Pool Party at Canterbury - Did It Fail?

I'll be looking forward to the results of this week's HANA pool party. Initial numbers from the Daily Racing Form's official charts indicate that mutuel wagering was not affected by the Pool Party at all. In fact, several races on the card generated higher handle than the targeted race. Here is how the handle shook out for race 8:

Mutuel Pool: $15,883
Exacta Pool: $8,664
Trifecta Pool: $7,733

Compared to the two races prior (the last races on the card - after the Pool race are for Quarter Horses and tend to generate lower handle so it would be an unfair comparison):

Sixth Race:

Mutuel Pool: $20,784
Exacta Pool: $8,283
Trifecta Pool: $7640

Seventh Race

Mutuel Pool: $20,748
Exacta Pool: $12,566
Trifecta Pool: $11,940

I thought I'd go back to last weekend and check the Race 7 from Sunday. Not exactly apples to apples, but it was the last days of charts I could easily access on-line and it was also the Thoroughbred finale of the day before a couple of Quarter Horse races.

Race 7 - May 17th

Mutuel Pool: $24,358
Exacta Pool: $10,556
Trifecta Pool: $9,337

However you slice it, all these numbers point to the first weekend that the Pool Party failed to move handle. I'll let the much more capable folks at HANA handle the analysis, but there may be a few excuses here:

- It was a holiday weekend. A weekend that traditionally folks head up to the lake, mountains, relatives for the weekend;

- Race came off the turf. It may have been enough for a fair amount of people to pass the race;

- Last Thoroughbred race on the card. Though you will note that I did compare the numbers to last Sunday, that race was a nice state bred allowance race (which will hold Thoroughbred bettors on the track) and the Pool race was simply a lower level claiming race. There may not have been the same retention rate of on-track bettors. The influx of outside source money may have actually been GREATER than last week on the finale race making it a relatively successful Pool Party, but I have no way of verifying that.

- Lack of wide availability. I thought initially that I couldn't bet on Canterbury through my ADW because I was a MN resident. And that still may be the case for me (even though I am traveling this weekend out of stae), but I understand that Canterbury was not available to our Canadian friends and through some other ADWs as well. This greatly dilutes the power of the Pool.

I look forward to HANA's analysis of the event and look forward to the next. United we can make a difference and one week does not a compete study make.

HANA Targets Home!

The Horseplayers Association of North America (HANA), a group of horseplayers of which I am a member, has targeted our very own Canterbury Park for this week's "BUYcott". HANA has been targeting racetracks and, more specifically, a single race or wager (pick 3, for example) at the track to illustrate the power of the bettor when we all band together. So far HANA targeted races and wagers have jacked up the pools, in some cases, close to 100%!! The thought is if we can show the industry folks how powerful we can be when united, we can help affect change. Lower takeouts being primary on that list of change, but other reasons as well. You can read all about the genesis of this idea at HANA's blog.

Here is HANA's mission statement from their website:

"H.A.N.A. is committed to giving horseplayers a voice. By banding together we can bring about change and compel the horseracing industry do something it has never done: actually listen to its customers. By making them aware of customer needs and wants we can motivate track management and horseman's groups to reverse course and start doing the things needed to bring the game of horseracing back to the prominence and greatness it so richly deserves. "

This week HANA has driven up I-35 (last Pool Party was at Prairie Meadows) and chose race 8 at Canterbury. It's a field of 11 fillies and mares going a mile over the turf course. They're available to be claimed for between $7,500 and $10,000 if you have your money at the ready. Join the Pool Party and help make a difference. And while you're at it, join HANA. It's quick. It's free and you can lend your voice to the discussion on how to make our game better and help it thrive, not just survive!