Texas Thoroughbred Forum
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Strategic Maneuver
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I read the THP's news letter, 4/10/08, and I think it is a good thing that they joined the THG and are trying to negotiate a better number on account wagering. I also find it ironic that they see the growing increase in acct. wager and decrease in live handle and yet to my knowledge (which I admit is limited) still have an agenda of "slots or nothing" for the upcoming sessions.
I agree that they deserve a better percentage on the account wagering and hope that they get it. However, we also need to change the laws in Texas to allow Texans to legally bet on Texas races via these accounts. At the moment, we cannot. With no great participation from Texas, we end up with little or no coverage for Texas racing on the cable networks. There are Texas racing fans and industry participants who often cannot get to the track to watch live racing since we often cannot travel for hours and still get back home to take care of our horses, go to work, etc. Personally, I would rather have account wagering than VLTs. I have no interest in shoving coins into a machine, but would bet on Texas racing from home. Probably way too much. 
Bedouwia
Bedouwia
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keyranch
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The slots or nothing agenda does not have anything to do with us, it is the same with the breedback rule and there is a close tie to it all. There are three distinct groups the associations are representing and they have very specific interests that are represented. The Ky interests, Texans that have stallions or connections to out of state stallions that drain a lot of mares out of the economy in Texas. The investors in the tracks that have not been built and some of the existing tracks. What will be the value of those tracks become with the passage of slots? A few major owners that want to garnish as much of the T-bred money for their expenses at the loss of the money for the breeders and stallions, and have the ability to run pseudo T-breds at the restricted stakes to improve their value.
We can make huge gains in purse money with an off track sytem in Texas and take advantage of the economic power and size of the state. It is not part of plan B, nor will there be a comprehensive plan be in place. The cycle will continue without the passage of slots, it will be blamed on the legislature or whoever is a non believer.
There are a lot of positives in Texas racing at this time and I believe the remaining die hards are a lot more sceptical and less supportive of the associations and their hidden agendas. Believe nothing of what you hear and half of what you see and the rest will fall into place.
We can make huge gains in purse money with an off track sytem in Texas and take advantage of the economic power and size of the state. It is not part of plan B, nor will there be a comprehensive plan be in place. The cycle will continue without the passage of slots, it will be blamed on the legislature or whoever is a non believer.
There are a lot of positives in Texas racing at this time and I believe the remaining die hards are a lot more sceptical and less supportive of the associations and their hidden agendas. Believe nothing of what you hear and half of what you see and the rest will fall into place.
The most recent report of the TTA board meeting arrived in my inbox today. It stated that the TTA board voted to end the forum on the TTA website. I think this is very short sighted on their part, but the forum was already under a strangle hold. I hope that those looking for an alternative venue to express their ideas will post here. The old forum had at one time a lot of well informed and concerned Texas horse people, plus good posters from other states. Many positive ideas were presented, many of which have been adopted by the TTA board. Now, that input will be silenced. I find this quite sad.
The chances of VLT gambling at Texas race tracks passing this session of the legislature are very slim. If, by some miracle it did, then it would go to a vote of the people as a constitutional amendment. I suspect that most people would vote in favor of it, but these elections on amendments usually have a very low voter turnout rate, so it is hard to predict. The only good part of that is that constitutional amendments cannot be vetoed by the Governor.
In the Texas situation, an attempt to allow Texans to participate in account waggering would be more likely to pass, and be at least a short term boost. However, that depends upon the ability of horsemen to obtain better splits on these wagers, and a lot of other things. We should watch the efforts of the THG with great interest.
I fear that Texas horsemen will continue to get the short end of the stick for the forseeable future.
Bedouwia
The chances of VLT gambling at Texas race tracks passing this session of the legislature are very slim. If, by some miracle it did, then it would go to a vote of the people as a constitutional amendment. I suspect that most people would vote in favor of it, but these elections on amendments usually have a very low voter turnout rate, so it is hard to predict. The only good part of that is that constitutional amendments cannot be vetoed by the Governor.
In the Texas situation, an attempt to allow Texans to participate in account waggering would be more likely to pass, and be at least a short term boost. However, that depends upon the ability of horsemen to obtain better splits on these wagers, and a lot of other things. We should watch the efforts of the THG with great interest.
I fear that Texas horsemen will continue to get the short end of the stick for the forseeable future.
Bedouwia
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Strategic Maneuver
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I too just read the update stating the board had cancelled the forum. Too bad especially for the new and optimistic. Personally, I have never favored slots and think we will get them in Tx when "pigs can fly". I tend to agree with Key and if I had more free time, I could probably be labeled a conspiracy nut when it comes to our slots or nothing agenda.
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keyranch
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It would be good for the former TTA forum users to move over. The associations have gone back to the mushroom philosophy. This may be the only way we can put the bits and pieces together to have any idea of what is going on. There are certainly some things that can be done to represent the views of the average horsemen, and it is obvious it is not being done through the associations.
I have been a student of the industry for years, but I would not have ever guessed what has transpired in Texas. I think the closest pattern we are following is Illinoise. Even with the purse structure they have, once they opened up their breedback rules their industry started to unravel. The good stallions died off with no replacements and there never was a sale developed for the state bred horses. Ky drained the state, just as they did many of the east coast states.
I would invite someone from Ill to give us the history of the farms before and after their change in their breedback rule. What happened to number of mares bred in state and to the economic impact of the horse industry over the years.
I have been a student of the industry for years, but I would not have ever guessed what has transpired in Texas. I think the closest pattern we are following is Illinoise. Even with the purse structure they have, once they opened up their breedback rules their industry started to unravel. The good stallions died off with no replacements and there never was a sale developed for the state bred horses. Ky drained the state, just as they did many of the east coast states.
I would invite someone from Ill to give us the history of the farms before and after their change in their breedback rule. What happened to number of mares bred in state and to the economic impact of the horse industry over the years.
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keyranch
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Does anyone really know what is in the legislation. It surprises me there are not more questions about the specifics of the plan. What bothers me the most is that there is no money designated for the Texas bred program, and there is still nothing to address the problem of accountability in being a Texas bred at all.
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Strategic Maneuver
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Roger, you two are on a roll. First, Pepper Meant To Be wins, and now Tiger Slew. I am happy for you.
I managed to get a post on the forum late Friday, but have seen no action since then. There is the possibility that the moderator just took the weekend off, or that they will announce soon that it has been disbanded. Other than the announcement about the board decision in the email, nothing has appeared.
Other than telling people as you see them, there is not much way to get the word out. Is Sandy running at Lone Star? Will you see Charley or Misti?
Bedouwia
I managed to get a post on the forum late Friday, but have seen no action since then. There is the possibility that the moderator just took the weekend off, or that they will announce soon that it has been disbanded. Other than the announcement about the board decision in the email, nothing has appeared.
Other than telling people as you see them, there is not much way to get the word out. Is Sandy running at Lone Star? Will you see Charley or Misti?
Bedouwia
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lazyfranch
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Thanks for the pats on the back. I just looked at the 3 Tx-bred races from yesterday and I am pretty sure that all three were won by horses sired by out of state stallion. I'm pretty sure that of the 9 top finishers six were sired by out of state stallions. It makes me proud to be able to contribute to those unfortunates living out of state.