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View Full Version : BELMONT STAKES SEATS VS SPA SEAT CHARGES


NY BRED
05-16-2015, 10:14 AM
So, if you'd like to spend a few minutes away from handicapping,
try and find Belmont stakes seats.

Apparently regular fans will be shut out as there very few seats
available, unless you choose to go to Ticketmaster/Stub Hub where
seats are being scalped for 50x the regular prices sld at the track.

Another reason to stay home, and save that money for wagering,
or other expense such as mortgage, vacation etc...

Nice move NYRA

:mad: :mad: :bang:

BlueChip@DRF
05-16-2015, 10:21 AM
So, if you'd like to spend a few minutes away from handicapping,
try and find Belmont stakes seats.

Apparently regular fans will be shut out as there very few seats
available, unless you choose to go to Ticketmaster/Stub Hub where
seats are being scalped for 50x the regular prices sld at the track.

Another reason to stay home, and save that money for wagering,
or other expense such as mortgage, vacation etc...

Nice move NYRA

:mad: :mad: :bang:


Come early and bring your own small fold-away chair. Better if there are two or more of you, that way you are free to roam as you wish around while others can watch the piece of real estate the group has staked out.

Fager Fan
05-16-2015, 01:08 PM
How many races, meets, etc are now being sold via tcketmaster, etc?

It surprises me that the tracks are giving away that money when it can't be that hard to sell the tickets themselves.

OTM Al
05-16-2015, 07:01 PM
How many races, meets, etc are now being sold via tcketmaster, etc?

It surprises me that the tracks are giving away that money when it can't be that hard to sell the tickets themselves.

They fired most of group sales and a fair chunk of the ticketing people a year or so ago.

thespaah
05-16-2015, 09:42 PM
Ticket master is a parasite.
The fees are outrageous....

charm city whizz
05-16-2015, 10:23 PM
Before AP won the section 2R Seats went from 280 to after the race 620

And keep in mind you can't see anything at 6:45pm when the shadows hang over the stretch, only way I knew who chrome was last year in the lane was cuz of the chicklets on infield, couldn't even make out purple silks till it was too late

If your planning on paying the big money to be there just keep the shadows in mind

Bigadam119
05-16-2015, 11:59 PM
The card on Belmont day is incredible. 6 grade 1 races, only breeders cup Saturday has more quality and we all know what your going to pay for that...

Rex Phinney
05-17-2015, 12:33 AM
When I went last year we got reserved clubhouse seats at face value from ticketmaster pretty easy.

The trick was I bought them BEFORE the Preakness. I think they cost about $175 each, I figured if Chrome didn't win the Preakness I'd unload the tickets on Ebay.

No way I could have went paying the price AFTER the Preakness.

Rex Phinney
05-17-2015, 12:35 AM
Ticket master is a parasite.
The fees are outrageous....

Nailed it.

bks
05-17-2015, 07:08 AM
When I went last year we got reserved clubhouse seats at face value from ticketmaster pretty easy.

The trick was I bought them BEFORE the Preakness. I think they cost about $175 each, I figured if Chrome didn't win the Preakness I'd unload the tickets on Ebay.

No way I could have went paying the price AFTER the Preakness.

This was my thinking. I picked up two early last week for $175/per. And anybody buying them strictly as an investment probably did the same.

Think about it: a win bet on AP was going to pay 4/5 or so. A "bet" on a clubhouse ticket for the Belmont would pay 5/2 or more if AP won the race.

SansuiSC
05-17-2015, 08:57 AM
Before AP won the section 2R Seats went from 280 to after the race 620

And keep in mind you can't see anything at 6:45pm when the shadows hang over the stretch, only way I knew who chrome was last year in the lane was cuz of the chicklets on infield, couldn't even make out purple silks till it was too late

If your planning on paying the big money to be there just keep the shadows in mind
The sun was BRUTAL last year for the stretch run of the Belmont. I never saw so many people turning to each other asking what just happened.
You brought out a very valid point.

On another note about that time of the day. Recently, I saw a maiden race that was the 9th race (last) of that day and quite a few horses were jumping their shadows after the 1/8 pole (Including the favorite who lost). Pay attention in the late races with horses that lack experience that do not have shadow rolls. Could make a difference or a life changing score. You never know. If PP's show it was a late race 7-9 and horse is adding a shadow roll, it might be worth watching the replay. Many dismiss equipment changes.

burnsy
05-17-2015, 10:01 AM
After Big Brown, and that disaster, I'm done with that nonsense. I'd rather go if AP lost yesterday. Then again I'm 52 years old so my patience for that is not what it used to be...I'll be on vacation at Hunter Mountain playing from my tablet on the deck, my own food, beer and Government Mule and Robert Plant.........Its hard for me to imagine paying 2 cents to go through that again......Wait until the Sunday morning after, it will be the same old complaining, if you are going to get mad, why even bother? The view will be just fine from where I'm at and $175 almost pays for my 4 days ticket of music which costs about $220. NYRA and Ticketmaster can stuff it where the sun don't shine, charging that then running it in to the ground.....with a total lack of organization....

Relwob Owner
05-17-2015, 10:39 AM
After Big Brown, and that disaster, I'm done with that nonsense. I'd rather go if AP lost yesterday. Then again I'm 52 years old so my patience for that is not what it used to be...I'll be on vacation at Hunter Mountain playing from my tablet on the deck, my own food, beer and Government Mule and Robert Plant.........Its hard for me to imagine paying 2 cents to go through that again......Wait until the Sunday morning after, it will be the same old complaining, if you are going to get mad, why even bother? The view will be just fine from where I'm at and $175 almost pays for my 4 days ticket of music which costs about $220. NYRA and Ticketmaster can stuff it where the sun don't shine, charging that then running it in to the ground.....with a total lack of organization....


Your plan sounds pretty good to me. Enjoy

burnsy
05-17-2015, 10:59 AM
Your plan sounds pretty good to me. Enjoy


Thanks, it will be the 4th year in a row I was in on renting a chalet there with my friends. I love live horse racing, but not like that. You gotta have an iron constitution to pay and go through that. Wizz and the rest are right about the view too, the shadows or you end up looking through people's necks and arm pits.....and if you are serious about doping out your horses, good luck on that. I've had two years sitting on the deck drinking Heineken and Belmont day has paid for the entire vacation and then some. I'm at the point where at my age I can't even think straight crowded in like a sardine.........I'm a buzz kill, I know. But if anyone comes on here the Sunday after bitching about 3 hours in the parking lot or the other numerous pains......I have no sympathy for them...........go and eat it.....or don't go at all! I'm way past knowing its not for me.

elhelmete
05-17-2015, 11:30 AM
Thanks, it will be the 4th year in a row I was in on renting a chalet there with my friends. I love live horse racing, but not like that. You gotta have an iron constitution to pay and go through that. Wizz and the rest are right about the view too, the shadows or you end up looking through people's necks and arm pits.....and if you are serious about doping out your horses, good luck on that. I've had two years sitting on the deck drinking Heineken and Belmont day has paid for the entire vacation and then some. I'm at the point where at my age I can't even think straight crowded in like a sardine.........I'm a buzz kill, I know. But if anyone comes on here the Sunday after bitching about 3 hours in the parking lot or the other numerous pains......I have no sympathy for them...........go and eat it.....or don't go at all! I'm way past knowing its not for me.

I feel 100% the same.

Recently I caught wind of my wife looking into a Kentucky Derby trip for me and I asked her to stop. It took a half hour for me to get her to understand why I have zero interest in going...unless I had a connection to an entry (almost went in 2012? with Dullahan in, my friend's family bred him). I told her it's exactly like why I'd love to go to New Orleans 51 weeks of the year, but don't need to go during Mardi Gras.

Let's face it...even though the grand old race tracks like Belmont and Santa Anita etc. can technically hold huge crowds, they are not necessarily designed or set up to accommodate the sporting event-going crowds of the 21st century and the levels-of-service they have come to expect at modern stadiums or event centers. I've been to Santa Anita a couple hundred times and I still manage to find new nooks and crannies that I never knew existed. Stairways to odd rooms, doors to nowhere, rooms you can enter one way but have to leave by another, etc. Trying to get food/bev, security, bathrooms, and betting windows or machines around these places is not an easy task.

But please understand that to me this is NOT an indictment. I personally love all these tracks, and I love that they're not some sanitized warehouse like the Staples Center. Just that I probably won't ever feel the need to go on the biggest of the big days.

burnsy
05-17-2015, 11:49 AM
elhemete, we are in total agreement. I love tracks, I've been to the derby a few times Thursday and Friday are better than Saturday. At least they have an infield to spread it around on Friday and Saturday. Belmont is usually a logistical disaster on those Triple Crown days. Big Brown year the toilets broke and it was 95 in the shade! Forecast,,,,,,,Hot, crowded and Stinky! I live in Saratoga so I'm at every Travers, that is crowded but nothing like Belmont day on a TC attempt...its still bad enough. Plus, when handicapping we think the same way, at Saratoga I hide my chair and cooler behind the SAM machines by the entrance where the horseman park (Union Ave.). When people see where I sit, they usually didn't know the spot was there. The same small group of people sit back there every year..........its a good "hideaway" when I need to think. You are right about the seating too, Saratoga is for people of 1890 size, I weigh about 210....so now everyone knows why I don't think the seats are great "shakes". No indictment at all, I love most days at the track, but I'm old enough to realize what I'm in for on certain days.....if one needs to bitch, don't go.

Inner Dirt
05-17-2015, 12:15 PM
The only triple crown event I attended was the Derby in 1999. Once is enough for me. We didn't plan in advance enough and ended up in the infield which is basically one big drunken frat party. Fortunately I had burned the midnight oil and made all my losing selections before coming to the track. The lines at the windows were huge and moved slowly because of the novice crowd. I spent most of my time waiting in line, betting windows, beer and food, bathroom, etc,etc. Also I didn't cash one ticket on Oaks or Derby day. Not a fond memory.

elhelmete
05-17-2015, 12:23 PM
Again, I'm not complaining at all. I don't envy the track operators who have to accommodate 75-150K on ONE day when the rest of the year they're dealing with under 10,000. It's a herculean task and usually thankless.

Santa Anita Derby day is a perfect 'upper limit' crowd for me. Del Mar summer is pushing it...but their November meet last year was, for me, a perfect crowd.

PaceAdvantage
05-17-2015, 12:42 PM
I bought my tickets a few hours before the Derby was run. Got pretty much the same seats I had last year. When you think there is a better than normal chance of a Triple Crown being won (as I did), you have to buy a little bit earlier than normal.

And I don't understand NY Bred. Ticketmaster doesn't sell tickets at above face value (well, if you don't include their nuisance surcharge and all that)...point being, the prices on TM aren't going to rise as the event becomes more in demand...

I will say, however, that the best seats were all well gone prior to the Derby...obviously purchased by brokers and bots and whomever else scoops up tons of tickets prior to an event in the hopes that a Triple Crown will be on the line and they can resell for much bigger returns.

The fact that NYRA says they will limit to 90,000 will even further increase the prices these guys can command, as I don't think NYRA can turn away people who have actually purchased seats in advance... :lol: :lol: :lol:

cj
05-17-2015, 01:21 PM
I bought my tickets a few hours before the Derby was run. Got pretty much the same seats I had last year. When you think there is a better than normal chance of a Triple Crown being won (as I did), you have to buy a little bit earlier than normal.

And I don't understand NY Bred. Ticketmaster doesn't sell tickets at above face value (well, if you don't include their nuisance surcharge and all that)...point being, the prices on TM aren't going to rise as the event becomes more in demand...

I will say, however, that the best seats were all well gone prior to the Derby...obviously purchased by brokers and bots and whomever else scoops up tons of tickets prior to an event in the hopes that a Triple Crown will be on the line and they can resell for much bigger returns.

The fact that NYRA says they will limit to 90,000 will even further increase the prices these guys can command, as I don't think NYRA can turn away people who have actually purchased seats in advance... :lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't think this is entirely accurate about Ticketmaster. Yes, the tickets that haven't been sold are available at face value, but they also sell tickets on the secondary market (and collect fees as well.) Maybe the Belmont is different, but that is how other events work.

I just tried to buy two seats, came up with two for $1,006 each. That can't be face value, can it? Where are these seats?

PaceAdvantage
05-17-2015, 01:22 PM
I don't think this is entirely accurate about Ticketmaster. Yes, the tickets that haven't been sold are available at face value, but they also sell tickets on the secondary market (and collect fees as well.) Maybe the Belmont is different, but that is how other events work.

I just tried to buy two seats, came up with two for $1,006 each. That can't be face value, can it? Where are these seats?After I wrote the post, I kind of figured maybe they had a secondary market in place. I don't use TM very much, as I'm nothing more than a hermit in my basement these days...thanks for clarifying... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cratos
05-17-2015, 01:30 PM
I really don't understand the complaining about the price of tickets for the Belmont Stakes.

New York City without a major event is expensive, 2 tickets to a major Broadway play and dinner at an upscale Manhattan restaurant will serverly put a "dent" in your wallet and will make the perceived overpriced NYRA Belmont Stakes tickets seem like a bargain.

cj
05-17-2015, 01:33 PM
I really don't understand the complaining about the price of tickets for the Belmont Stakes.

New York City without a major event is expensive, 2 tickets to a major Broadway play and dinner at an upscale Manhattan restaurant will serverly put a "dent" in your wallet and will make the perceived overpriced NYRA Belmont Stakes tickets seem like a bargain.

I agree, and every single person here could have bought tickets a long time ago for much less.

http://www.belmontstakes.com/story/2015/2/21/tickets-on-sale-for-the-2015-belmont-stakes-racing-festival--starting-monday-february-23/

cj
05-17-2015, 04:20 PM
Turns out the seats I posted are in a tent.

GatetoWire
05-18-2015, 02:56 PM
Like normal don't let any of the actual facts get in the way of your posting.

I am going to a number of concerts this year and the Ticketmaster fees for the Belmont aren't even close to some concerts.

I bought Belmont seats in February the day they went on sale. Got front row seats 3rd floor clubhouse.
They were $175 each plus $6 service charge. That includes tickets to sit in the same seats on Friday too. It was a Friday/Saturday package.

I have concert tickets the next 2 Saturdays. $75 each + $15.90 service charge and $127 + $22.00 service charge (for print at home tickets).

My Belmont seats came last week. Nice hard plastic tickets with a lanyards. Given what other sporting events and concerts cost I think the Belmont is a steal. I got premium seats that would be double the price if I was to sit in the same proximity at any other big sporting event or concert.

I'm sure the secondary ticket market and brokers all bought up the seats but that is no different than any other event. Buy early direct from the box office or pay more to get your seat from a secondary vendor later after they are all sold.

biggestal99
05-18-2015, 04:46 PM
Got my general admission ticket today, maybe this is the year, i was there in 1978, i sure aint gonna miss horse racing history til i m dead and buried.

Allan

dilanesp
05-18-2015, 05:02 PM
I feel 100% the same.

Recently I caught wind of my wife looking into a Kentucky Derby trip for me and I asked her to stop. It took a half hour for me to get her to understand why I have zero interest in going...unless I had a connection to an entry (almost went in 2012? with Dullahan in, my friend's family bred him). I told her it's exactly like why I'd love to go to New Orleans 51 weeks of the year, but don't need to go during Mardi Gras.

Let's face it...even though the grand old race tracks like Belmont and Santa Anita etc. can technically hold huge crowds, they are not necessarily designed or set up to accommodate the sporting event-going crowds of the 21st century and the levels-of-service they have come to expect at modern stadiums or event centers. I've been to Santa Anita a couple hundred times and I still manage to find new nooks and crannies that I never knew existed. Stairways to odd rooms, doors to nowhere, rooms you can enter one way but have to leave by another, etc. Trying to get food/bev, security, bathrooms, and betting windows or machines around these places is not an easy task.

But please understand that to me this is NOT an indictment. I personally love all these tracks, and I love that they're not some sanitized warehouse like the Staples Center. Just that I probably won't ever feel the need to go on the biggest of the big days.

Yeah, I've been to a couple of Olympics (LA and Atlanta) and it's sort of the same feeling.

It's a lot of fun to be there for one of these big events. And, by the way, I don't mind paying the high ticket prices and I'm really sick of the sense of entitlement some horse racing fans here seem to have where they are supposed to get a ticket the big events of the sport for less than the amount set by supply and demand. Everyone either knows or should know that if you want to be there for a big event, you pay big money.

But on the other hand, your experience is definitely less of a headache if you DON'T try to go on the biggest days. You can move around, stretch out, explore, not stand in lines, etc. And as I get older, the desire to attend the biggest events definitely goes downhill. I've already ruled out, for instance, going to the Coachella rock festival, which I definitely would have done in my teens or early 20's had it been around back then.

Stillriledup
05-18-2015, 05:10 PM
Yeah, I've been to a couple of Olympics (LA and Atlanta) and it's sort of the same feeling.

It's a lot of fun to be there for one of these big events. And, by the way, I don't mind paying the high ticket prices and I'm really sick of the sense of entitlement some horse racing fans here seem to have where they are supposed to get a ticket the big events of the sport for less than the amount set by supply and demand. Everyone either knows or should know that if you want to be there for a big event, you pay big money.

But on the other hand, your experience is definitely less of a headache if you DON'T try to go on the biggest days. You can move around, stretch out, explore, not stand in lines, etc. And as I get older, the desire to attend the biggest events definitely goes downhill. I've already ruled out, for instance, going to the Coachella rock festival, which I definitely would have done in my teens or early 20's had it been around back then.

I don't agree that its entitlement, its people trying to be smart and getting tickets for free or for as little as they can possibly pay. People aren't going to pay more than they have to. If you go to a supermarket and the toilet paper is 10 bucks for a large roll and you know that you would pay 12, are you going to offer the supermarket an extra 2 bucks?? No, you're going to pay as little as you can pay, you're going to pay the 10 bucks as well as put your phone number/rewards card in the pay box to try and get a discount, doesn't make anyone a bad guy for trying to get a 'good deal'

dilanesp
05-18-2015, 06:36 PM
I don't agree that its entitlement, its people trying to be smart and getting tickets for free or for as little as they can possibly pay. People aren't going to pay more than they have to. If you go to a supermarket and the toilet paper is 10 bucks for a large roll and you know that you would pay 12, are you going to offer the supermarket an extra 2 bucks?? No, you're going to pay as little as you can pay, you're going to pay the 10 bucks as well as put your phone number/rewards card in the pay box to try and get a discount, doesn't make anyone a bad guy for trying to get a 'good deal'

Big events aren't like toilet paper in a supermarket. They are closer to a table at Nobu. Nobody ever expects to pay anything but top dollar.

NY BRED
05-19-2015, 08:00 AM
Turns out the seats I posted are in a tent.

CJ:

buy/rent a tent, place it on a lawn or the beach, bet the
$ you'd spend on tolls, gas , admission, and save the grief
of being bumped by newbies to the game, drunks, etc...

highnote
05-19-2015, 03:19 PM
I used to be on NYRA's mailing list back in the early 90s. We'd go to the Belmont Stakes every year because they sent us a ticket application early in the year. One year we paid $5 for seats. They were in the clubhouse and not too far from the finish line. They must have had a lottery for the seats because in subsequent years we still paid $5 or $10 for seats, but ended up on the 2nd or 3rd floor in the grandstand on the stretch turn.

Still, at those prices, it was the best major sporting event bargain in NYC.

So my advice is to get on the mailing list and buy your tickets early if they still offer that service.

I don't know how much tickets cost these days, but in the old days, you were only out $5 or $10 if you didn't feel like going.

Maybe you can sell your tix if you don't want to go?

Also, the Belmont Stakes might be like the Derby where you can buy a general admission ticket. So no one gets turned away. Although, I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than buy a general admission ticket.

There were about 80,000 people at Belmont for some of those years where the TC was on the line. Dreadful. One year it was cold and poured down rain. Double-dreadful.

Not to be a killjoy, but at the end of the day, the Belmont Stakes is just another horserace.

Although, I will admit there is nothing like the roar of the crowd when the TC is on the line and the horses make the turn for home. The roar of the crowd follows the horses like a giant wave of sound. Pretty awesome and it something every racing fan should experience once in their lifetime.

I've experienced it twice and it was amazing, but I have no desire to experience it again.

PaceAdvantage
05-20-2015, 12:02 PM
They haven't been $5 or $10 for YEARS.

And you used to be able to buy tickets at Belmont itself...up on the 3rd floor I believe, by the clubhouse exchange.

Belmont Stakes day tix are now only available through Ticketmaster....

thespaah
05-20-2015, 12:23 PM
I don't think this is entirely accurate about Ticketmaster. Yes, the tickets that haven't been sold are available at face value, but they also sell tickets on the secondary market (and collect fees as well.) Maybe the Belmont is different, but that is how other events work.

I just tried to buy two seats, came up with two for $1,006 each. That can't be face value, can it? Where are these seats?
The seats have been sold out since Monday 5/18...So you must have been linked to Stub Hub or another post sale ticket exchange.
If I had my best guess I'd say the Section is T about the 3/16ths pole. (ST) I will guess means "grand stand"....The 04? . I'm saying 4th floor.
Imagine that...One large to sit in Great Neck?.Pass...I'll pay the 15 bucks, get there early and claim a spot on a bench down by the furlong pole. Then when the belmont stakes is about to go, I'll move toward the wire but back up the apron.
No worries.

cj
05-20-2015, 12:41 PM
The seats have been sold out since Monday 5/18...So you must have been linked to Stub Hub or another post sale ticket exchange.
If I had my best guess I'd say the Section is T about the 3/16ths pole. (ST) I will guess means "grand stand"....The 04? . I'm saying 4th floor.
Imagine that...One large to sit in Great Neck?.Pass...I'll pay the 15 bucks, get there early and claim a spot on a bench down by the furlong pole. Then when the belmont stakes is about to go, I'll move toward the wire but back up the apron.
No worries.

It was one of those fancy smancy tents complete with all the bells and whistles. Hard to believe, but I passed. :)

thespaah
05-20-2015, 12:55 PM
It was one of those fancy smancy tents complete with all the bells and whistles. Hard to believe, but I passed. :)
Ahh..Ok....So much for guessing on the seat location.....And I thought I was a smart guy....Oh well.
A thousand bucks had better include lots of bells and whistles....

thespaah
05-20-2015, 01:08 PM
Stub Hub has over 9,000 seats available..The prices....WOW ranging from $300 for upper stretch grandstand to over $3,000 for Clubhouse at the line on the 3rd floor.....
The best way to beat this is to wait until after first post and buy from the scalpers outside. Just be aware of counterfeit tickets...

OTM Al
05-20-2015, 01:41 PM
It was one of those fancy smancy tents complete with all the bells and whistles. Hard to believe, but I passed. :)

Still available as of yesterday if you get that itch....

NY BRED
05-20-2015, 09:21 PM
CUTTING TO THE CHASE..

unless I've lost my mind, Belmont handed of the majority of their
preferred seats to Ticket Master to jump the price to approximately
50 times their price value, undoubtedly making TM a partner in this
scheme.

The knuckleheads at NYRA could have bumped their prices
20 or 30 times (add any factor above or below that stat)
and people would still bitch, but undoubtedly would pay
the tab.

One slight difference.. NYRA would retain the profit and
avoid pissing off fans (like me) who normally go despite
all the crap/urine discussions on this section.

excuse me, have to return to my chanting for rain on June 6th

aka 6/6 . Ps. add one more 6 and I have the devil on my side...


:6: :6: :6:

:mad: :mad: :mad:

PaceAdvantage
05-22-2015, 04:15 PM
CUTTING TO THE CHASE..

unless I've lost my mind,You probably should have stopped there.

It seems you're posting from a position of ignorance, at the very least.

I'm sure one of the reasons NYRA employs TicketMaster is so that the state can't come after them (and people can't bitch about them on boards such as this one) for the way they handle their ticket sales BEHIND CLOSED DOORS....there would be accusations that they were handing out the best seats to "friends of NYRA" like Joe Bruno and Sheldon Silver... :lol:

highnote
05-22-2015, 04:40 PM
Glad to see Belmont Stakes still draws a big crowd. Ay least racing is not entirely dead.

aaron
05-22-2015, 08:10 PM
They haven't been $5 or $10 for YEARS.

And you used to be able to buy tickets at Belmont itself...up on the 3rd floor I believe, by the clubhouse exchange.

Belmont Stakes day tix are now only available through Ticketmaster....
That is correct. Actually you used to be able to get tickets,the day of the race. It hasn't been like that for years. I can't really blame them for taking advantage. It is their one day at Belmont.

Stillriledup
05-22-2015, 08:14 PM
You probably should have stopped there.

It seems you're posting from a position of ignorance, at the very least.

I'm sure one of the reasons NYRA employs TicketMaster is so that the state can't come after them (and people can't bitch about them on boards such as this one) for the way they handle their ticket sales BEHIND CLOSED DOORS....there would be accusations that they were handing out the best seats to "friends of NYRA" like Joe Bruno and Sheldon Silver... :lol:

But if you don't hand out tickets to Bruno and Silver, what would you have to worry about?

:confused:

highnote
05-22-2015, 09:13 PM
I noticed nyra becoming less player friendly in the mid 90s. It retrospect it makes sense. They saw hard times coming and were just beginning to feel them. They went into survival mode which wasn't necessarily player friendly. Hopefully, the worst is behind them now that they have had 15 or 20 years to adapt. From what I can tell they still have the best horses running on a daily basis.

bitter
05-27-2015, 01:50 PM
CUTTING TO THE CHASE..

unless I've lost my mind, Belmont handed of the majority of their
preferred seats to Ticket Master to jump the price to approximately
50 times their price value, undoubtedly making TM a partner in this
scheme.

The knuckleheads at NYRA could have bumped their prices
20 or 30 times (add any factor above or below that stat)
and people would still bitch, but undoubtedly would pay
the tab.

One slight difference.. NYRA would retain the profit and
avoid pissing off fans (like me) who normally go despite
all the crap/urine discussions on this section.

excuse me, have to return to my chanting for rain on June 6th

aka 6/6 . Ps. add one more 6 and I have the devil on my side...


:6: :6: :6:

:mad: :mad: :mad:

that's funny i purchased my $95 seat for $95, plus like a $6 TM service charge, you're suggesting this ticket was $47.5 previously?
i'm pretty sure when ALL tickets initially went on sale, the face price was the face price.
If you're complaining about ticket prices, then you probably didn't purchase tickets when you "should" have, and upset b/c you can't get what you want by paying the least amount possible.

to put things in perspective, on the secondary markets right now i see reserved seats for as low as $150, and this is for a chance at possibly seeing a triple crown. Those of us who went to KY, it cost $60 just to get in the door, or min. $350+ per seat if you didn't order your tickets initially...by my standards the Belmont is cheap.

highnote
06-02-2015, 01:12 AM
Here's an interesting quote from horseraceinsider.com:

http://www.horseraceinsider.com/Ante-Post/comments/05182015-nyra-making-itsown-history/#comments

A decision by the New York Racing Association based on business considerations, with customer comfort as a guise, will make Belmont Park on June 6 the first racetrack in history to turn away customers. In an era where tracks try to attract a few more fans by concocting every promotion imaginable, almost all of which have little to do with racing, NYRA is willing to say you're not welcome to 20,000 to 30,000 fans, attracted by, of all things, racing. A crowd in excess of 100,000 will make things uncomfortable, but this is not what this is about. NYRA is trying to guarantee it can sell 90,000 tickets in advance for years when a Triple Crown is not at stake.

It would be interesting to know if they have taken out an insurance policy that kicks in if sales are under 90,000.

biggestal99
06-02-2015, 05:59 AM
Here's an interesting quote from horseraceinsider.com:

http://www.horseraceinsider.com/Ante-Post/comments/05182015-nyra-making-itsown-history/#comments



It would be interesting to know if they have taken out an insurance policy that kicks in if sales are under 90,000.

Right now they are sitting on 71k

Allan

Redboard
06-02-2015, 07:32 AM
Right now they are sitting on 71k

Allan

I heard that too. Maybe the bad taste that it left in people's mouth last year, is having an effect.

highnote
06-02-2015, 09:01 PM
Let's say the sell 80k in advance, will they still not sell at the gate?

If they decided to sell at the gate and they hit 90k, would they then turn people away?

This reminds me of Woodstock. People without tickets will find a way to get in.

If I was younger my goal would be to sneak in. :D

PaceAdvantage
06-03-2015, 01:52 PM
There are going to be so many people showing up later in the day who will have no clue you need to have a ticket purchased beforehand in order to get in, that it might be interesting what kind of crowd control will be needed.

Every year the crowd grows by leaps and bounds the closer we get to post time of the Belmont Stakes...and many of these folks are once-a-year fans who show up only to say "I was there" when a TC is on the line. I hope the media and NYRA have done a good enough job getting the word out that you need a ticket before you show up at the gates.

Hopefully, there will be an even greater police presence this year than normal...although there always is a very big Nassau County police presence at the Belmont Stakes (post 9/11).

highnote
06-03-2015, 02:22 PM
There are going to be so many people showing up later in the day who will have no clue you need to have a ticket purchased beforehand in order to get in, that it might be interesting what kind of crowd control will be needed.

So what happens if 10,000 show up and are told they can't get in?

PaceAdvantage
06-03-2015, 02:31 PM
Then again, if I remember correctly, you won't be able to get into the parking lots if you don't have a ticket...is that right? That might solve the problem at the gate...but I'm just trying to imagine the traffic nightmare that will be caused by all those people having to turn around and go home... :lol:

highnote
06-03-2015, 03:12 PM
If NYRA didn't have casino money coming in would they be as willing to turn away customers? Or maybe there is no correlation?

I tend to agree with the opinion piece on horseraceinsider.com that claims this is a plan by NYRA to guarantee 90,000 seat sales when a TC is not on the line.

Maybe that is a viable strategy? Seems silly to me.

Why not bank the extra money that can be made in TC years to help get through the leaner years?

PaceAdvantage
06-03-2015, 03:20 PM
If NYRA didn't have casino money coming in would they be as willing to turn away customers? Or maybe there is no correlation?

I tend to agree with the opinion piece on horseraceinsider.com that claims this is a plan by NYRA to guarantee 90,000 seat sales when a TC is not on the line.

Maybe that is a viable strategy? Seems silly to me.

Why not bank the extra money that can be made in TC years to help get through the leaner years?Are you kidding?

Let me get this straight. Was horseraceinsider one of the MANY VOCAL NYRA CRITICS the past few years, when there was much talk about how NYRA wasn't able to effectively handle the crowds that turn out to see a TC contender in the Belmont Stakes...you know...the whole bathrooms, LIRR, food lines, betting lines, running out of stuff mantra...that whole shtick...

But NOW, when NYRA is actually trying to do something to alleviate the situation, with hopefully a short-term solution (longer term solutions take time), you and horseraceinsider are claiming this is nothing more than a money grab during non-TC years? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just when you think you've heard it all...it seems the only goal of some is to be critical for the sole sake of being a critic... :faint:

Grits
06-03-2015, 03:21 PM
For all who bought tickets with the plan of selling them at much higher prices, I understand that the prices at Stub Hub are coming down a good deal.

Its my hope that if someone is holding out for the BIG price.....they have to eat their ticket collection!!!

Rather than let the tickets go for a fair price to someone who really wants to attended the event. Nothing could be finer than that individual losing his/her shorts.

highnote
06-03-2015, 03:30 PM
That was the opinion of one writer -- Tom Jicha. I believe John Pricci was supportive of NYRA's policy.

I don't know if NYRA's policy is a good one or not. It seems like a gamble to me. If NYRA wasn't getting slot subsidies would they be willing to turn people away?

They have been dealing with large crowds for years. Why have they decided they can no longer deal with them?

After 9/11 there were large crowds and the threat of terrorism. There were some minor inconveniences like not enough food options and overflowing bathrooms and maybe a few fights by drunks, but other than that, things seemed to go pretty smoothly.



Are you kidding?

Let me get this straight. Was horseraceinsider one of the MANY VOCAL NYRA CRITICS the past few years, when there was much talk about how NYRA wasn't able to effectively handle the crowds that turn out to see a TC contender in the Belmont Stakes...you know...the whole bathrooms, LIRR, food lines, betting lines, running out of stuff mantra...that whole shtick...

But NOW, when NYRA is actually trying to do something to alleviate the situation, with hopefully a short-term solution (longer term solutions take time), you and horseraceinsider are claiming this is nothing more than a money grab during non-TC years? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just when you think you've heard it all...it seems the only goal of some is to be critical for the sole sake of being a critic... :faint:

PaceAdvantage
06-03-2015, 03:33 PM
They have been dealing with large crowds for years. Why have they decided they can no longer deal with them?I would think the major reason would be the massive negative publicity after last year's Belmont.

highnote
06-03-2015, 03:35 PM
I would think the major reason would be the massive negative publicity after last year's Belmont.

I don't remember what happened last year.

Did they drop the ball last year, or where there events beyond their control?

PaceAdvantage
06-03-2015, 03:37 PM
This was a big one:

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/06/02/belmont-stakes-lirr/

highnote
06-03-2015, 03:55 PM
Was that a NYRA issue or a LIRR issue?

I remember standing on that platform one year with my pregnant wife when a fist fight broke out in front of us and there was no where to go because it was so crowded on the ramp. We were worried about being trampled or getting injured and the wait was very long. That was back in 1998 -- the Real Quiet year.

So this stuff has been going on for years.

Why is it a big issue now? The attendance from 1985 to 2012 only exceeded 90,000 on 4 occasions and it was 102k last year. I don't know about 2013.

Perhaps casino money has alleviated some of the financial strain that necessitates getting as many people through the turnstiles as possible?

Grits
06-03-2015, 04:04 PM
Everyone doesn't take the LIRR when leaving the Belmont. This is part of the problem. I don't even recall problems this great in 2004 when the attendance record was broken with SJ's bid. .... My only hope is that it's better. The Goo Goo Dolls aren't among my favorites--as a concert goer. :confused:

thespaah
06-03-2015, 06:33 PM
that's funny i purchased my $95 seat for $95, plus like a $6 TM service charge, you're suggesting this ticket was $47.5 previously?
i'm pretty sure when ALL tickets initially went on sale, the face price was the face price.
If you're complaining about ticket prices, then you probably didn't purchase tickets when you "should" have, and upset b/c you can't get what you want by paying the least amount possible.

to put things in perspective, on the secondary markets right now i see reserved seats for as low as $150, and this is for a chance at possibly seeing a triple crown. Those of us who went to KY, it cost $60 just to get in the door, or min. $350+ per seat if you didn't order your tickets initially...by my standards the Belmont is cheap.
I think the OP is mistaking Stub hub for ticketmaster.
Stub hub is a re-seller of tickets owned by brokers( yes, brokers will stealth place tickets on stub hub) and individuals. Ticketmaster is a primary seller.