only 33,000 on track at DMR opening day

[Andy Asaro]

Everyone I spoke with said it was comfortable opening day. Usually and in previous years it's chaos.

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by Tom

What significance is attendance when handle is where the $$$ is?
Most people bet off track.

You would think that handle is where the money is but DMR makes their profit from the people who attend the track. The racing is about a breakeven venture.

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

Everyone I spoke with said it was comfortable opening day. Usually and in previous years it's chaos.

From a spectator's standpoint it was probably a perfect scenario. From DMR's standpoint it's probably a canary in the coal mine.

[Valuist]

Isn't a one day sample size a bit early to draw too many conclusions? Maybe interest is down, but let's at least give it a few more days. A Saturday/Sunday comp would be more reliable, IMO.

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by Valuist

Isn't a one day sample size a bit early to draw too many conclusions? Maybe interest is down, but let's at least give it a few more days. A Saturday/Sunday comp would be more reliable, IMO.

Opening day is the biggest day of the year for DMR, it is comparable to no other day of the meet. It reflects the current view of the local community about racing. What used to be a can't miss event has now fallen a notch or two. I think it reflects the overall downtrend in racing popularity.

It would be interesting to see how many bettors participated in the large increase in handle. Fewer bettors betting more wouldn't be a healthy sign.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by AndyC

From a spectator's standpoint it was probably a perfect scenario. From DMR's standpoint it's probably a canary in the coal mine.

Exactly.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by Tom

What significance is attendance when handle is where the $$$ is?
Most people bet off track.

That was my point, though I realized afterwards that it sounded like I was drinking in mourning rather than celebrating. Oh well.

[biggestal99]

Originally Posted by Saratoga_Mike

With the exception of parking/traffic, the BC at Del Mar was great. But I'm sure you could have made it better.

My bc pal Dave and I bussed in from a remote location, easy come, easy go.

Got stuck in one minor jam, but being from jersey, I have seen a lot worse traffic. Like the bc at Monmouth.

On non bc days,we parked on site and had no problems.

Allan

[AltonKelsey]

33,000 today is like 75,000 20 years ago.


Not a problem.



Living room downs boys.

[ReplayRandall]

Halfway thru the Friday card at Del Mar with a concert afterwards, and the place is a ghost town....Check out the stands for the post parades if you're watching TVG or TS full-feed.

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

I have all my handicapping done the night before, if I am alone I wander all over the place, I usually am a rail bird at the finish line when the race starts.
I probably at least walk around enough to get the equivalent of walking a long golf course. Before a lower spinal fusion slowed me down at any track with an infield I would be on the backstretch rail to watch the start of the one turn races then sprint across to get as close to the finish line as possible to watch the finish. Of course if I have female company my wandering is cut down tremendously.

I'm the same way at Saratoga. For me, buying a seat is a waste unless I'm with the girl. I can't sit still for half an hour knowing the horses are in the paddock, I gotta see em. Then when its a race I really want to see I walk upstairs. I probably walk 8 miles a day there, I always lose weight this time of year. Too bad its only 7 weeks a year. I would be thin.


I'm not big on crowds anymore either. I love Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Toga. I can walk the entire park without bumping into and walking around the masses.



Its been obvious for years that racing has lost ground. Of course, eventually some of this will appear at these two boutique meets at times. I don't know how people try to "fool" themselves by pointing out these certain days and meets to say its still booming...…..it isn't. As for the handle, its like the deal NYRA uses for the attendance. They count every season pass owner for every day at times. I'm not there every single day, but I believe that's how they tally the count. Handle is the same thing...……..it will always look great now that you have people dumping the pools with large bets at the last second (and some say even past that ). They need some economist in there. Twenty to fifty people betting thousands of dollars at the bell (or past, some allege) is not the same as ten or 20 thousand fans placing casual bets. That's where this entire game is lost...……….they see this $$$$$$$$$ but they don't see this...…….