OK Maybe not a great idea but hear me out

[winky]

Alot of ideas have been set forth about how to save Harness Racing

and here is a possiblity...alth ough a longshot...


To bring the younger crowd in....how about....


A  "Cannabis Bar"  offered  high quality  Pre Rolled Marijuana

cigs along with an upscale bar with a DJ?

At Monticello "The Purple Room" was a big hit wat back when..

You have to change with the times...and this would be cutting edge.

And of course betting windows in the "enclosed area" so

the rest of the crowd (if any) don't get super stoned.

Whadeya think?

At least I am out there swingin the bat.....No?

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

Alot of ideas have been set forth about how to save Harness Racing

and here is a possiblity...alth ough a longshot...


To bring the younger crowd in....how about....


A  "Cannabis Bar"  offered  high quality  Pre Rolled Marijuana

cigs along with an upscale bar with a DJ?

At Monticello "The Purple Room" was a big hit wat back when..

You have to change with the times...and this would be cutting edge.

And of course betting windows in the "enclosed area" so

the rest of the crowd (if any) don't get super stoned.

Whadeya think?

At least I am out there swingin the bat.....No?

Why not. Thinking outside the box can only help. It is worth a try.

[winky]

and right next door ...a food court..so when they get hungry

they are covered...

and free food with every say $100 bucks worth of losing tix


$500 losing tix gets a nice dinner..


sort of ala Las Vegas...

The PR that the tracks offer was for the 1960's..

This is 2023       new ballgame....

[theokodjak26]

Forgive me for peeing in my pants from laughter and here is why…

1. I don’t totally dislike the let’s smoke some pot idea but it is not legal in many states. However a lot going on in harness racing is illegal so what the heck.

2. Have you been to Monticello Shitway in recent years? They barely have a bathroom no less a special purple room. No grandstand, no food, no people but occasionally toilet paper just off their disgraceful simulcast room.

I wish I had your enthusiasm to save harness racing. It has been in the gutter for so many years I fear the sport is on death’s door.When the basic ingredients of honesty and fair play are regularly violated and published on a the Internet, why would young people have any interest?

[Fuguzzi]

Ok, so drag queens and drugs. Perfect.

[winky]

If say 30 years ago they told you there would be gambling casinos

all over the east coast and pot would be legal...

what would you have said...?


I know I said ..No way....

and here we are..

so ..never say never..as outlandish as it may seem.

[Fuguzzi]

No gambling value left anymore, 98% of the press is negative, the rest doesn't exist, myriad ways for the young gambler to get his bang for the buck with action that is quicker, holds better value, is easier to understand, has participants that people can identify with and wear their jerseys, archaic marketing, the appearance that the drivers "hold back " or there isn't enough room for the sulkies even when they are trying as in boxed, shuffled, etc. programs that a novice cant make sense of. Many horrible facilities. Forget national coverage, virtually no local coverage anymore, as in city papers that devote about 4 square inches to entries and results. No lobbying agents for the sport at the national level. Conflicting schedules track to track. See Chester on HOF day. And worst of all a dying demographic. Show me how Cannabis and drag queens help these problems.

[Fuguzzi]

If say 30 years ago they told you there would be gambling casinos

all over the east coast and pot would be legal...

what would you have said...?


I know I said ..No way....

and here we are..

so ..never say never..as outlandish as it may seem.

As for pot, who cares. that shit is for losers. As for casinos, in the early 90s I was saying to anyone who would listen the tracks have to get casinos or we will be gone in a decade. We ( horsepeople/industry ) went about it in all the wrong ways.

[bello]

I had a cannabis room at Monti. It was behind the old iron grandstands, long since removeed.. And believe me, I was not the only one..

I have also been to scores of tracks in my lifetime, and I walked into 90%  stoned. And I am an old timer.

Handle will surely increase and if the Cannabis Room bring in the young ladies, I will be there in a heartbeat!

Great idea Winky.. Much better than drag queens.

HeY Dougie....get John Manzi out of retirement for one last promotion. An Old Timers Day for us old Monti stoners.

Fugazzi or Generation XYZ can bring the women!

Now I need to go back and root for the 4 to complete my Cold Punch  24 DD

[Fuguzzi]

My wife will be the one with the pineapple in her hand. Good Luck buddy!

[bello]

Pineapple Express Good Shit

[Kirby's Ace]

Bottom line is this younger crowd want fast-paced excitement, not boring line up racing that has a reputation for drugs and cheats.

One reason sports betting is up, and video game sales/downloads are in.

It's doomed my friend doomed..The lottery and the casinos with action everywhere alone with sports betting have taken the fans out of the stands and they're not coming back!

But that's just my opinion.

[bello]

If you get people through the door they will bet. And I don't mean getting them into the casino.

A few years ago Colonial Downs had live music and a micrro brew day. The place was packed with young people and dyes, they ere drunk and betting. Vices go hand in hand.

I was also at Houston Race track on a Saturday Night and they had a somewhat famous country bad there for a concert. Place was packed, people drinking, gambling and listening to music.

The reason it doesn't occur anymore is racing is a red haired unwanted step child the racino owners would prefer go away.

[SwankToliverA]

Fug- a little swing action there? 😜

[SwankToliverA]

Winky, I like the idea. I do believe that it would draw in new bettors. It's like the EZ bet location's for OTB- a lot of ppl at the bar who don't bet horses, do bet while they are there. (At least where I'm at)