Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board

Go Back   Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board > Thoroughbred Horse Racing Discussion > General Racing Discussion


Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
Old 02-12-2021, 11:31 AM   #1
westernmassbob
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 436
About six months until TOGA any predictions?

Here are a few of mine :

Limited capacity and not business as usual. I will say at this time 50% capacity but maybe 75% . In any event people will still be afraid to be around crowds at that time so attendance will naturally be way down.

Masks must be worn unless sitting down somewhere.

Less attendance means less people working at the track so certain areas will be closed off including food service and betting stations. They will heavily promote NYRA bets and betting from phone while at track.

Picnic tables and seating areas will be changed to accommodate social distancing.

Drive thru wagering should be available.

2022 back to business as usual
westernmassbob is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-12-2021, 01:17 PM   #2
dilanesp
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,798
Hard to know without being able to figure out where we will be on vaccines.

I know POTUS said yesterday that we will have enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone by July. If that's the case, and the logistics are implemented for mass vaccinations, you could see a full attendance Saratoga meeting (and other full attendance events in the summer).

On the other hand, if that's over-optimistic, and we are in a summer of social distancing, then it will be similar to the decisions other sports are making, i.e., "how many people do we want to potentially kill in order to have spectators at our events?". You just saw with the Super Bowl that there are folks in the sports-business world who are willing to take quite a lot of risk in that regard. Who knows what NYRA is thinking?
dilanesp is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-12-2021, 01:25 PM   #3
lamboguy
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Boston+Ocala
Posts: 23,653
i think they are going to break their all time record for handle as long as the weather permits and not that many races come off the turf.
lamboguy is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-12-2021, 05:35 PM   #4
therussmeister
Out-of-town Jasper
 
therussmeister's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,363
I find it hard enough, and far more rewarding, to make my horse-racing predictions five minutes in advance.
__________________
“If you want to outwit the devil, it is extremely important that you don't give him advanced notice."

~Alan Watts
therussmeister is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-16-2021, 07:40 AM   #5
westernmassbob
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 436
Quote:
Originally Posted by lamboguy View Post
i think they are going to break their all time record for handle as long as the weather permits and not that many races come off the turf.
I don’t think they can break handle records without the infusion of on track wagering. NYRA is already planning for a decline in attendance even if covid restrictions are lifted by July. Also tracks that have allowed patrons in have seen a decrease of amount wagered per person. In any event covid has caused permanent damage to on track attendance. I know of at least 2 people who were regulars at TOGA that will never go back.
westernmassbob is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-19-2021, 06:48 PM   #6
thespaah
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,510
Quote:
Originally Posted by westernmassbob View Post
Here are a few of mine :

Limited capacity and not business as usual. I will say at this time 50% capacity but maybe 75% . In any event people will still be afraid to be around crowds at that time so attendance will naturally be way down.

Masks must be worn unless sitting down somewhere.

Less attendance means less people working at the track so certain areas will be closed off including food service and betting stations. They will heavily promote NYRA bets and betting from phone while at track.

Picnic tables and seating areas will be changed to accommodate social distancing.

Drive thru wagering should be available.

2022 back to business as usual
As to wagering..Limiting wagering to NYRA Bets account holders won't work because in order to have a NYRA Bets account, one must have proof of NY residency.
So, people from neighboring states who want to come for the day to attend the races, would not be able to wager. That's not logical.
Closing off certain areas of the facility also lacks logic because such an idea limits the ability to distance from one another.
thespaah is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-19-2021, 06:52 PM   #7
thespaah
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,510
Quote:
Originally Posted by westernmassbob View Post
I don’t think they can break handle records without the infusion of on track wagering. NYRA is already planning for a decline in attendance even if covid restrictions are lifted by July. Also tracks that have allowed patrons in have seen a decrease of amount wagered per person. In any event covid has caused permanent damage to on track attendance. I know of at least 2 people who were regulars at TOGA that will never go back.
I'd like to see "never go back" put into context.
What are their reasons?
And, I think for every person who has vowed to never return, there are 10 who would leap at the chance to attend. In general, people are sick and tired of Covid lockdowns and the news media hammering away every week with another doom and gloom Covid story.
People are tired fatigued and pissed off. They want their ability to live their lives put back in order.
thespaah is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-19-2021, 06:57 PM   #8
thespaah
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,510
Quote:
Originally Posted by dilanesp View Post
Hard to know without being able to figure out where we will be on vaccines.

I know POTUS said yesterday that we will have enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone by July. If that's the case, and the logistics are implemented for mass vaccinations, you could see a full attendance Saratoga meeting (and other full attendance events in the summer).

On the other hand, if that's over-optimistic, and we are in a summer of social distancing, then it will be similar to the decisions other sports are making, i.e., "how many people do we want to potentially kill in order to have spectators at our events?". You just saw with the Super Bowl that there are folks in the sports-business world who are willing to take quite a lot of risk in that regard. Who knows what NYRA is thinking?
The Super Bowl LV date of play was 2/7. People wanting to be a part of the event started showing up a week before the game. So we are at 3 weeks from the start of people gathering in the Tampa area and two weeks since the game itself was played.
Give it about a week and let's see if there is a spike in cases.
After all, the news media in Florida( I was there on business 5 times between Jan 10th and last week) could talk about is how the Super Bowl was a "super spreader event in the making"...
thespaah is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-19-2021, 07:04 PM   #9
lamboguy
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Boston+Ocala
Posts: 23,653
Quote:
Originally Posted by westernmassbob View Post
I don’t think they can break handle records without the infusion of on track wagering. NYRA is already planning for a decline in attendance even if covid restrictions are lifted by July. Also tracks that have allowed patrons in have seen a decrease of amount wagered per person. In any event covid has caused permanent damage to on track attendance. I know of at least 2 people who were regulars at TOGA that will never go back.
why can't they open up their pools to other countries throughout the world?

there are plenty of people that stay up to bet on Hong Kong from our continent. why won't people from other places stay up to bet on a much better racing product with Saratoga?
lamboguy is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-19-2021, 07:50 PM   #10
westernmassbob
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 436
Quote:
Originally Posted by thespaah View Post
I'd like to see "never go back" put into context.
What are their reasons?
And, I think for every person who has vowed to never return, there are 10 who would leap at the chance to attend. In general, people are sick and tired of Covid lockdowns and the news media hammering away every week with another doom and gloom Covid story.
People are tired fatigued and pissed off. They want their ability to live their lives put back in order.
Never go back never be back....they both died prematurely of covid and neither had underlying conditions. They loved Toga and visited the track a few weeks during the meet. I also know 3 people who took a bath financially this past year( covid related) and have put any kind of gambling on pause this year. They will not be visiting Toga this year as well. Like I said covid has crushed on track attendance permanently.

In regards to NYRA bets I’m not sure where you are coming from. I live in Massachusetts have a NYRA bets account and have wagered on and collected at the track. Touchless is the wave of the future and covid sped that up so you will see less tellers at the tracks from this point on.
westernmassbob is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-19-2021, 08:17 PM   #11
the little guy
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 7,324
Quote:
Originally Posted by thespaah View Post
As to wagering..Limiting wagering to NYRA Bets account holders won't work because in order to have a NYRA Bets account, one must have proof of NY residency.
So, people from neighboring states who want to come for the day to attend the races, would not be able to wager. That's not logical.
Closing off certain areas of the facility also lacks logic because such an idea limits the ability to distance from one another.
NYRA Bets went National years ago. Most States allow you to be a member.

His notion of people not coming anymore is obviously silly. That spoke for itself:-)
the little guy is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-19-2021, 08:27 PM   #12
thespaah
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,510
Quote:
Originally Posted by the little guy View Post
NYRA Bets went National years ago. Most States allow you to be a member.

His notion of people not coming anymore is obviously silly. That spoke for itself:-)
OK. I did not know the rules governing NYRA Bets eligibility had changed.
That's cool.
IMO, there are lots of people( Count ME) just itching to be able to attend the Spa meet. Or racing anywhere for that matter.
Your thoughts?
thespaah is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-19-2021, 09:03 PM   #13
the little guy
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 7,324
Quote:
Originally Posted by thespaah View Post
OK. I did not know the rules governing NYRA Bets eligibility had changed.
That's cool.
IMO, there are lots of people( Count ME) just itching to be able to attend the Spa meet. Or racing anywhere for that matter.
Your thoughts?
Me? I like being in Saratoga too.
the little guy is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-20-2021, 04:13 PM   #14
classhandicapper
Registered User
 
classhandicapper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 20,526
At the rate the virus is declining since the beginning of January and with vaccinations just starting to ramp up, by August we could be looking at much more relaxed rules than are being discussed now. That goes double for a racetrack that's mostly wide open and outdoors. Let's just hope the good news continues and the governor understands the difference between Madison Square Garden and the paddock/grandstand at Saratoga.
__________________
"Unlearning is the highest form of learning"
classhandicapper is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 02-21-2021, 08:27 AM   #15
westernmassbob
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 436
[QUOTE=classhandicapper;2702747]At the rate the virus is declining since the beginning of January and with vaccinations just starting to ramp up, by August we could be looking at much more relaxed rules than are being discussed now. That goes double for a racetrack that's mostly wide open and outdoors. Let's just hope the good news continues and the governor understands the difference between Madison Square Garden and the paddock/grandstand at Saratoga.[/QUOTE

I honestly hope that by the Saratoga meet that there will be zero restrictions and the track can be open to full capacity. Unfortunately because of covid track attendance will be naturally down. It’s silly to believe otherwise.
westernmassbob is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Reply




Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

» Advertisement
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 1999 - 2023 -- PaceAdvantage.Com -- All Rights Reserved
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.