They’re (way) off

Today they will run the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and at least 50,000 people will show up, no matter that there’s not a legitimate champion in the field. They will come because the Derby is an “event” -- put 20 maiden 3-year olds in this race and the masses would show up nonetheless. Meanwhile, at Hollywood Park, the average daily attendance is a paltry 3,000 die-hard pundits -- same horses, same-type races, same sport. Things are so bad that the powers-that-be at Hollypark had to cancel Thursday’s racing -- not just for the lack of patrons, but for the lack of horses to fill the card!

Let’s face it -- horse racing is on its last legs (no pun intended) for an obvious bevy of reasons. Perhaps, as newspapers are also dying right and left, it’s time for you to stop devoting more than half a page daily to this moribund sport and find something -- anything your average sports fan would read -- to fill up that valuable space.

Joel Rapp

Los Angeles