I don't usually like to complain about horse stuff

[covelj70]

because there are enough people that do that already but how hard would it be to move the Breeders Cup away from Halloween?

The first thing anyone ever laments about in horse racing is that \"there aren\'t enough young people in the game\"

so what does the brain trust in charge of the Breeders Cup do?  They schedule the biggest event of the year on a day that makes it very difficult for parents of young children (i.e. the \"young people the game wants to attract\") to attend the event.

I missed Halloween last year because we were running Testa Rossi and I was trying to make it up to my kids (my youngest is 7) for the next 2 months.

I haven\'t missed attending a Breeders Cup live in 10 years but I will miss the next 2 because of moronic scheduling

There\'s no way I can miss another Halloween this year to go to Santa Anita and then the geniuses schedule it for Halloweeen again in 2015?

I mean, come on fellas, this stuff isn\'t hard.

I don\'t care how old/disconnected/aloof, etc you are, it\'s just not that hard to get this stuff right.

Meanwhile, new NYRA racing secretary is onto alot of great ideas.  Fewwer but higher quality races at the spa, no twightlight racing because it takes away from local merchants business, letting other tracks know post times ahead of time so big races aren\'t scheduled on top of one another.

All it takes is a little common sense to fix some of the issues that racing has.  There are other issues that are harder to fix but at least let\'s get the easy ones right.

New NYRA racing secretary is doing it, Breeders Cup board isn\'t.

[TGJB]

Letters to the editor of DRF and/or TDN, Jim. You\'re a player in this industry at a lot of levels, they\'ll at least hear you.

[covelj70]

I am thinking about it JB, it\'s just that there are so many \"complainers\" in this industry already that I feel like I would be just another person adding to the laundry list of complaints and cycle of negativity

that said, when I see progress in the industry on things like drugs, etc, I feel like it\'s worth it to ruffle the occasional feather

I have always tried to take the approach in life that being very positive will be you get one alot farther than complaining but man o man can this industry test one\'s patience

[TGJB]

I am probably a lot more down on the industry in general and the BC specifically right now (which I don\'t want to go in to) than you are, but this is something so simple even people who run this game should be able to understand it. You should do it.

[Rick B.]

TGJB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> this is something so simple even people who run
> this game should be able to understand it.

I\'ve missed 5 of the last 15 Kentucky Derby days
because someone in my extended family was making
their First Holy Communion.

Not exactly the same, I get that, but now with TV
heavily involved with BC and calling the shots, you
might have better luck asking to have Halloween
moved to October 24th.

[TMW]

Looking at the Breeder\'s Cup Board of Directors photo page, I can see why they are not focused on the calendar and schedule conflict with Halloween. There are 14 Directors. 13 are men. 1 is a woman. No minorities (by the way). Average age maybe 70. 1 young looking fellow (Bret Jones).

Halloween means nothing to them -- if you tell them about the conflict they would say \"huh?\" or something mindless like that.

[covelj70]

lol,

I am embarrased to say that we have scheduled the kids First Communions around the Derby

Our church gives us the choice of two dates each year because they have to split the kids

I am first in line each time with the slip to sign up for the weekend between Derby and Preakness

I know that\'s sad but in years when I get lucky on the Derby, I throw a little something extra in the basket to make up for it!!!

[covelj70]

based on the response I got on twitter to a post which says the same thing I said here, seems like alot of Dad\'s are feed up with the dates

[Michael D.]

covelj70 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> because there are enough people that do that
> already but how hard would it be to move the
> Breeders Cup away from Halloween?
>
> The first thing anyone ever laments about in horse
> racing is that \"there aren\'t enough young people
> in the game\"
>
> so what does the brain trust in charge of the
> Breeders Cup do?  They schedule the biggest event
> of the year on a day that makes it very difficult
> for parents of young children (i.e. the \"young
> people the game wants to attract\") to attend the
> event.
>
> I missed Halloween last year because we were
> running Testa Rossi and I was trying to make it up
> to my kids (my youngest is 7) for the next 2
> months.
>
> I haven\'t missed attending a Breeders Cup live in
> 10 years but I will miss the next 2 because of
> moronic scheduling
>
> There\'s no way I can miss another Halloween this
> year to go to Santa Anita and then the geniuses
> schedule it for Halloweeen again in 2015?
>
> I mean, come on fellas, this stuff isn\'t hard.
>
> I don\'t care how old/disconnected/aloof, etc you
> are, it\'s just not that hard to get this stuff
> right.
>
> Meanwhile, new NYRA racing secretary is onto alot
> of great ideas.  Fewwer but higher quality races
> at the spa, no twightlight racing because it takes
> away from local merchants business, letting other
> tracks know post times ahead of time so big races
> aren\'t scheduled on top of one another.


getting the Suburban back to a mile and a quarter, scheduling more longer races on the big days, coming up with the $1.25 mio Belmont Derby & $1 mio Belmont Oaks - MILE AND A QUARTER TURF RACES!! I like what this guy is doing at NYRA. I just hope others like it as much as we do.


 
> All it takes is a little common sense to fix some
> of the issues that racing has.  There are other
> issues that are harder to fix but at least let\'s
> get the easy ones right.
>
> New NYRA racing secretary is doing it, Breeders
> Cup board isn\'t.

[Niall]

Consider me speechless ...

[richiebee]

You decide to complain once in 10 years and THIS is the issue? Halloween?

If you have any luck making an issue of this, I am next. I will grab my Torah and tefillen, storm NYRA\'s offices, and demand to know why the big races on the schedule are always run between sunset on Friday and
sunset on Saturday.

Take the kids to Mardi Gras. It always falls on a Tuesday in Feb or March so it is highly unlikely that it will.interfere with any big races.

DISCLAIMER: I have been lifetime banned from Halloween for \"skimming\" from the UNICEF box they gave us to collect for charity while we were trash or treating.

[covelj70]

Richie,

This is so so great on many levels not the least of which is that this proves to me that there is indeed someone else out there with more \"issues\" than me.

I love ya brother!

[wipitoga]

JC,

The Pope has been on an excommunicating tear lately, it might solve your communion problem in early May.
With Halloween, you need to convert post-excommunication
to a fundamentalist Christian sect that refuses to let their kids enjoy Halloween....How Bad is that.. parents that cant let their kids enjoy a fun day/evening
 And, as was mentioned earlier, thank Yahweh for your Christain roots, to never ever,ever to see a Saturday race live instead of tape or to eat a cheeseburger while doing so, I know I do.

regards, bt
GO TOGA!!!!

[richiebee]

covelj70 Wrote:
----------------------------------------------


> I have always tried to take the approach in life
> that being very positive will be you get one alot
> farther than complaining but man o man can this
> industry test one\'s patience

Jim,  I respect you but if this is what you are teaching your children, let Uncle Richiebee spend a few minutes with the youngsters and tell them about 1972, about me and a quarter of a million other people arriving in Washington DC to \"complain\" to Mr Nixon about the Vietnam war.

[Edgorman]

Jim,
I totally empathize with your current problem with the date. But in a couple of years \"Trick or Treat\" will be a non entry in your household. I can\'t tell you the number of Breeder\'s Cups I have missed because of parent\'s weekend at college. Get ready for that because you are a good father.  
I hear your passion. Most importantly, as a parent.  But as far as racing goes, establishing the same weekend every year is a good thing, even if it interferes with kids eating way too much candy.