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Cutting simulcasting job at Downs doesn't make sense

 
Published May 14, 1992|Updated Oct. 11, 2005

Sometimes, cost-cutting business/personnel moves don't seem to make horse sense.

Case in point:

Tampa Bay Downs management decided it had no need for a full-time director of simulcasting, so Mike Markwell was fired. He was also the marketing director, but his primary charge was procuring outlets to accept the Downs' races.

"There just isn't enough work to hire someone for director of simulcasting," Downs general manager Stephen Baker said. "That's a job that requires an extreme amount of work for a few months, but once it's up and operating, it doesn't need that much work. This wasn't a bad-blood move. It's unfortunate, but when you're down, you have to realign."

But the quaint Oldsmar track would have been further down this year were it not for simulcasting.

Compared with the previous year, attendance declined by about 200 patrons a day and the on-track handle fell by more than $7-million. The total handle, however, reached an all-time high of $44.9-million thanks to $10.2-million from simulcasting.

The Downs beamed its races to jai alai frontons in Ocala, Orlando, West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce, the Palm Beach Kennel Club, Birmingham (Ala.) Race Course and the Ocala Breeders Sales. Last year, only Ocala Jai Alai took the Downs' races all season and the simulcasting handle was less than $900,000.

The Tampa Bay Derby, the track's premier race, was simulcasted to 161 outlets nationwide, which wagered more than $1.3-million. Last year, 19 outlets bet less than $630,000.

"I don't want to bad-mouth Tampa, but it strikes me odd to cut off the hand that feeds you," said Markwell, who spent three years at the Downs after stints at Churchill Downs and Pompano Harness Track.

"About two months prior to the meet, I was told my main responsibility was simulcasting and to get outlets. That's what I did. You can't wave a magic wand. You have to be aggressive and persistent. For the Derby, I was refused, refused, refused. But I kept at it. It takes a lot of time."

Downs officials agreed that increasing the number of outlets taking their races is imperative. Yet, the Downs will handle simulcasting and marketing by committee next year, said Baker, who said he'll absorb much of Markwell's simulcasting duties.

Calder Race Course, which is larger and more prestigious than Tampa Bay Downs (it did about $30-million in simulcasting in the 1990-91 fiscal year), has two people heavily involved in simulcasting, one devoting about 75 percent of her time, spokeswoman Caton Bredar said.

"It does take a lot of work; I wish we had someone full time," Bredar said.

Sunday matinee: Derby Lane's eighth annual Matinee Idol Stakes, which features 16 greyhounds from 16 kennels with the best record in Grade A /th-mile races, begins during Sunday's matinee.

The field will include Max Trice's Fine Timing, Henry Wright's Wright Basic and Eddy Alderson's Mayor Johnny. The top four finishers from the two semifinals will advance to the final on May 23 _ the matinee performance, of course.

Preakness fever: Tampa Bay Downs, Derby Lane and Tampa Jai Alai all will carry simulcasts of Saturday's Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown series. Lil E. Tee won the Kentucky Derby on May 2.

Friday night at the fights and fronton: Tampa Jai Alai will broadcast, at no charge to its patrons, the WBO championship fight between Michael Moorer and Bert Cooper Friday night.