Jan 10 2008
Changing the Industry
It’s not even springtime yet, but change is in the air for the pari-mutuel industry. I am seeing it all around. So what’s a blogger to do? Throw out his two cents of course!
This is going to be a multi-part post. I would ask anyone reading it to wait until the end before throwing rocks at it. Also, I feel the need to insert the standard “these comments are my own, not attributed as being the position of anyone but me, including anyone I have worked for previously, or am working for now.”
A general warning, there may be controversial positions brought up. If you don’t like what you read, fine. Just remember, you only get to blame the writer. Of course, if you like what you read, I will accept the credit too.
Just for some background, I read several publications each day including the DRF, The Blood Horse, Thoroughbred Times, Yogonet, many Message Boards (Pace Advantage, DelMar, etc), the Derby List, other people’s blogs, and the list goes on.
And, for the record, I think it’s important for EVERY stakeholder in the pari-mutuel industry to read as many of them as they have time for. They can be very enlightening, and one certainly gets to know the pulse of what people think.
My topics moving forward are based on some of the things I have seen elsewhere, and my own ideas. Some of the concepts won’t be new, after all this is the pari-mutuel industry, and we do have a history of saying things over and over, but not acting.
The following topics seem to be high on the mind of everyone, so I’ll address them first.
- The Pricing Model
- Tote Systems and Security of the wagering pools
- Medication
- Exclusivity
Maybe now is the time when action can take place, and hopefully these thoughts will be helpful.