Post times often reflect what traffic is like on the 405 (shown right).
When driving in heavy traffic, like the traffic show in the image, the ideal scenario is for all drivers to work in unison, drive at the same speed and maintain an appropriate distance between their vehicles.
Post times and horse racing should follow the same logic. When five or six racetracks are running on a single afternoon, races should be spread and spaced appropriately to allow for easy flow of the wagering dollar from bettors across the nation.
Earlier this year I made a quick jaunt to Oaklawn with a friend of mine on a Thursday afternoon. There were four major signals to enjoy: Oaklawn, Aqueduct, Fair Grounds and Gulfstream Park. Despite the relatively quiet schedule, there was still plenty of overlap, particularly when it came to Oaklawn and the Fair Grounds. On a few occasions, both tracks were even mid-race at the same time!
If the goal is to simply compete with each other, this makes sense. Offer both products at the same time and let the customer pick. Horse racing, however, is not in position to make such a move. Instead, post times should be coordinated to better suit the bettor and help the flow of the gambling dollar.
As you can see below with the charts, this past weekend similar situations developed. While not as extreme as mid-race at the same time, there were many large gaps of dead time between races. This is time when bettors would be betting IF there was something to bet on.
Most horseplayers jump-in on a race a starting few minutes before post and right-up until post time. The majority horseplayers are constantly asking, “What race is coming up next?” As a result, being the next race is a key advantage.
Below is a spreadsheet of the Saturday post times (adjusted to Eastern Standard Time). I highlighted long periods of dead time between races to illustrate the point.
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