Casino Drive hiding in plain sight, just like the official Belmont Stakes site! (Sarah K. Andrew)

So, I’m catching up on my reading and I’m looking at this article from Sunday’s Daily News by Jerry Bossert. I, like Steve Davidowitz (see the comments), think it’s dead on.

As I’m reading the comments, I learn something that I didn’t know about the internet…

Commenter dlydbbl1 says:
Absolutely right on. NYRA is clueless. I went to the Derby a few years ago and the whole week is one big promotion/party

Commenter Ribot says:
This writer has no idea what he is talking about or is too old to use the internet. NYRA has had the Belmont Stakes website up for over a month. The site has videos, information on the days race and activities and a history of the Belmont stakes. Here is a link to it. You would think a newspaper writer who works on a computer all day would know how to use the internet or is this just a slander piece by a bad handicapper? http://www.nyra.com/BelmontStakes2008.html

What? NYRA has a Belmont Stakes website and it’s been up for a month? Apparently I’m too old and don’t know how to use the internet!

So, I click on over to NYRA to investigate. I notice the blue header graphic touting the Belmont Stakes on the top of the page but don’t think anything of it because they always have a graphic there. Not seeing anything that stands out as a link to the “site”, I click the graphic (not that there’s any indication that I should) and behold, I’m am transported to the Official Belmont Stakes site… a gigantic slow loading static graphic file with an audio file that auto plays in the background with no volume control or way to pause or turn it off.

The audio itself sounds like what I imagine a NYRA commercial for the Belmont Stakes would sound like, do they have one of those running? The audio definitely had a much higher production value than the “site” (I use the apostrophes because it’s a page buried within the NYRA site, kentuckyderby.com is a site).

Let’s review the pluses and minuses:

Pluses:
- Links to a list of all the prior Belmont winners
- Links to a VERY comprehensive archive of Belmont race replays

Minuses:
- It’s not exactly well promoted or easy to find
- It’s a giant graphic that doesn’t really add any value with the links on the bottom
- The two informational links point to pdfs instead of pages
- The audio is without controls
- Does that slick audio go with a commercial? Let’s see it!

How about some more content, Durkin’s favorite Belmont’s, stream the press conferences, clocker’s reports, pictures from morning work outs, videos of morning work outs, a list of contenders!

Well, at least they’re trying… I would suggest registering belmontstakes.com and hiring some internet professionals to create a site next year, not that anyone from NYRA makes their way over here, as GbG is not a venue of “significant coverage.”

Posted by dana on Jun 03 2008    
Filed Under: Technology, Sarah K. Andrew, Internet, 2008, Industry, Steve Davidowitz, NYRA, Belmont, Triple Crown, Belmont Stakes, Marketing, Racing

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There was a quite a flurry of activity today what with the NTRA launching their much anticipated Horseplayers’ Coalition and the NY Times launching their Triple Crown blog, The Rail.

The Horseplayers’ Coalition is, in the words of the NTRA:

a consortium of horseplayers whose common objective is to seek legislative and regulatory solutions to tax and business issues that impact racing fans and pari-mutuel racetracks.

In short, it’s a political action committee. Get on over there and get involved if this is your sort of thing!

It’s great that they’re doing it and smart to do it not too long after tax time… those of you who had a good year last year will no doubt still be smarting and perhaps mad enough to do something about it. And if you ever wondered why things are they way they are, it’s because of special interest groups, so now that we are one let’s get busy!

I haven’t had a chance to look at The Rail too closely yet (my job sort of precludes me from doing as much reading as I’d like, let alone any day time posting). But I did already glance one thing that I’ll be posting about the before the evening is over. I only have one question, is it journalism or is it a blog?

All kidding aside, it’s great that they’re doing it, especially with the sad decline in turf writing in newspapers. On the classy side, they gave a shout out to the TBA in the blogroll and my favorite film making brothers did a guest post… nice!

Posted by dana on Apr 22 2008    
Filed Under: Technology, TBA, Internet, 2008, First Saturday in May, Hennegan Brothers, Derby Trail, Triple Crown, NTRA, Fans

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Well, we are, but there have been recent UFO sightings that indicate perhaps the powers that be are at least listening.

Well if that’s the case, go listen in on this conversation, and this one and this one, just to name a few.

Oh wait, please don’t forget this, this, this, AND this.

And as if that wasn’t enough, there are new conversations popping up every day… you’ll tell two friends and so on, and so on, and so on.

Posted by dana on Apr 08 2008    
Filed Under: 2008, Internet, TBA, Technology, Racing

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Was it just me, or was Saturday really weird? Hysterical Lady, Tiago and Daaher all throwing total clunkers, the continuing parade of California claimers stepping up their games, turf horses running on dirt and a horse who won his last on turf taking a dirt (well, synthetic) race. Add this from the NYC OTB site:

Wagering on Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields is unavailable today because the California Horsemen have withdrawn their consent to interstate simulcasting and wagering with the New York State Off-Track Betting Corporations.

We apologize for this interruption and are working to resolve the problem.

Swifty and I had both just lost on the Swale and were starting to think about the Robert B. Lewis, but we couldn’t find Santa Anita on our TV at “The Office”. The loud and annoying investment bankers sitting next to us started to grumble as well. Swifty asked one of the clerks at the window where the signal was and the answer was that the California jocks were on strike but the answer seemed vague enough to make to make it seem like there was no racing at Santa Anita.

I took a quick look around on my dedicated txting and horse racing news reading device and wasn’t able to find any information about what was going on. As a matter of fact, as of right now (4:20pm on Sunday), the paragraph quoted above is the ONLY thing I can find on the matter!

We eventually figured out that it was just that the signal was blocked as I could log-in in my Twinspires account on my phone and see that the races were indeed on. After the Donn we both busted out of there quickly so we could get to our respective apartments and play Santa Anita via Twinspires (i.e, continue my losing streak).

Fellow TBAers John and Valerie reported that their Twinspires accounts were useless for both the Donn and Robert B. Lewis due to heavy traffic but I didn’t have any trouble in the Strub and frankly was happy to have the account in this odd twist of signal war fate. However, you won’t hear an argument from me on the addressing some of the usability issues of Twinspires, but that’s another post entirely!

For the most part I feel good about Donn assessment as Daaher couldn’t stand up to pressure on the lead, but I also have to wonder with such a horrifying clunker if something isn’t wrong with him. Also, I have to wonder if Luzzi could have used some slightly better judgment given the distance. I thought my pick AP Arrow ran well and it looked like with a touch more distance he could have gotten there as he was closing hard.

But Spring at Last, way to go! On my first pass of the race I was planning on using him but eventually talked myself out of it thinking he had distance limitations, although he ran well in the Strub last year at the distance. Needless to say, I’m happy to see him step up and am hoping to see more good things from him and AP Arrow.

Speaking of the Strub, Tiago barely held on for place… Valerie, and I’m sure others, are starting to wonder to about him. My sentimental pick Slew’s Tizzy bombed horribly! I’m starting to wonder if he just can’t rate + perhaps it’s time to drop him in for a confidence builder (and/or permanently drop him in class). However, I think they should also try him on the turf again as he showed some signs of life there. I seriously expected him to do so much better on that surface. I don’t think it was a distance issue as it looked like it was over for him before he even go to the stretch. In watching the replay it also looks like he might have been a little rank in the stretch as well. It was nice to see Great Hunter improve on his 3 outting since last year’s Derby. Hopefully he’ll get back in the swing of things as well.

But Monterey Jazz, who I liked in the San Fernando before he scratched, is interesting in that there’s been a whole parade of former claimers stepping up in California and I believe they’ve all been early speed types as well. Zayat Stables has also had some speedy front runners making mild upsets on the early part of the Derby Trail with Z Fortune and Eaton’s Gift.

For the holidays I bought myself a bunch of DRF handicapping books that they smartly packaged as group. Given what’s been going on lately, I think I’ll start with Steve Klein’s The Power of Early Speed.

Posted by dana on Feb 03 2008    
Filed Under: Wrap Up, Technology, TBA, 2008, Twinspires, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita, OTB, Slew's Tizzy, That's Why They Call it Gambling, Tiago, Derby Trail, Great Hunter, Handicapping, Racing

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What? Mac’s new operating system, Leopard, ships on Friday October 26th… the same day The Leopard is running in the BC Juvenile Turf. Does anyone have any connections at Apple? They should sponsor the race!

30% of my readers use OS X, while that’s not a gigantic amount of people, as far as percentages go that’s not bad. It would be a great publicity stunt and possibly bring some geeky attention to the BC that might not otherwise have noticed. Show a bunch of geeks how to handicap and you definitely convert some fans, that’s how I got involved (that story coming someday soon).

Posted by dana on Oct 16 2007    
Filed Under: Technology, The Leopard, Marketing, 2007, Breeders' Cup

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