|
|
11-04-2017, 10:03 PM
|
#1
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,798
|
I had a great time at the BC at DMR, but let's not do this again
The BC was a great experience. They screwed up the remote parking (management gave me a parking pass on site for Saturday after I complained about it), but the weather was great, Del Mar is beautiful, and there were no crowds and no lines. Saturday was a wild day of upsets and Gun Runner is the best horse in America, a legitimate champion who turned back Collected fair and square.
But it wasn't a success. Frankly, it was embarrassing to see so few people there. Belmont once had 39,000, but NYRA had an excuse-the weather was awful that day. I could barely stand to sit out in the grandstand for 2 minutes to watch the race that day. Del Mar had no excuse for the tiny crowd, and it is clear they are sensitive about this, because they are releasing inflated attendance claims.
I know there are debates about site selection, but if you are going to come to Southern California, Santa Anita is the place to be. Last year it was NUTS on BC Saturday. Del Mar is nuts on opening day in the summer. This was more of an afterthought.
|
|
|
11-04-2017, 10:28 PM
|
#2
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 28,570
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by dilanesp
The BC was a great experience. They screwed up the remote parking (management gave me a parking pass on site for Saturday after I complained about it), but the weather was great, Del Mar is beautiful, and there were no crowds and no lines. Saturday was a wild day of upsets and Gun Runner is the best horse in America, a legitimate champion who turned back Collected fair and square.
But it wasn't a success. Frankly, it was embarrassing to see so few people there. Belmont once had 39,000, but NYRA had an excuse-the weather was awful that day. I could barely stand to sit out in the grandstand for 2 minutes to watch the race that day. Del Mar had no excuse for the tiny crowd, and it is clear they are sensitive about this, because they are releasing inflated attendance claims.
I know there are debates about site selection, but if you are going to come to Southern California, Santa Anita is the place to be. Last year it was NUTS on BC Saturday. Del Mar is nuts on opening day in the summer. This was more of an afterthought.
|
Frankly...I don't give a moment's thought to the on-track attendance of a particular meet...even on the "glamour-days". Whether a marquee racing-day is held at DelMar or Santa Anita, or anyplace else...my excitement (or lack thereof) depends entirely upon the quality of the bets that I find...and the crowd around me is just an annoyance that I pretty-much phase out of the picture anyway. In fact...the tinier the on-track crowd...the better I like it. My best days at the track have been when there wasn't enough of a crowd there to start a respectable poker game.
And the only "embarrassment" that I've ever felt at the track was when a couple of Greek acquaintances spotted me there on an Easter Sunday.
__________________
"Theory is knowledge that doesn't work. Practice is when everything works and you don't know why."
-- Hermann Hesse
Last edited by thaskalos; 11-04-2017 at 10:40 PM.
|
|
|
11-04-2017, 10:44 PM
|
#3
|
Registered User
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 26
|
Attendance was small b/c it was limited. The hoi polloi were not invited.
|
|
|
11-04-2017, 10:44 PM
|
#4
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,798
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by thaskalos
Frankly...I don't give a moment's thought to the on-track attendance of a particular meet...even on the "glamour-days". Whether a marquee racing-day is held at DelMar or Santa Anita, or anyplace else...my excitement (or lack thereof) depends entirely upon the quality of the bets that I find...and the crowd around me is just an annoyance that I pretty-much phase out of the picture anyway. In fact...the tinier the on-track crowd...the better I like it. My best days at the track have been when there wasn't enough of a crowd there to start a respectable poker game.
And the only "embarrassment" that I've ever felt at the track was when a couple of Greek acquaintances spotted me there on an Easter Sunday.
|
You aren't the BC's target demographic.
|
|
|
11-04-2017, 10:45 PM
|
#5
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,798
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fleur-de-lis
Attendance was small b/c it was limited. The hoi polloi were not invited.
|
They were WAY under their cap.
|
|
|
11-04-2017, 11:28 PM
|
#6
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dark Side of the Moon
Posts: 5,870
|
Del Mar announced attendance of 37,692, slightly higher than the 37,500 cap that was set by the track. It was unclear why the attendance was higher than the cap, but tracks often count officials and members of the press in the attendance figures. Last year, the announced Saturday attendance was 72,811, without a cap.
They usually get close to 40k on opening day so not sure why they suppressed it a bit.
|
|
|
11-04-2017, 11:29 PM
|
#7
|
Pace Cappa
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 4,649
|
In your estimation about how many people were there ?
__________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2hFZ8KnsSo
|
|
|
11-04-2017, 11:35 PM
|
#8
|
Pace Cappa
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 4,649
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by GMB@BP
Del Mar announced attendance of 37,692, slightly higher than the 37,500 cap that was set by the track. It was unclear why the attendance was higher than the cap, but tracks often count officials and members of the press in the attendance figures. Last year, the announced Saturday attendance was 72,811, without a cap.
They usually get close to 40k on opening day so not sure why they suppressed it a bit.
|
Thanks
__________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2hFZ8KnsSo
|
|
|
11-04-2017, 11:38 PM
|
#9
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,798
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zaf
In your estimation about how many people were there ?
|
18k Friday, 22k Saturday.
Take a look at my photos in the live thread. Place was empty.
Last edited by dilanesp; 11-04-2017 at 11:41 PM.
|
|
|
11-04-2017, 11:54 PM
|
#10
|
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,033
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by dilanesp
The BC was a great experience. They screwed up the remote parking (management gave me a parking pass on site for Saturday after I complained about it), but the weather was great, Del Mar is beautiful, and there were no crowds and no lines. Saturday was a wild day of upsets and Gun Runner is the best horse in America, a legitimate champion who turned back Collected fair and square.
But it wasn't a success. Frankly, it was embarrassing to see so few people there. Belmont once had 39,000, but NYRA had an excuse-the weather was awful that day. I could barely stand to sit out in the grandstand for 2 minutes to watch the race that day. Del Mar had no excuse for the tiny crowd, and it is clear they are sensitive about this, because they are releasing inflated attendance claims.
I know there are debates about site selection, but if you are going to come to Southern California, Santa Anita is the place to be. Last year it was NUTS on BC Saturday. Del Mar is nuts on opening day in the summer. This was more of an afterthought.
|
I grew up going to Del Mar, but with their parking situation, I decided not to go. I attended every Breeders Cup that Santa Anita has had. It was sad watching on tv and seeing how empty it Del Mar was. Have heard from other friends of mine that told me the same things that dilanesp posted.
|
|
|
11-05-2017, 12:02 AM
|
#11
|
Pace Cappa
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 4,649
|
I guess its not the ideal venue for the BC for many reasons ? Many in the industry said it would not work so I guess they were right.
Z
__________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2hFZ8KnsSo
|
|
|
11-05-2017, 07:20 AM
|
#12
|
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 248
|
maybe the outrageous cost has something to do with it?Personally i wouldnt spend a few hundred to go to the races.
|
|
|
11-05-2017, 07:39 AM
|
#13
|
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,149
|
I thought it was good in that a fair mix of horses won not just SoCal specialists.
As far as it not being crowded isn't that a good thing for being an attendee? I see in another thread dilanesp arguing BC makes money on site, not sure about that, from the consumer end it doesn't matter, at least in the short run.
|
|
|
11-05-2017, 07:41 AM
|
#14
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,956
|
On Track Record Handle Set
|
|
|
11-05-2017, 10:14 AM
|
#15
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA.
Posts: 7,464
|
Looks pretty successful to me. I like that Del Mar isn't speed favoring, exciting finishes.
|
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|