makes a champion. Coming in second rarely counts.

We know from painted pottery that the foot race was a popular event with the ancient Greeks. Today there are both indoor and outdoor forms of foot racing. The most common forms of racing are sprints, hurdles and relays. Distances of the races vary. The first marathon race in modern times was organized in 1896. It was approximately 22 miles in distance. Today, the marathon is around 24 miles. The first Olympic marathon for women was held in 1928. Today, there are many different marathons, usually organized by a specific charity, such as ****** cancer, within a city.

Horse racing has also been around for centuries. The ancient Romans and Egyptians had a fascination for chariot racing. It continues to this day, although it is referred to as horse and buggy racing. There is also thoroughbred racing, with a trained rider (jockey) on a saddle on the horse’s back. One of the most popular forms of horse racing in the United States is the Triple Crown, made up of three separate races in different locations: The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. There are also races in which the horse must jump over obstacles set up on a measured track.

Bicycle racing is an Olympic sport today. The first known race was held in Paris in 1865. There are many forms of bicycle racing today, including on and off road, mountain bike, track, BMX and cycle speedway. One of the best known races is the Tour de France. American cyclist Lance Armstrong has won this event seven times.

Automobile racing began in 1894 and has continued in various forms until the present. The races usually depend on the distance travelled in particular types of cars. There is stock car, drag, rally, off road, sports car racing, Formula One (NASCAR) and other forms of racing. While distance is a factor in racing, speed is usually still the most important factor. The fastest speed recorded at the Indianapolis 500 was achieved by Eddie Cheever in 1996 when his race car reached 236.103 miles per hour.

Motorcycle racing is an enormously popular sport, and, like automobile racing, it comes in a variety of forms, including drag, sidecar, and supercross. There is also motocross racing, an amateur level sport. WERA is the national organization for the advancement, operation and sanctioning of motorcycle road racing. WERA sponsors sprint and distance races.

The first aircraft race was held in 1909, six years after the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane. It was held in Reims, France, and covered the distance from France to England. A race from England to Australia was instituted later, with most of the entrants being commercial airliners. It was discontinued after the outbreak of World War Two. In the United States, the National and Cleveland Air Races were initiated in the 1920s. In 1929, the Women’s Air Derby was created as part of the National Air Races. Today the Red Bull Air Race World Series is held annually. It features 11 pilots who compete against time on two passes over the designated course.

Ships and boats have long been used as racing vehicles. There have been some unusual races as well. Even bathtubs have been used in racing events. Depending on the type of propulsion used, aquatic races vary in time and speed.

Eric Smith asked:


Thoroughbred Horse Racing

Thoroughbred horse racing is something that some of us have are familiar with, mainly because of the three biggest Thoroughbred horse races shown on TV each year. These three are the Preakness, the Belmont Stakes and the Kentucky Derby, known as the Thoroughbred Triple Crown. All three of the Triple Crown races are run on a flat dirt track.

The horses involved in these races tend to pace themselves during most of the race. They save that final surge of power for the very end, the grand finish! There are even a few horses that are so incredibly fast that they surge from start to finish, never letting up for a second. They begin and the lead and end up winning.

Many spectators of these races do not realize is that this is only one type of Thoroughbred horse racing. Even so, these are the most popular though. Not to say that the other types of Thoroughbred horse races are not popular, because they are. A variation on Thoroughbred racing is turf racing. The difference is that these races and other Thoroughbred races is that they are run on grass rather than dirt, though everything else about the races remains the same.

The turf courses are the same length as the dirt track races and the thoroughbreds run the same distances as in other types of Thoroughbred racing. The only difference is the turf and the terminology which is used in these sorts of Thoroughbred races. In these races there are different words used that describes various aspects of the sport. One type of race would say that the horse was fast but in a turf competition they would say firm instead.

Thoroughbred racing often have situations where the horses actually have to face hurdles such as jumping fences and such. These races are called steeplechases and their purpose is to offer extra challenges to the rider and the horse. For the spectators it offers an extra element of excitement. Thoroughbreds bank on speed while racing as they race only on flat race courses.

Horses that race in steeplechases must rely on stamina in order to finish the race. Jockeys must have more knowledge too because they have to know when to jump. How many times they must jump usually depends on the length of the race. The Kentucky Derby is one example of Thoroughbred horse racing.

Thoroughbred horses are known for beauty, a dignified appearance, determination, and speed and drive. The Thoroughbred horse is widely known for its racing abilities and would not be considered for inexperienced riders or a family pet. They are fast and unpredictable and often can be dangerous for those who aren’t experienced with horses.

Thoroughbreds like the ones used in racing can run up to forty miles per hour. While running this fast they are still able to remain agile, turn quickly and change pace without much effort. There is power in the hindquarters of Thoroughbred horses which is the reason for their speed and accuracy.