The breeding is WAY down , no doubt about it. While the revenue will have to eventually decrease as it gets spread all over, the same old song and dance will continue IMO.
Please don't get me wrong, less would be much better. Six horse fields and a 4-5 in every race is terrible. But no owners of individual tracks are willing to give up the cash cow of simulcasting. Every track owners hope is to cancel the live card but stay open for simulcasting. It's free money. Unfortunately, until these owners stop working solo, it will continue. It's so dumb. If they became a brand, like the NFL or other sports, they would dominate the market and work in conjunction with one another. But until that happens and I won't hold my breath, it will be more of the same, which at most tracks, stinks.
If for instance Md. worked with Del. Park and Parx and were on again, off again, weekly or by weekly, and cut the dates by 25%, they would have 12 horse fields for 6,500 claiming with a huge pot. THAT, would drive betting way up , which would allow to drop the take( flat betting is bad enough but exotics are outrageous, but that's the owners trying to hold on) and you would have 12% WPS take and 17% exotics. That creates bigger payouts and more money for the players to put back in. I realize that you already know this, but this is for guys that might not.
I agree that staying home will be the way it will work, another reason to share dates, but that requires states working together ( good luck) and it would absolutely work. Until there is a commissioner that runs the show, and holds owners accountable, each state will plod along at a lesser level. It's too bad. It really could be a helluva good thing .
Grandstands should be torn down or drastically reduced.
And the food, you mean you did not like it?