cait
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Post by cait on Jun 11, 2017 21:13:02 GMT -5
This article was also in the Baltimore Sun. FTR - Md horsemen and the Gov get the credit for MD's success - Not this jerk or any of the Sronach "tem". He is responsible for ruining GS, putting millions into a track facility where no ome attends and they cancel racing days. Even funnier is he takes credit not only for MD but the entire Mid Atlantic lololol the boys at CTown would throw him out! And we've all seen the fabulous work the Stronach team has done at Old Hilltop where they rake it in but DO NADA! Tim Ritvo tackles his biggest challenge yet: Revitalizing racing at Santa Anita By John Cherwa•Contact Reporter www.latimes.com/sports/more/la-sp-santa-anita-ritvo-20170605-story.html |
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cait
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Post by cait on Jun 11, 2017 21:17:00 GMT -5
My apology - earlier in another thread I said it was Sal Sinayta heading to CA. Doesn't matter - both are clueless!
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george
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Post by george on Jun 12, 2017 7:22:03 GMT -5
This article was also in the Baltimore Sun. FTR - Md horsemen and the Gov get the credit for MD's success - Not this jerk or any of the Sronach "tem". He is responsible for ruining GS, putting millions into a track facility where no ome attends and they cancel racing days. Even funnier is he takes credit not only for MD but the entire Mid Atlantic lololol the boys at CTown would throw him out! And we've all seen the fabulous work the Stronach team has done at Old Hilltop where they rake it in but DO NADA! Tim Ritvo tackles his biggest challenge yet: Revitalizing racing at Santa Anita By John Cherwa•Contact Reporter www.latimes.com/sports/more/la-sp-santa-anita-ritvo-20170605-story.htmlI haven't read much, will do so later, but this is unbelievable!! I'm sure there are many more pithy nuggets in the article. "But first he had to fix Gulfstream Park in South Florida. Then he had to fix racing in Maryland. He’s two for two."Are you kidding me? Gulfstream as a racetrack has been ruined (and they've taken down Calder in the process), Maryland racing is doing okay, but that's in spite of Ritvo and Stronach. I've said this before - Laurel is great, nice facility and excellent turf course, one of the best in the country. But Pimlico? How could they call that a success? When once they ran all summer, now they're down to two weeks of racing in May, and Stronach is hoping to cut that to a three or four day "Preakness festival". No wonder that they refuse to put any real money into the place, not just upgrades but plain and simple maintenance. As far as anyone objectively would look at it, he's actually oh for THREE (Gulfstream, Calder, and some of Maryland) |
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Nostradamus
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man man your time is sand, I am the eyes of Nostradamus all your ways are known to me.
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Post by Nostradamus on Jun 12, 2017 16:55:42 GMT -5
I don't know about Calder or Maryland but Gulfstream sure went downhill over the last couple of years as far as the quality of horses and races. I played Gulfstream over the winter a lot until I could not stand anymore 12,500 to 16,000 claiming races which is the majority of what they had with same old horses shipping from GPW mostly. Used to have all the good horses shipping in from up North. Not anymore. GP is now just another glorified GPW.
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cait
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Post by cait on Jun 12, 2017 19:05:47 GMT -5
Geo - how's this for a real gem
"If you look at the Gulfstream model, that property has become so valuable that there is the possibility of making it a shipping-only meet and building hotels and condos at the site."
and then he says eh wants racing to be the core of Stronach
I do rather like the idea of him and Sinatra wearing bellhop uniforms tho' lol maybe that's their calling 'cause racing sure isn't!
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george
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Post by george on Jun 12, 2017 20:16:30 GMT -5
Yes, I saw that earlier but didn't have time to get into it at the time.
That's basically what he's done to Calder (aka "Gulfstream Park West" - much of an ego?) Shortly after he took over their racing dates, ALL of the barns were razed, and the grandstand structure was closed to the public, and the poor racing fans were forced to bet on the races from Gulfstream Park and watch on television! All horses entered in races have to ship in from. I guess Ritvo is hinting that a hybrid of what he's done at Calder may be in the plan for Gulfstream Park as well?
The man, and his "racing" organization, have been anything but racing friendly. There's a whole litany of racetracks that he bought, drove into the ground, and then either razed or sold after several rounds of bankruptcy (btw, shortly after the "new" Gulfstream Park was completed along with the casino and shopping mall, even THAT facility declared bankruptcy!).
In spite of all the bankruptcies over the years, not a single track that I know of that he owns, even those with casinos, are showing a profit.
So, from memory, here are the tracks that he once owned and no longer owns or no longer exists - The Meadows* (harness), Flamboro Downs* (harness), Lone Star Park, Remington Park*, Thistledown*, Great Lakes Downs (razed). Some of those that he doesn't own anymore are actually doing very well (with *) after he sold them.
One thing that tipped me off years ago about how little he truly cares about racing and its history was a proposal he made shortly after he took over Santa Anita - he tried to dismantle the historic downhill turf course and sell off the property. Thankfully the government stepped in and prohibited him from doing so.
Best thing for American racing would be for him to move back to Austria.
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