Competition for Seats on November 4th Increases

Is it September already? No way, it can't possibly be September. Surely, it is still August. No ... I moved into the new house in the middle of June, and by the looks of all the unpacked boxes and misplaced knick-knacks, it actually must be July.

But no, fall is approaching. The romance of Saratoga has passed. The beauty of Del Mar a pleasant memory. On the horizon is the Breeders' Cup, and the next pressing issue is securing tickets for the Breeders' Cup. And I'm not talking about Breeder's Cup tickets at Churchill Downs, I'm talking about tickets in the Post Time Pavillion at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie on Breeders' Cup Day.

Sitting in the Post Time Pavillion is a great place for simulcasting. My favorite waitress, or as they say in more gender-friendly terms, server, or waitperson, or individual-who-shows-up-at-my-elbow-with-a-Miller-Lite-when-I-appear-thirsty, Lea is perky and attentive. My favorite mutuel teller on the whole planet, Warner, does not work at the Post Time Pavillion; ergo, out of extreme loyalty, because we all know Warner is going to be my next husband one day, I have a tenuous relationship with an AmTote machine on the south end of the building. But my favorite individual is Super Manager, John Records (Note to General Manger, Drew Shubeck: John deserves a big bonus. Something better than 20 paltry shares of MEC stock).

Anyway, last week while reading all the horse racing blogs because basically I was too lazy to come up with some kind of idea other than, "How 'bout that Pine Island! And I had the exacta, too! Whoohoo!", I became incredibly distressed over a post by my fellow Texan blogger, Joe "Not To Be Confused With Joe Cocker" Coker. Apparently, somewhere around the 3rd race at Del Mar, some ninny in the Post Time Pavillion switched the channel from TVG to NASCAR! Oh, the humanity! Numerous patrons became incensed! There were fistfights! There was an angry mob! Pitchforks were drawn! Torches were lit! The cry became deafening, "I WANT MY TVG!"

Okay, that's a mild exaggeration. But Joe voiced his displeasure and threatened to do all activities associated with horse racing and gambling on-line. And it should be noted, that here in Texas where the state legislature still communicates via the telegraph, internet wagering on the ponies is illegal. Thus, I could not bear the thought of Joe Coker spending time in The Big House just because he wagered a Pick 4 over the internet. And futhermore, it irritated me that someone who loves the sport and contributes to the handle on track was going to walk away from such a great facility just to sit in his underwear, drink Shiner Bock, watch TVG, and click in a couple of bets. As a proponent of "Let's Bring 'Em to the Track" philosophy, the idea of distancing an individual is not promotional of the sport.

I opted to become an ambassador of sorts, and called Super Manager John Records. I disclosed my information and John personally handled the situation. Joe received resolution. Lone Star kept a few more dollars at the track. And I felt like a prime objective was met: Keep the horseplayers at the track where they are participants of a great sport. And the money stays with the track and doesn't go off-shore. And that is a good thing, by the way. Unless of course, you own/operate Bodog.