What Once Worked Could Soon Again

by Ed Meyer

posted on January 18, 2023 in Blogroll, General Discussion, Handicapping, Horse Racing, WinningPonies.com | Comments Off on What Once Worked Could Soon Again

Long ago in Ohio, there was a “7 and 7” race card. – Seven races from River Downs and seven races from Thistledown. At the end of the day, bettors were treated to a 14-race card for the Ohio signal. It used to be a lot of fun.

But as tracks are owned by new casino entities, it seems that everyone wants it all for themselves and working together is a long-ago memory. – Trust me, this could be a unique way to keep the ball rolling.

Right now, field sizes are small and there is trouble filling races at most tracks. That is with the exception of the CDI tracks which have a chock-full purse structure from the advent of Historic Racing Machines. But competition has always been around, and even though you won’t have the purse structures of the big boy track, you could find yourself watching and wagering on fuller fields that get a fair share of the handle.

With a “7 and 7” card, you run a race at one and have 8 min to post at the next. – Just what the betting public wants; rapid run races that could bring a bit of new attention to the Ohio signal. – All that it takes is working together and focusing on growing together. – If the “7 and 7” cards won’t work, try a “6 and 6.” – Still 12 races and the exotic wagers roll from track to track. Rapid fire and plenty of excitement may be just what the game is lacking, but locking up together could bring a higher handle with bigger fields. – Think of the racing office having to card two or fewer races per day. This could be a big difference and help the field sizes grow as horsemen would have two fewer races to enter per day.

This old idea still has teeth, and in times of having trouble filling races, this may be a nice answer until we get the product rolling again. – Just think. Working together, trying to maximize handle, making it easier to fill races, and larger fields all the while drawing attention to the Ohio racing signal.

Sounds like this old dog still may have a few tricks left after all.