I didn't bother to dust off any old NYRA media guides, but this article seems to sum up the attendance and handle figures at Saratoga in the 70s and 80s:
https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/a...tion-saratoga/
Some of you kids may not remember this, but there was a long time where Saratoga was far from the hotspot it is today, and that included the era with the four week schedule with the easily identified Saturday features.
The recent tweaking and extension of the schedule has coincided with Saratoga becoming a success story in an industry that has few. Further, if you aren't adding additional racing dates, it's hard to see this move as squeezing the lemon dry.
The constant complaint is short fields, so stretching the meet out and maintaining the number of racing days seems like a very reasonable way to help combat this issue. The extension of racing days at Saratoga has always rested on the fact that Belmont in July starts to lose its luster, so why not try something to counteract both that and the horse shortage?
For Saratoga visitors, they can plan their stay accordingly and have more opportunities to make the trip there. For employees and downstate horsemen, I can understand the concern about added expense. However, twilight racing at Belmont in July costs them money too. Hopefully added handle will help the bottom line for all.
