only 33,000 on track at DMR opening day
 

They have lost a significant number of casual fans. I am sure Joe Harper was wincing at the small crowd, no matter what he says publicly.

All sources up 14%.

Didn't look like many people were there. The figs they came up with were at least 10K off IMO.

why would they lose casual fans at a boutique party meet?

I don't know. But it is clearly happening. And honestly, Harper should stop publicly lobbying for another BC at Del Mar and try to figure out how to stop the bleeding. Tracks that lose their live fanbases rarely get them back.

Isn't 33,000 make for a pretty crowded place? I used to go to Del Mar frequently between 1979-1995 and remember it to be a pretty small venue.

So maybe Del Mar doesn't have it figured out. Their vision isn't immune to the decline in the popularity of racing.

Perhaps, and this is just a guess on my part, Del Mar stopped giving out a ton of invites to random people for Opening Day, as they realized the overflow did little for them other than to inflate a relatively meaningless number.

Even for the internet, criticizing 33K and over $15 million in handle seems a little harsh ( or some might even say silly ). First day of the meet is probably a little early to be doing the chicken little act.

The pre-1992 grandstand never saw 33k. But the current plant holds 45k easily.

Andy, there average daily attendance has been in decline for a few years too. And the Pacific Classic has lost half of its live fans.

If they had been comping people on opening day, that is news to me. Not saying you are wrong about this, though.

I just did some digging and I was there last Saturday August 10, 1996 an article in the Washington Post said the crowd was 35,000 and it was packed solid, so something must have expanded since then. That was the Pacific Classic where Cigar's winning streak was snapped.

Couldn't this be related to the extra meet they now schedule in the fall? I imagine if Saratoga started running a second meet the same would happen there.

The racing was good and I made money.
I don't care how many were there, other than those who contributed to my totals!:D

My boycott of California is officially over.

I am looking forward to Saratoga Friday, and I don't care how many show up there either. I have only one Lazy Boy in my computer room. :D

As a customer, I am concerned with the product - which was excellent and
will certainly be on Friday.

When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you jump for joy when you find out there is a 2 hour wait for a table, or are you thankful if you get right and get a good table?

Del Mar and Saratoga pay professional people to worry about the inner workings.
How much are you getting? ;)

This is the prime racing season - enjoy it!
Have fun.

This thread is bizarre.



I agree with much of what Tom said.


While handle is generally not a representation of on-track attendees, I couldn't help but lick my chops when seeing a good sized crowd who appeared to be there to have fun and be seen and bet some money.

Opening day is THE day for Del Mar and always has been. It is a good barometer of interest from fans not found on horse racing forums. The small crowd speaks volumes to that end.

The good news is that the product was good, fields were full and the bettors stepped up. If the product quality remains high it should be a great meet for bettors, but not necessarily a great on-track meet for Del Mar looking to pry money from their customers via $15 margaritas and $12 beers.