Stronach, SA and NHC

[km]

Frank Stronach continues to intrigue. He is a genius or nutball? Here is some of the latest ==

= Frank wants free access to racing dates in CA with no restrictions. In other words, run SA and GG on the most primo dates of the year - in full competition with other tracks if necessary. If he doesn't get what he wants, he alludes they might not run at all.

= He wants new wagering formats to lottery style exotics with high takeouts and guaranteed large pools with big payouts. His new pet wager is the "quardruple quadfecta". :confused: This he believes, is how horse racing will attract new customers.

= SA suddenly has a surface problem again. Although Stronach gave in and was going to allow to Oak Tree a final meet at SA in October, now it now in limbo again because SA is claimiing the drainage has busted and the track is not safe. Oak Tree has contacted HOL as a backup.

= Magna Inc, according to rumors, did not renew its tracks for NTRA membership. However, it's difficult to find any confirmation of this in print, let alone a quote by MIC brass such as Stronach. We know that they did not attend the NTRA meeting in June and during the bankruptcy they were withholding dues for 2010. But does this mean they have dropped out entirely, as Churchill did, or is it a wait and see situation for them? How will this effect the NTRA + NHC situation?

Inquiring minds, especially NHC qualifiers, would like to know the answer to those latter questions. Without the Magna tracks (GP, SA, GG), there can be no viable contest in January.

At our seminar, Mayo (Chairman of the NTRA Player's Committee) related that he has been trying for months to contact the NTRA with this and other questions. They have ignored him completely :mad:

Mike also told me that this is the final year of the Red Rock's contract with the NTRA to hold the NHC. There is nothing in place after 2011. It is unknown whether the Red Rock wants to continue. They, like everyone else, are probably waiting on events to unfold with NTRA.....

[SPIKE]

I NEED A BEER OR 2, 3, 4 UHG

[mandol7]

I'll take the tommyc approach'
1 tequila..2 tequlla.. 3tequilla :eek:

[OPM]

Well, if you' ve played by everyone's rules and lost a fortune and everyone is going bankrupt, then it time to change the rules.

Why is it necessary to place fictional bets on tracks that are members of the NTRA?, Never understood this, it's a fictional bet.

[Mark]

Frank Stronach strikes me as an egomaniac, unfortunately with a bully pulpit, SA and GP.

Racing has needed a shakeup for years though it's difficult to imagine Stronach or the ineffective NTRA as angels of change.

Massive consolidation and downsizing involve pain, a subject no politician, Stronach or the NTRA will address. All tracks are under state licenses and every state is in dire financial straights. More Jersey-like appropriations will surely be attempted.

If the racing industry doesn't get it now, they'll face the unimpeachable mandates of state and federal authorities.

A dozen tracks, with lowered takeout, convenient unrestricted simulcasting sites, online and "brick and mortar", and a cooperative schedule. It's something along these lines or the mayhem that has brought us this low.

[DanG]

Frank Stronach continues to intrigue. He is a genius or nutball?

Along with the string of broken promises if you research his initial speeches when he purchased these properties… there is one thing that really disturbs me about his management style. The massive turnover of racing upper management is incredible. Many of which had very little good to say in parting about the direction of the racing operations. True; in his defense he has committed a FORTUNE of Magna assets into training tracks, surface / barn restoration, breeding and is among the leaders in looking after retired thoroughbreds etc.

The underlying financial hardships that few mention are the poor judgment (granted; in hindsight) of pouring capital reserves into (GP & SA) retail space into the teeth of an economic swoon. I haven’t made it back to SA since his purchase, but Gulfstream clearly placed racing a distant 2nd during the endless construction phase.

Floridians witnessed the debacle when Brunetti pushed for deregulation and overlapping dates that saw once great Hialeah go down the sewer pipe. If you read the chronicles of modern Santa Anita to a racing fan 20 years ago it would read like poorly written fiction.

1st and foremost in my narrow view of the world; Gulfstream and Santa Anita are world class racing facilities. His ownership has clearly not enhanced these properties and in a worst case scenario its actually threatened their very existence.

Even crediting all the effort Magna has made toward this game I still would vote for ‘B” (a yodeling nut ball) completely pickled on his own energy elixir. :eek:

http://kentuckyhorseracing.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/frank.jpg

[del_dog]

As to the lottery style wagers, he is likely correct on that point.

The simple correlation is to the current state run lottery. What's the difference if you have a guy plunk down a hundred bucks for a set of quick picks numbers be it on horses or balls out of a bowl?

Obviously the current group of horse players doesn't much care where the money to fund the "sport" comes from as they are willing to take it from the "players" that man the VLT , etc.

Now , getting the players to the pools is a whole different matter.

As to his wanting to run when he wants to run, I see nothing wrong with that.
The dates are going to shrink anyway, so he may as well get the ones he wants.

There are plenty of dates left over it seems to me.

Competition is good.


P.S. - i have never met a sane genius , maybe just me.
:)

[McCarron7000]

Inquiring minds, especially NHC qualifiers, would like to know the answer to those latter questions. Without the Magna tracks (GP, SA, GG), there can be no viable contest in January.

At our seminar, Mayo (Chairman of the NTRA Player's Committee) related that he has been trying for months to contact the NTRA with this and other questions. They have ignored him completely :mad:

Mike also told me that this is the final year of the Red Rock's contract with the NTRA to hold the NHC. There is nothing in place after 2011. It is unknown whether the Red Rock wants to continue. They, like everyone else, are probably waiting on events to unfold with NTRA.....


Why must tracks be a member of the NTRA for their inclusion as contest races for the NHC? I understand that the NTRA as sponsor certainly wants to reward their own, but is this a pure contractual issue or simply a misapplied punishment for those tracks not ponying up the $$ to become members?