Can the unwashed play the races without getting hosed?
Absolutely, positively... or at least, why not? Is it really necessary that everybody holds an "official" handicapper card to get through the turnstile. Will horse racing ever get back to being the number 1 wagering game without thinning out the crowd at the casino and lottery line? Would it be possible for horse tracks to post a sign that says "3,5,7 and 2,4,6 Exacta players welcome".
How about something in the program for beginners that might actually help them play the game? Like maybe a notice such as "The top 3 Morning Line choices generally win about 67% of races at North American tracks, bet one today." Something like this might motivate a slot-player to try horse racing for an afternoon. Or, at least it would be more possible than with the standard advise of "learn handicapping".
Hasn't the average lottery player already stated that he/she doesn't want to learn to handicap horse races. Isn't that the reason they are in the mega-ball line for a quick-pik in the first place. Why can't the message be sent to this prospective horseplayer that he/she could box the top 4 Morning Line horses in the 5th race superfecta. Or even the bottom 4, at least that quick-pik would have better odds for winning.
It seems the insistance that all prospective participants "learn to handicap" is a little dysfunctional. Especially if it might be filling up the slot palaces rather than emptying them out. What would be wrong with advising beginners that the average pari-mutuel payoff at the horse track has been around 4-1 for 50 years or so. Than, turn them loose at a horse track to wager with abandon, at least for the first day. Why not?
Could it be that horse racing, by treating everyone like a handicapper, has turned away the average bettor. Could it be a turn-off for the casual fan when the track handicapper can only pick 20% winners, to get the advice of "learn to handicap"?
On the FaceBook page - Play Maryland Racing, I've been playing the 3rd Morning Line choice profitably since the winter meet of Laurel Park began. 10 days of racing, 90 races, 16 winners and + $176. No handicapping, and I would suspect that the average casino player doesn't get such performance from a slot machine.
Yet track owners would rather get slot machines instead of selling the consistent racing product they have. I believe that this is the biggest detriment that horse racing has to overcome.
Horse racing is still the grand game, it is not being marketed. Marketing past performance data does not market horse racing to people that don't know it is the grand game.
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