Why don't racetracks begin the next horse race immediately?

Question

There should be no down time. As soon as the horses cross the finish line, immediately open the gates for the next set of horses to run. There should be horses running on the track all the time....always a race in progress. This would increase public interest in horse racing.

Answer 1

you have to have time to cash your winning ticket and bet on the next race.

Answer 2

While the educational communities claim there are no bad questions, this one does stretch that claim a bit. Breakage and take, the tracks only income, is derived from betting pools. The more time between races the larger the pools. And it does allow for all the activity needed to end one race and prepare for the next.

Your desire for one race after another has been granted by modern technology. Online or at most race facilities today, many tracks are simulcasted constantly. You can wager and watch a race somewhere almost every moment. To do that with success is going to require a lot of luck since most of us are very limited in the amount of actual handicapping time we can apply. Unless you are buying and using a tout service to make your picks, wagering race after race as quickly as possible is a sure way to lose a lot of money.

I wish you luck either way.

Answer 3

***WHO should Wear the CROWN***???

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...

Answer 4

that is true

continuous races would be cool

but i guess they want give ppl time to make bets, buy stuff etc

Answer 5

This could the stupidest idea I have heard in a long time.

The bettors need time to handicap each race.  The track needs to be fixed, so it can be as safe as possible.  The starting gate(s) need to be moved.  The jockeys need time between races, and the horses need time to warm up before running.

Also, any inquiries and objections need to be looked at between races.  The winners need to pose for pictures.

You may try professional wrestling, your idea would be great there!!!

Answer 6

the racetracks make their money on the bets that people lose.  the track wants to give the public ample time to place them.

Answer 7

Actually, what with simulcasting, there IS always a race in progress-- just not a live race.  

Tracks have recognized that the "down time" between races is a negative for most people who attend live racing, and some have tried to shorten the time.  But the problem they have then is that people get "shut out" of wagering, particularly people who want to see the horses in the paddock and heading to the gate before they bet, and people who like to watch for last-second betting patterns before they wager.

The thing that those of us who are veterans of attending the races know is that unlike other sports, attending live racing doesn't mean passively sitting in your seat and watching what's going on in front of you.  You go to the paddock to watch the horses get saddled, then out to the track to watch them go to post;  then you run to the window to place your bet, then find a place to watch the race.  Then, if you're lucky, you run to the window to cash your winning tickets and repeat the process all over again.  

With simulcasting opportunities, there's action all the time to watch, and only your bankroll limits your wagering opportunities.

Answer 8

impossible as after the race you have to wait to make sure the right horse won. money has to be paid out to winners and new bets made before the next race starts after all horse racing is just a fancier way to get money out of people.

Answer 9

These animals aren't greyhounds, and they aren't relatives of Pegasus, either !! Come on, think, man !! It takes TIME to move horses from one place to another- and the other responders are right, people need a chance to look around, walk around, and see who is competing in the next race before they place a bet, if that is what they came to the races for. No one I ever heard of wants to treat racing as a 2 act play ( or maybe a 3-ring circus!!!) and sit, watch 15 races in 20 minutes, and then go home. This isn't NASCAR, either- most people I am familiar with go to the racetracks to watch the horses and have a pleasant day out, not to sit glued in one spot while their brains go numb from watching cars whizz around in circles all day.  People need to be treated like people- that means time for food and restroom breaks between events- and it also means that time has to be allotted for dragging and harrowing the track, for the starting gate to be put back in place, ( yes, it is attached to a tractor at most tracks, but tractors, even large ones- only run at certain speeds) and for announcements to made about any changes to the field for the next race. Does this help you understand why we don't have instant races- like instant messages? Next time, think and use your head before asking such a ridiculous question!!!

Answer 10

simply beacause...the track (if  dirt has to be harrowed in between each race...then the next racehorses have to be shown to the punters in the paddock....this gives the punters time to view and make there selections...then whilst the next horses are going to the gate...the punters have time to go and make there bets...therefore..it would be impossible to race immediately after  a race

Answer 11

There are many factors, and some of them are already mentioned.

In most of the world, this is a gambling sport, so as a result, you have to give the bettors time to bet, cash tickets from previous races, get a beer, use the men's room, etc.

Also, you have to give the jockeys time to change their silks, meet the trainers and/or owners before the race and go over last minute strategy.

Especially in the United States, with the exception of Kentucky Downs, which is grass only, you have to harrow the track to get it ready for the next race.  The smoother the surface, the safer it will be for horses and jockeys.

This is the part that I think no one touched on yet.  You have to take into account how the backstretch and barn area is set up.  I know that Philadelphia Park and Delaware Park have their barns on the backstretch and have to bring them around to the area around the start of the clubhouse turn.  There is no way to avoid the track, and you can't bring them to the paddock area otherwise.

Some tracks can bring their horses to the paddock area without the need of walking them via the track.  I think Atlantic City Race Course (yes, they still run a 4 or 5-card meet) can bring the horses to the paddock without the walk on the track.

Finally, you have to take account the expected crowd.  Philadelphia Park and Delaware Park on normal days can survive on 25 minutes between races.  However, on their bigger days, like the PA Derby at Philly Park and the Del Cap at DelPark, you need to give 30-35 minutes between races.

Answer 12

This could be the dumbest question ever asked on here. Congratulations!!

Answer 13

People need time to cash in their winning tickets, place bets on the next race, buy a beer, go the the restroom.

Answer 14

There are plenty of reasons why there needs to be a break in between races, but some tracks do push it.  I like the tracks that do them every 25 minutes rather than every 30.  I think 25 is the right interval.

Answer 15

Being a Jockey myself here in Australia for the last 28 years,they usually give us 35-45 minutes between races..

Answer 16

I've heard alot of dumb ones on this site, but I think this one takes it.  Aside from all the logistic problems, there is no way in h**l people would go out to the track to see 10 races in 15 minutes then go home.  While wagering is one of the reasons it takes time in between races, you still have to allow for the jocks to change their silks, and take a break for a few minutes, the horses need sufficient time to warm up before they run, the horses from the race before need to get unsaddled and led back to the backside, and maybe the winners would like to enjoy all their hard work with a picture in the winners circle.  Then you have to allow for objections/inquiries to be looked at by the stewards and the track has to be harrowed.  For most people a day out at the track is just that, a day out.  You can relax, drink a few beers, look over the Racing Form and maybe have a bite to eat.  This isn't Nascar where people enjoy watching cars drive around in a circle over and over again and maybe see a crash or two.  I guess in the society we live in people can't enjoy a day of just chillin out and having some drinks at the track.  

Maybe you should try hanging around some slow children, that way you will become retarded and not notice the time disapear between the races.

Answer 17

The major existence for race tracks in this country is for pari-mutual betting.  This is how most race tracks make their money and thus they need about 30 minutes between races so people can make wagers.  The racetracks take out about 20-25% of the wagers as their income.

Answer 18

I concur hoyo...this has got to be the most ridiculous posting Ive ever seen...no one needs the general publics interest, we need the betting publics interest...races run right after one another...thats funny...