Right a big betting field on the turf ex pool 125k and tri pool 72k what isn't to like versus stale one mile harness racing with low pools and heavy favorites. I started out with turf racing wager at Arlington Park 30 years ago. With the likes of Noel Hickey and Earlie Fires. ET Baird and Garrett Gomez(RIP). I still wager on the thoroughbreds time to time while little interest in harness unless a mandatory pool is in play. Harness in stale 12-13 races of the same sprint to the lead and slow the pace. Get all the drivers leaning back and spread a field of ten fifteen lengths back. A C track like Tampa Bay downs will do a one race handle vs a whole card at the Meadows, Hoosier, or Pocono. Saturday nights Meadowlands pace could have been a disaster in the making with what went on that first quarter. Could you see 6 jockeys in a field of 20 sprint to the first quarter in 20 seconds...hell no.
There is something to be said about handicapping a full field of turf runners especially first out doing some pedigree homework and watching the morning works. Then seeing how the horse is on the track. Harness will always be a niche sport will low betting pools and a small fan base. It hasn't changed since I have owned the last 12 years only has gotten smaller.
My dad starting taking me to the track in the early 70's.
Washington Park was still racing.
Weekends had 10,000-15,000 fans crowded together all the time.
We would get there at least an hour early to ensure we got some good box seats and all the early warm ups.
I was there at Sportsmans the night Ike and Tina Turner drew over 20,000 fans.
I use to think people loved the races and I loved it when the crowd would heckle the drivers after one of them stiffed a favorite. Busse would give the crowd his middle finger.
Now I think these fair weather fans weren't a harness racing junkie like I was.
I loved the races way before I could legally bet and wanted to go every night my dad went.
Clearly a lot of those "fans" were just there for the gambling since horse racing was the only legal gambling outside of Vegas and Atlantic City.
Even now I'll have a couple of the "B" tracks on during the day without looking at a program or betting a race.
While working on my handicapping for later that night at the better tracks.
Pool size is very disappointing and casino day racing sucks.
As The King Of Plop always says "It's A Dead Game Laddies."
More true today than ever.
