Like many, I have turned away from this game more and more. But I wonder if anyone with deep pockets and a computer has compared win payoffs, say 40 years ago, to today. What was the average price back then vs today in like size fields? Has anyone compared todays and yesteryears final odds (say all the 6 to 5 horses) to their actual return over an entire year at all tracks or each track (for maybe a 2-3 year stretch?)

My instinct tells me that if there's more chicanery now than back then, it MUST show up as lower payoffs. If prices are not lower overall from years ago, either at one track, several or all, I wonder how that's possible? Years ago, you could actually make money betting horses at 2/5 or lower. Anyone who read Burt Fabricand's great book Horse Sense might remember that. Curious if that's still the case. So much to be curious about; so little time!