Saratoga empty?

[Pigpen]

Originally Posted by ScottJ

Again, no where did I say that NYRA was gaining excessive profits from the concessions. They put the contract out to bid, a winning concessionair is named, NYRA receives it's contracted fee and that ends the debate from the NYRA side.

The point was that the concessionairs then set their own usurious pricing in the Saratoga backyard and across the campus, prices which are ungoverned by NYRA itself. This allows for pricing such as $23 sandwiches, $12 beers, and so forth.

John Q. Public who visits the Saratoga backyard is not differentiating NYRA from its concessionairs. They pay admission, visit the races, and say, "Wow, $5+ for a bottle of water is really expensive." That is before they have wagered a few dollars which is the real business at stake for NYRA. Every dollar spent on the concessions is effectively dollars which are not put through the wagering pools.

Walking away saying that attending the races is really expensive is not what NYRA should want to hear. My suggestion was to cap some of the basics to avoid this impression as part of the contract process. No goodwill aside from adjusting the term sheet in the bidding process.

Does a bottle of water actually cost $5?

[alhattab]

Originally Posted by Suff

I worked for HMS at Fenway. 1974-75.

Rico Carty was my boss.

They used to feed us 2 bologna & cheese sandwiches at 5:30 pm in section 2 right field grandstand. We also got a 6 ounce carton of milk.
Then we were assigned our product and sections. I almost always got popcorn , 1st base upper grandstand, section 6 to 10.

Games started 7:05.

That is incredible. How was that gig? Also, Rico Carty the ball player? I wouldn’t recognize the name but for my All Star Baseball game!

[Suff]

Originally Posted by alhattab

That is incredible. How was that gig? Also, Rico Carty the ball player? I wouldn’t recognize the name but for my All Star Baseball game!

I'm glad you asked.. no this Rico was a different person, a complete coincidence that the Rico Carty running concessions at Fenway had the same name of a famous ballplayer , who was playing at that time.

It's why I never forgot him ��

Gig so good you can imagine.. I'm 14 years old, I'm taking the subway by myself to the park. My father picked me up usually.
Making decent money. Something like $2 an hour plus 6% of what you sold. You make $50 a good weather game.

Joe Mooney, then director of grounds , got me in. Family friend.

[alhattab]

Originally Posted by Suff

I'm glad you asked.. no this Rico was a different person, a complete coincidence that the Rico Carty running concessions at Fenway had the same name of a famous ballplayer , who was playing at that time.

It's why I never forgot him ��

Gig so good you can imagine.. I'm 14 years old, I'm taking the subway by myself to the park. My father picked me up usually.
Making decent money. Something like $2 an hour plus 6% of what you sold. You make $50 a good weather game.

Joe Mooney, then director of grounds , got me in. Family friend.

That is great- at that age like a dream job.

My 17yo son (not into horses) started working at Monmouth this summer. HMS used to be there, too (and at Freehold). Famous for the Manhattan Clam (sorry !) at Monmouth and for these ripper hot dogs they sold at Freehold in the old grandstand. Monmouth concessionaire is now Legends (also at Garden State Arts Center and Devils rink)

[Suff]

Originally Posted by alhattab

That is great- at that age like a dream job.

My 17yo son (not into horses) started working at Monmouth this summer. HMS used to be there, too (and at Freehold). Famous for the Manhattan Clam (sorry !) at Monmouth and for these ripper hot dogs they sold at Freehold in the old grandstand. Monmouth concessionaire is now Legends (also at Garden State Arts Center and Devils rink)

Good luck to him. I've told my HMS./FENWAY stories my entire life. Joe Mooney had a horse named after him at Suffolk. He was/is Boston legend. He rolled around with my father at Suffolk. Died in 2020. Joe was a heavy hitter but I heard he'd been sober for many years before he passed in peace at his home near Boston.

Has his a wiki

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_...(groundskeeper)

[ClockersCorner]

What is rarer? People who are solid handicappers and gamblers or people who know anything about the business of operating a track?

[BMustang]

The Race Book over at the Trot Track was probably SRO.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by ScottJ

Again, no where did I say that NYRA was gaining excessive profits from the concessions. They put the contract out to bid, a winning concessionair is named, NYRA receives it's contracted fee and that ends the debate from the NYRA side.

The point was that the concessionairs then set their own usurious pricing in the Saratoga backyard and across the campus, prices which are ungoverned by NYRA itself. This allows for pricing such as $23 sandwiches, $12 beers, and so forth.

John Q. Public who visits the Saratoga backyard is not differentiating NYRA from its concessionairs. They pay admission, visit the races, and say, "Wow, $5+ for a bottle of water is really expensive." That is before they have wagered a few dollars which is the real business at stake for NYRA. Every dollar spent on the concessions is effectively dollars which are not put through the wagering pools.

Walking away saying that attending the races is really expensive is not what NYRA should want to hear. My suggestion was to cap some of the basics to avoid this impression as part of the contract process. No goodwill aside from adjusting the term sheet in the bidding process.

The reality is that horse racing has a few premium meets that draw the general public, and a lot of racing that nobody wants to attend (and that even bettors would rather bet on their computers remotely).

If you price everything equally in that situation, you are just leaving a ton of money on the table. The same normie who will bring his girlfriend to Saratoga in an expensive dress and hat isn't worried about the price of a bottle of water. In the meantime, there are plenty of affordable racing products available, including from NYRA, for people who just want to sit in the grandstand and watch a horse race with no frills.

I will also say- if the public insists on a low priced product, it's not going to be a nice product. I have never been the biggest fan of Saratoga (for whatever reason, the "charm" and antiquity of the place never really had a magical effect on me), but even I can see that NYRA puts a ton of money into keeping what is a very old facility in excellent shape and providing amenities to the fans. If everything has to be cheap, then what you get is the Spirit Airlines level of service, or McDonald's. You get a very low-level experience with no frills. When prices are higher, luxuries are possible. You definitely see that in California, where Del Mar is just a far nicer facility than any of our other current or former tracks are or were, with lots of amenities for the fans. Those amenities cost money, and it costs more to go to Del Mar than it does to go to Los Al or Golden Gate. That's proper.

[metro]

Originally Posted by the little guy

It's kind of incredible that people don't realize that the vendors set the food prices.

Keeneland is the vendor for their concessions, they set the prices. Pardon me for assuming that Saratoga would do the same. But then again most people know the definition of the word maybe.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by metro

Keeneland is the vendor for their concessions, they set the prices. Pardon me for assuming that Saratoga would do the same. But then again most people know the definition of the word maybe.

Actually, even though I'm a moron, now that I have actually looked at your post, I see that you used "maybe" in a different manner than you are now suggesting.

Hey, maybe I'm not as big a moron as I originally thought!

[metro]

Originally Posted by the little guy

Actually, even though I'm a moron, now that I have actually looked at your post, I see that you used "maybe" in a different manner than you are now suggesting.

Hey, maybe I'm not as big a moron as I originally thought!

It's a horse racing forum, Ms. Landers, not an English class.

[ClockersCorner]

Best tip I ever got in horse racing was “never go to a track hungry or thirsty”.

[Suff]

Originally Posted by Suff

Good luck to him. I've told my HMS./FENWAY stories my entire life. Joe Mooney had a horse named after him at Suffolk. He was/is Boston legend. He rolled around with my father at Suffolk. Died in 2020. Joe was a heavy hitter but I heard he'd been sober for many years before he passed in peace at his home near Boston.

Has his a wiki

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_...(groundskeeper)

I cashed on Mooney Love. In the 5th at Saratoga just now. Genius status

[Suff]

4 and 5 in doubles, paying the same.

Rosario's a neon sign in pools

[the little guy]

As expected, with dramatically improved weather overall this week, the numbers were up again. Saturday was absolutely packed. Hopefully the good weather continues.