Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

HANA Announces Track Ratings List

March 29, 2010

The Horseplayers Association of North America is proud to announce its second annual Track Ratings List will be released beginning this week. The top five rated North American racetracks will be announced exclusively on the Paulick Report.

“After several months of tabulation and discussion, we are very happy to be able to release this year’s track ratings,” said HANA President Jeff Platt. “We are especially proud to have the ratings evolve by adding new metrics based on horseplayer feedback. We would also like to thank the folks at the Paulick Report for releasing them on their website.”

“The Paulick Report is excited about the opportunity to publish HANA’s exclusive ratings, which I believe provide a very important service to the industry,” said Ray Paulick. “Among the variety of things they do to give a voice to the horseplayer, HANA’s annual ranking of tracks is probably the most valuable. It gives racetracks a chance to evaluate their business models from the customer’s perspective, a very important tool as we all strive to make this industry the best it can be.”

Last year we released our top 65 tracks in North America based on the player-friendly measurable metrics of field size, takeout level, and wager variety. This year, we will again be using the same metrics for our base rating system, however, in response to horseplayer and media feedback, we will also be adding a signal distribution grade and handle size, and incorporating those two items into the final scores.

The fees tracks charge for their signal have been in the news the past year or more, because several tracks have raised, or are looking to raise their fees, as a way to increase revenues. As well, some tracks are not as accommodating as others in offering their signal out to all ADW’s. A high fee hurts the at home player, because less can be offered to them in terms of soft innovations, and player rewards.

A signal with limited distribution also causes hardship, because players have to get more than one ADW account to play the tracks they want to play. With Internet wagering being racings only growth segment in 2009, HANA and horseplayers believe tracks who maximize this medium by being player friendly and trying to grow our sport, should get a higher score than those who do not.

In addition, handle per race was deemed important because most horseplayers do not like betting very small pools, and in many cases one receives a de-facto takeout hike by playing exotics into them. We think this metric addresses some of the feedback from members and non-members about adding a quantitative field quality component, as well.

To look at our methodology and algorithm for the ratings system,
click here.

To contact us at HANA, please email us at info@hanaweb.org.
The Horseplayers Association of North America is a grassroots group of horseplayers, not affiliated with any organization, who are not pleased with the direction the game has taken.

HANA believes that both tracks and horseman groups have become bogged down with industry infighting and have completely forgotten something: The importance of the customer.

HANA hopes, through proactive change on several key issues (including but not limited to), open signal access, lower effective takeouts, wagering integrity, affordable data and customer appreciation, the industry’s handle losses can be reversed.

HANA is currently made up of over 1500 horseplayers (both harness and thoroughbred) from almost all states and Canadian provinces. It currently represents over $70,000,000 of yearly racing handle.