Monday Morning Message with Jason Beem for June 16, 2025

A good Monday morning to you all! I hope everyone had a good weekend and a wonderful Father’s Day. Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are my two favorite days on social media as I love to see everyone post photos and memories of their dads and especially love to see when people still get to spend the day with their parents if they’re still around. 

I saw someone on Twitter Sunday asking people “What did your father teach you about horse racing?” and it produced a really interesting variety of answers. I tried to think back about what my dad taught me, but it was so long ago that I don’t really remember. 

The one thing that sticks out to me was that he used to have me go through the entire program and circle for him all the horses who were running on first-time Lasix. My dad loved that angle and what’s funny is that often now it’s not something I pay much attention to at all. 

My dad loved to play exotic wagers but back in his day that was usually limited to Exactas and Trifectas as well as Daily Doubles. I remember he once scored a big hit, like $10,000, playing a Twin Trifecta. I really do wonder about what kind of bets and sequences he’d be playing now with the expansive exotic wagering menu offered by most tracks. 

My dad was never a real curious learner so I can’t imagine him tuning into podcasts or reading blogs about more advanced betting concepts like equity in horizontals or stuff like that. I can see him rolling his eyes at me telling him about how not every 6-1 shot plays the same in a Pick 5 sequence. I just can’t imagine him changing his game because he certainly had fixed opinions on everything else in his life outside of racing. 

One of the highlights of my weekend was seeing my old pals at Grants Pass Downs kick off their summer fair season. Fair racing still has such a special place in my heart and I’m so happy that the Oregon fairs still have some life as we’ve now likely seen the end or an extreme reduction in racing at the California fair circuit, which was the best fair circuit for a long time. Grants Pass Downs now exists as part-time fair track and part-time commercial track as the fall meet does have wagering from around the state. They aren’t simulcasting like we did a few years ago when Travis Boersma owned the track, but I’m happy they’re still racing. 

Grants Pass Downs had a real chance to be a great racing story, but unfortunately politics and politicians got in the way of Mr. Boersma’s ideas. It was really sad to see. By the end of my second season there we were handling some $500,000 a night on eight-race cards, which for Grants Pass was humongous. The first season they ran commercially I don't believe they ever eclipsed $200,000. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. I figured they’d close up shop once they vetoed the Instant Racing expansion (Even though Instant Racing is legal in Oregon.) But the horsemen have kept it going with a small band of employees and locals and it makes me happy the folks of that tiny Southern Oregon community have a place to watch and bet the races. 

A good friend of mine sent me a photo from the Father’s Day Sunday card and the grandstand looked packed, like it is most weekends when they run. A real gem if you ever get a chance to visit. 

Have a great week everyone!