John Berry: One simple question spawns' idea

In our final Mane Attraction, we answered some questions from the “e-mail” harness racing bag.
We might solely get to some of the numerous which are acquired however one new query, specifically, has spawned a novel thought to avoid wasting our sport by injecting an entire new idea of betting.
Sure, racing wants a “shot” of a special kind—within the arm—to create a renewed curiosity in harness racing…and all types of pari-mutuel sport.
This query acquired needed to do with bigger fields—like these abroad or down-under—that create a lot curiosity.
To begin with, now we have had massive fields right here in the usA.—the 1953 Hambletonian had 23 starters with three tiers of 10-10-3.
And, again in 1974 at Sportsman’s Park, they’d two races—one with 18 starters and the opposite with 16, which garnered intense curiosity in Chicagoland and the whole trade.
Each of these have been carded at 1 3/8 miles.
(After all, north of the border, Georgian Downs grew to become well-known and received loads of “black ink” internet hosting their X-treme nights—races a brief as an eighth-of-a-mile and as epic as 5 miles.)
From a betting point-of-view, the one disadvantage at “SPk” was that the tote-board couldn’t accommodate every betting curiosity singularly and, within the 18-horse discipline, there have been 9 separate betting “entries” with eight separate betting entities within the 16-horse discipline.
A Thursday crowd of over 12,000 have been in attendance and so they wager over $1.1 million!
And that was the “set off” to this Mane Attraction…
Months in the past, our Mane Attraction column requested the query “Is pari-mutuel wagering about to change into out of date?”
Now, greater than ever, with discipline sizes shrinking and the velocity issue having its impact—whether or not it’s from stardom at ages two and three or stress from the velocity wars thereafter—some tracks have so many races that the final race is close to midnight…and people BDHC (Damaged Down Horseplayers Membership) devoted now of their (g)olden years have been quick asleep for hours.
(And don’t neglect concerning the SEND IT IN ARMY gang!)
The beginning of an 16-horse discipline on the Hippodrome Paris-Vincennes
Wagering on our sport completely should catch as much as the instances and the best way to do it’s for pari-mutuel wagering to develop their present tote-board accommodating 10 horses or develop the tote-boards (like Churchill Downs with 20 going to the gate on Derby Day) or undertake prop betting and make it the brand new, trendy rage on the observe.
First, a brand new regular needs to be not more than 9 races on any racing program.
Second, race sizes ought to have anyplace from 12 to 18 starters.
Third, all races needs to be carded at 1 3/8 miles to 1 1/2 miles. (For these of you that suppose that’s insane due to velocity lately, horsemen higher study to price a horse a “bit” higher with extra cheap instances, say, round 2:38-2:42 for the shorter distance and a couple of:52-2:56 for the longer 1 1/2 mile distance.
Fourth, final put up no later than 10:30!
There might be races carded below saddle and the normal manner…however right here’s the deal…
NO MORE $2.40 WIN PRICES…
NO MORE $4.60 EXACTAS…
NO MORE $6.80 TRIFECTAS..
Members of the BDHC are uninterested in the worth—or lack of worth—betting on what as soon as was a spectator sport of harness racing—now it’s simply an “insiders sport” and have fled the scene as a result of there’s no worth in wagering with quick fields and shorter costs.
However the kicker is that this…
Harness racing wants “lottery like” payoffs and, with a 16 or 17 or 18 horse discipline—even 13, 14 or 15 might be adequate—each single merchandise on the wagering buffet from “single horse” betting to exacta to trifecta to the superfecta would supply viable returns for the punters 20 cent or $2.00 funding.
Choose-3, Choose-4, Choose-5 and Choose-6 betting numbers would supply some astronomical payoffs.
And, to high issues off, a Choose-8 with a carryover might develop to have a “jackpot” within the space of any of our largest lotto providing—sure, within the lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} with rollovers.
Inconceivable, you say?
Thousands and thousands of hopeful’s plunk down hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} each week in the hunt for a $500,000,000 lotto prize (or extra) —-with odds towards pegged at someplace round 302 million to 1 in some instances—with a “chunk” of round 50%-55%.
Even a 20% takeout on the “Choose-8 Bonanza” would supply a chance for all members within the sport.
Half the races—double the purses—all horses receives a commission for displaying up.
There might be two weekly “Bonanza” occasions—one on a Wednesday and the opposite on a Saturday—on a bunch observe that’s 7/8ths of a mile or bigger. (The Meadowlands, Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Hawthorne, Cal Expo, Vernon Downs, The Purple Mile…possibly even Colonial Downs?)
The Wednesday occasion might be a “Excellent Choose-6” with the participant deciding on the primary six within the order of end.
Minor financial awards could be supplied for those who choose the primary 4 or first 5.
The Saturday “Bonanza” could be a “Excellent Choose 8”—the primary eight within the order of end.
Once more, related awards would even be given to those who decide the primary 5, six or seven within the precise order of end.
The sector dimension could be between 13 and 18, which means that the variety of mixtures is within the many hundreds of thousands with prizes justifiably growing with carryovers.
Can’t be performed?
Proper at this very second, there’s a win and exacta pool for NEXT YEAR’S Kentucky Derby with 38 horses on the record…PLUS ALL FILLIES FOALED IN 2022…PLUS ALL OTHER COLTS AND GELDINGS FOALED IN 2022!
(By the best way, East Avenue is the favourite at 10 to 1 with two others at 12 to 1. One other 15 horses are 90 to 1 or increased.)
Who would chunk at one thing this outrageous, you ask?
Considered one of my BDHC members answered…WHO WOULDN’T?
This might be dealt with by any of the prop wager firms or, if they might alter to the instances, the pari-mutuel trade, itself.
Particular Choose-8’s might be supplied!
A Choose-8 with all 12 horse fields might produce odds of 429,981,696 to 1.
Eight races with 15 horse fields would put the prize within the billions.
This might be seeded with a $5,000,000 prize to begin with minor awards for those who choose 5, six or seven winners.
Even a Choose-6 with 12 horses per race would produce odds of just about 3,000,000 to 1.
There may be some precedent right here as now we have early swimming pools for the Little Brown Jug and Hambletonian…however a bi-weekly occasion would breathe new life right into a sport that wants all of the oxygen it might probably get.
At this time, actually, hundreds of thousands of individuals pour their hard-earned {dollars} right into a dream of successful a half-billion {dollars} with a 15 second drawing of some numbers…lots of them requiring no mind energy with the phrases’ QUICK PICK!”
Right here, we current a motive to make use of one’s handicapping energy with the highlight on harness racing and the thrill constructing with the jackpots.
Once more, for those who say it might probably’t be performed…effectively, that’s the rationale and perspective that we, as harness racing fanatics, are on this predicament proper now!
Could The Horse Be With You!
by John Berry, for Harnesslink

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