New York Racing office was great

[RunForTheRoses]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

You are quite wrong. The meeting used to conclude at the end of August. By way of example, here's Steve Crist's story on the 1988 Hopeful Stakes, run on August 28, 1988:

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/28/s...s-hopeful.html

They moved the Woodward to Saratoga in 2006, to run Labor Day weekend, thereby expanding the season into September.

You're right, it seems like its been awhile but...here's a good un

YouTube (Short URL)

on sunday 9/4

[capitalman]

Originally Posted by Redboard

They are going back to the 6-week meet next year, I believe. Does anyone know whether they will go back to the 6-day-week racing?

Unless you have some inside information that you can't reveal your source, where did you hear/see this?
I live in the Albany suburbs & if there was any official announcement about 2020 going back to 6 weeks, or even rumors about that, it would have been all over the news & I haven't seen anything about this. If someone so much as sneezes at Saratoga, it's the lead story on the news around here.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by capitalman

Unless you have some inside information that you can't reveal your source, where did you hear/see this?
I live in the Albany suburbs & if there was any official announcement about 2020 going back to 6 weeks, or even rumors about that, it would have been all over the news & I haven't seen anything about this. If someone so much as sneezes at Saratoga, it's the lead story on the news around here.

There is zero truth to his post. There rarely is.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

When they first expanded into September, the last week of the season did very poorly, despite the presence of the Woodward.

While any new thing will always take time to possibly succeed, the "success" of the final week depends greatly on how much of it remains in August. This year, four of the final six days were in August, which surely helps, while next year, with Labor Day on 9/7, it will likely be a bit slower.

Regardless, overall weather will remain the most important factor.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by the little guy

While any new thing will always take time to possibly succeed, the "success" of the final week depends greatly on how much of it remains in August. This year, four of the final six days were in August, which surely helps, while next year, with Labor Day on 9/7, it will likely be a bit slower.

Regardless, overall weather will remain the most important factor.

I buy everything you are saying, Andy, but the 40,000 on Sunday looks like a marketing triumph. Correct me if I am wrong, but Saratoga has never had a crowd like that during the last week since they expanded the season into September.

[KingChas]

Love Wednesday racing , sure hope this doesn't happen in 2020.

https://poststar.com/news/local/busi...dec3290eb.html

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I buy everything you are saying, Andy, but the 40,000 on Sunday looks like a marketing triumph. Correct me if I am wrong, but Saratoga has never had a crowd like that during the last week since they expanded the season into September.

Your streak is intact....


http://www.equibase.com/premium/char...02/2018&cy=USA

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by the little guy

Your streak is intact....


http://www.equibase.com/premium/char...02/2018&cy=USA

I don't see the attendance in there, but I will take your word for it.

Correction, I found it. They had 44,000 last year on the same day. OK. I knew they only had about 30,000 for Rachel Alexandra's Woodward and had big dropoffs in the final week in years past, but I guess NYRA solved the problem last year, not this year.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I don't see the attendance in there, but I will take your word for it.

Correction, I found it. They had 44,000 last year on the same day. OK. I knew they only had about 30,000 for Rachel Alexandra's Woodward and had big dropoffs in the final week in years past, but I guess NYRA solved the problem last year, not this year.

Those dang giveaways always fool the nitwits.

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I buy everything you are saying, Andy, but the 40,000 on Sunday looks like a marketing triumph. Correct me if I am wrong, but Saratoga has never had a crowd like that during the last week since they expanded the season into September.

I bet they gave away a cool sweatshirt to all those people!

[RunForTheRoses]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

I bet they gave away a cool sweatshirt to all those people!

Some maybe 2 or 3.

[Ocala Mike]

Way back when I worked auditing NYRA for the state, the admissions taxes always skyrocketed on giveaway days due to "turnstile spinners" or people who came in numerous times to get more freebie coupons. Has this practice been done away with or controlled somehow so that the attendance count is more accurate?

I must say the crowd on Sunday packed on the apron against the rail in the stretch looked impressive!

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

I bet they gave away a cool sweatshirt to all those people!

They are pretty good and the hood came in handy when it rained that night.

[Rico8812]

Dilanesp yikes. You have the worst/most incorrect takes.

Thought the meet was pretty great. The fox sports show was stellar and added a great deal to the meet imo.

[ReplayRandall]

This meet had more late money pounding the win and exacta pools than any year I can remember.....Winning bets were trimmed sometimes 25% from odds as they left the gate until they crossed the wire. Played more horizontals with my keys as the meet progressed, instead of one race pools....Hits paid more in line with value, kept me afloat throughout the remainder of meet.