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06-13-2023, 10:10 AM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,056
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NYRA: Saratoga is ‘preferred’ site for 2025 Belmont Stakes
https://archive.ph/xY0Y5
The home of the third and final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown is finally getting a major makeover. But the timeline could have the 2025 Belmont Stakes looking for a temporary home, and the New York Racing Association would like it to be at Saratoga Race Course.
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06-13-2023, 10:29 AM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 274
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make it permanent
Time to stop pretending that racing is what it ever was
Play to our strengths, move the Belmont Stakes to Saratoga permanently, run it as part of a short Spring meet
Racing globally is strong, HK is fine, Japan is booming, likewise fine in the Middle East and managing well in Ireland, France, even if the UK is a mess in general, that's a different story
Here our strengths are Del Mar, Keeneland, Woodbine (yes, this is North America), Saratoga, Turfway off season, Churchill needs to get its act together, then that as well would qualify
Bring back a strong Pimlico too (and race at Fair Hill!) but NYC racing will never be what it was - how long has Belmont been a ghost town other than Saturday?
Stop pretending, play to our strengths
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06-13-2023, 10:32 AM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,798
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An old NYRA tradition- starting the Belmont on the turn!
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06-13-2023, 10:40 AM
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#4
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PA Steward
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Del Boca Vista
Posts: 88,657
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheffwed
Time to stop pretending that racing is what it ever was
Play to our strengths, move the Belmont Stakes to Saratoga permanently, run it as part of a short Spring meet
Racing globally is strong, HK is fine, Japan is booming, likewise fine in the Middle East and managing well in Ireland, France, even if the UK is a mess in general, that's a different story
Here our strengths are Del Mar, Keeneland, Woodbine (yes, this is North America), Saratoga, Turfway off season, Churchill needs to get its act together, then that as well would qualify
Bring back a strong Pimlico too (and race at Fair Hill!) but NYC racing will never be what it was - how long has Belmont been a ghost town other than Saturday?
Stop pretending, play to our strengths
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Shifting everything and everyone update for a "short spring meet" is ridiculous and unworkable on an annual basis.
Logistics isn't your strong suit.
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06-13-2023, 12:13 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 274
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Understood
Understood Saratoga likely can't do a longer Spring meeting,
but one weekend at a time?
it's not that long a drive from Belmont - I wasn't talking about anything longer than a weekend - Fri/Sat/Sun, done
(and they should bring back the Open House also - that's a precedent for what I'm talking about, Saratoga has done off season racing at times without everyone being upstate)
NYRA could do one or more shorter meets rather than something longer/undoable - they could experiment in June 2024 with a Spring Weekend, in fact there's no jump racing at all in the US then, it could be a day or two of racing just to get the logistics down
Last edited by Sheffwed; 06-13-2023 at 12:14 PM.
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06-13-2023, 12:16 PM
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#6
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PA Steward
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Del Boca Vista
Posts: 88,657
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I don't think you understand the undertaking every summer when everything moves up to Saratoga.
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06-13-2023, 01:12 PM
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#7
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The Voice of Reason!
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Canandaigua, New york
Posts: 112,888
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Might be a good excuse to move the et Mile back to Memorial Day so it can stay on a real 1 turn mile!
__________________
Who does the Racing Form Detective like in this one?
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06-13-2023, 01:17 PM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 274
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Logistics
Quote:
Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage
I don't think you understand the undertaking every summer when everything moves up to Saratoga.
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Some of that 450M USD could go a long way towards helping make this a possibility, rather than just building a fancy new facility in Elmont that will largely sit empty, maybe they could phase in whatever was planned for Belmont
It would benefit the upstate economy a lot if this happened
Just sayin'
I realize it would take a lot more thought of course...
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06-13-2023, 01:30 PM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,738
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage
I don't think you understand the undertaking every summer when everything moves up to Saratoga.
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I don't think it...I know it.
Opening Saratoga isn't like opening a 7/11.
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06-13-2023, 02:03 PM
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#10
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PA Steward
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Del Boca Vista
Posts: 88,657
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheffwed
Some of that 450M USD could go a long way towards helping make this a possibility, rather than just building a fancy new facility in Elmont that will largely sit empty, maybe they could phase in whatever was planned for Belmont
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You think they have that kind of discretion with that money? Imagine...
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06-13-2023, 02:08 PM
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 274
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Another idea
Quote:
Originally Posted by elhelmete
I don't think it...I know it.
Opening Saratoga isn't like opening a 7/11.
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Here's another idea - build a wall between the clubhouse and grandstand at Belmont and leave the existing building standing, then the existing seating could be used if accessed from outside but not the existing facility, which could be gutted while the right side of the building gets renovated, keep the paddock, horses entrance to the track, etc.
In fact, the existing building could be turned into an artwork (it already pretty much is), have a competition, someone like Christo could have done this some justice ("draped buildings") with the precedent established in Central Park 20 years ago
Even better, convert the existing grandstand into a museum much like Tate Modern in London, very popular and successful, could be a museum on a number of topics - could move in the Museum of New York City (didn't even know there was one), or could be another topic entirely
https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern
https://www.mcny.org/visit
Surely we could use that 450M USD more creatively, what is the likelihood anyone will return to a new Belmont when they don't show up today?
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06-13-2023, 02:09 PM
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#12
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PA Steward
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Del Boca Vista
Posts: 88,657
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheffwed
Here's another idea - build a wall between the clubhouse and grandstand at Belmont and leave the existing building standing, then the existing seating could be used if accessed from outside but not the existing facility, which could be gutted while the right side of the building gets renovated, keep the paddock, horses entrance to the track, etc.
In fact, the existing building could be turned into an artwork (it already pretty much is), have a competition, someone like Christo could have done this some justice ("draped buildings") with the precedent established in Central Park 20 years ago
Even better, convert the existing grandstand into a museum much like Tate Modern in London, very popular and successful, could be a museum on a number of topics - could move in the Museum of New York City (didn't even know there was one), or could be another topic entirely
https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern
https://www.mcny.org/visit
Surely we could use that 450M USD more creatively, what is the likelihood anyone will return to a new Belmont when they don't show up today?
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06-13-2023, 03:17 PM
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 312
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If the 2025 Belmont Stakes is ....
[1] ... run at Aqueduct in June, you would likely have the least disruption to that year's NYRA schedule although ramping Aqueduct to handle 40,000-50,000 (assuming no Triple Crown attempt) racing customers will be a logistical issue.
[2] ... run at Saratoga in June, you will have an issue being able to ramp up local staff to begin working at that time of year and would likely need to commit to a 12-13 week Saratoga season from early June through Labor Day weekend.
[3] ... rescheduled for July, perhaps Independence Day weekend, you can expand the Saratoga season by 2+ weeks and run the season in a normal albeit expanded fashion.
Both main ovals are 9f so the 12f Belmont will face a similar starting challenge. See this video reel from the 1966 Belmont at Aqueduct.
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06-13-2023, 04:02 PM
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 997
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There is absolutely no chance a Belmont Stakes at Saratoga or Aqueduct would be run at 1 1/2 miles in this day and age.
A 1 1/4 mile race is most likely what will happen if it has to be temporary relocated to either venue.
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06-13-2023, 06:31 PM
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#15
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@TimeformUSfigs
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,830
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Gobbi
There is absolutely no chance a Belmont Stakes at Saratoga or Aqueduct would be run at 1 1/2 miles in this day and age.
A 1 1/4 mile race is most likely what will happen if it has to be temporary relocated to either venue.
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It isn't much different than the 1 1/4 mile at Belmont if we're being honest.
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