The Racing Form monopoly

[sd2]

<TABLE class=tborder id=post2939812 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt2 width=175>
RX Junior

Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 269

I posted this on the
Offshore forum - should be
here. -sd2


</TD><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_2939812><!-- icon and title -->

The Daily Racing Form monopoly.
<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Just recently I found out that the DRF early this year bought out Sports Eye. The latter had been, for a few years, putting out a past performance daily in competition with the DRF, and for $2.00 less. Exact same thing as the Form, but without the useless Beyers, and often a track or two more.

This paper, Daily Racing Advance, was sold all over the East Coast, and also in Vegas. They bought the pps from Equibase, just as the DRF now does. And as anyone else can.

Sports Eye also put out a lot of harness pps, and a preseason and weekly football dope sheet for handicappers. (They also once published a racing weekly, for which I was a "trackman" and sometimes columnist.) I believe the DRF bought all these in a package.

About 15 years ago the DRF beat back another competitor, I think called Racing Times. They love their monopoly, and charge way too much. I hate paying to read a bunch of bullshit "columnists."

Of course, years ago the racetracks themselves should have published the pps, and give them gratis to the paying customers. Then again, thorobred racetrack owners have for a century been among America's stupidest bipeds. That's why most of 'em now need slots to keep their lucrative gigs going.

I suspect that the Sports Eye entrepreneur, Jack something, getting up in age, deliberately went into competition with DRF, to force a lucrative buyout. Any other entrepreneur out there thinking along the same lines?
<!-- / message -->
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt2>

</TD><TD class=alt1 align=right><!-- controls --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[skinnylarry]

drf

i bought the form for sat in ny, and BOTH hollywood and CHURCHILL DOWNS were NOT in the form. it had bel,pim,phil,flakes,del,and monmouth. i know some players might like them tracks, but how could you not get 2 of the best tracks on a big day like this ??

 

[rjmole]

Racing Form

To Skinny Larry
I Could Not Agree With You More
Neither The Am Or Pm Edition Had Hollywood
It Is Absolutely Insane On How This Track Can Be Left Out On A Sat Along With Churchill ( I Choose Not To Buy Online).
I Am Also Gettig Sick O The Influx Of Articles On Poker Etc Etc Etc.
I Spend 5.50 A Day For Horse Info
How Bout More Articles On Jockeys Trainers Handicapping Tips Etc.
I Am So Used To The Form After 30 Years I Would Not Switch But This Is Stupidity
I Am Calling Their Office Monday And Will Probably Get Laughed At
LIke My Electric Co. It Is The Only Game In Town

 

[G.MONEY]

Here in Chicago at times they have a eastcoast form and a west coast form..Now that really sucks....I do most on line, so not sure if that exists any more............G.

 

[eno]

DRF sucks big time, I wish there was an alternative, like putting all the programs together in one booklet.

 

[Labeeb]

DRF sucks big time, I wish there was an alternative, like putting all the programs together in one booklet.

There's that shitty little mini-program that some outlets that carry the DRF sell. Actually made by the Daily Racing Advance as well. What's great is when there's 14 horses in a field and they try and cram it into one page for the minor tracks. Usually get one running line. Published by the folks that produce Sports Eye (Harness Eye) for the harness boys. Tried to Google and find some info, but I wasn't able to. Sorry.

At places like Philly Park or Penn National and their OTW outlets they split the day into two programs and place the tracks accordingly. Sometimes they run into the problem of trying to fit all of the info onto two or three pages depending on the number of runners.

 

[sd2]

It's precisely on the big racing days, Belmont. Ky Derby, etc that the eastern and prob midwestern edition of the Form will NOT include the PPs for the major SoCal track.

They are using that space on those days for "in-depth" analysis of the big race - translation: letting their columnists shoot off their mouths.

If I recall rightly, the Racing Advance DID include the pps for Hol, SA, Dmr on big racing days. Hope someone else decides to buy the pps from equibase and publish the pps cheaper and more comprehensively. Even if for only a few years before selling out to the DRF for big bucks.