BC at Monmouth

[DJofSD]

After watching Any Given Saturday win today, I realized why the Breeder's Cup is at Monmouth this year. They won't have to use colored saddle towels.

[cj's dad]

When are things as simple as the colored saddle cloths going to be REQUIRED EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME??? Watched at Laurel, poor sound and the white cloths were a nightmare. Most didn't know who won until the horses aglloped out and the camera focused on AGS.

Is this a forboding of the BC ??

[jotb]

Originally Posted by cj's dad

When are things as simple as the colored saddle cloths going to be REQUIRED EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME??? Watched at Laurel, poor sound and the white cloths were a nightmare. Most didn't know who won until the horses aglloped out and the camera focused on AGS.

Is this a forboding of the BC ??

I have to agree it's difficult but you can get around that by watching silk colors of the jocks. If you know all the riders in the race going in all you need to do is follow their style of riding. Markings and equipment on a horse is another way to identify the horses in a race. However, I get the point and you guys are right. Why make it so difficult for the fans especially the beginners to know which horse is which.

Joe

[Ron]

I wish they would put the odds on the saddle cloths.

[Tom]

I want chicklettes!

[GaryG]

How is Monmouth coming with the BC preparations? Will they be ready with all of the planned improvements?

[cj's dad]

Originally Posted by GaryG

How is Monmouth coming with the BC preparations? Will they be ready with all of the planned improvements?

I was @ MP on Aug 23rd with CJ and my boys and they are adding seats near the paddock, about 1500 I think. Larry Collmus also told me that the traffic will be diverted one way before and after the races to avoid congestion/delays.

I don't know if you've been there, but it is a tough place to get into and out of. Haskell day in the past was brutal. I stopped going because of the delay in getting out of there. It is a fairly nice track but it is partitioned off in an odd way. It is difficult at times to get from point "A" to point "B". Sometimes you can't get there from here . As someone mentioned previously on another post, watch your ticket purchase amount. calculate what you will be wagering and be aware of your transactions at all times.
I got short armed twice on different haskell days in the past

[GaryG]

Thanks.....much appreciated. I have tickets and am looking forward to the trip. Haven't been there since Point Given's Haskell.

[njcurveball]

Originally Posted by cj's dad

I don't know if you've been there, but it is a tough place to get into and out of. Haskell day in the past was brutal. I stopped going because of the delay in getting out of there. It is a fairly nice track but it is partitioned off in an odd way. It is difficult at times to get from point "A" to point "B". Sometimes you can't get there from here . As someone mentioned previously on another post, watch your ticket purchase amount. calculate what you will be wagering and be aware of your transactions at all times.
I got short armed twice on different haskell days in the past

Spot on call! Some of the tellers there use to operate a "mail box" strategy. I don't know if the cracks are still there, but the basic scam was pushing multiple tickets over a crack hoping one of them would fall in.

Obviously they only did this with bettors who looked like "tourists". You would be amazed how many people just stick the handful of tickets in their pocket without looking at them until the race is over.

At the end of the day, the teller would collect his mail box and run the tickets.

Monmouth is the only track I have heard the tellers do this and I only know because I talked to one of the tellers who was not a regular there.

As for the traffic, another spot on call and the main roads are usually pretty busy there on Saturday without another 20,000 cars being added.

[alysheba88]

They are limiting parking on BC days and encouraging mass transit (train).

Monmouth tellers are shady no doubt.

[speedking]

This has been going on at MTH for a long time and practiced by the regular (year-round) tellers. They are vultures if they do not recognize you or deem your knowledge and skills to be amateurish. The seasonal clerks do not operate that way, but have a high level of incompetance. Many times they do not change the track from the previous ticket and although the numbers are correct, the track is not. It can be nearly as bad for everyone during the off-season also. It's pathetic to see the clerks congregating at 11:30 and jockeying to get on the list to work that day. Those with most seniority get placed first and they often don't give a damn. Needed a voucher or ticket close to PT last year and at the only empty station a very ornery (and old) clerk was eating a sandwich and would not acknowledge me. Finally punched the wrong tickets as the gate opened and said that's what I asked for. The mgr absolved him and blamed me, but later came to my table with a $140 voucher and apologized.

2 or 3 years ago during the live season I was playing upstairs in a simulcast room in the grandstand. Was playing off a voucher worth about $6-800. While punching tickets, a very attractive woman in a short dress and very low cut top bumped into me and spilled a drink all over my shirt and slacks. She then grabbed my arm and started apologizing as she brushed me off with her hand. Guess it goes without saying that when I turned around to the machine a minute later it was blank and my voucher gone. I grabbed her outside the room and held her, but management let her go saying they could not prove a thing. Voucher was cashed within minutes.

Another time, witihin a few weeks of that incident, someone changed all the machines to display in spanish. I, and many others, could not figure anything out. Funny how someone was conveniently placed to go to people at the highest value machines and offer assistance. That time I had other players secure the area and called for tote help and security. Just another scam that hopefully went nowhere.

It's a beautiful track in the Summer, but nothing like it used to be. Everything reported here by CJ's Dad and everyone else is accurate, unfortunately.

speedking

Originally Posted by njcurveball

Spot on call! Some of the tellers there use to operate a "mail box" strategy. I don't know if the cracks are still there, but the basic scam was pushing multiple tickets over a crack hoping one of them would fall in.

Obviously they only did this with bettors who looked like "tourists". You would be amazed how many people just stick the handful of tickets in their pocket without looking at them until the race is over.

At the end of the day, the teller would collect his mail box and run the tickets.

Monmouth is the only track I have heard the tellers do this and I only know because I talked to one of the tellers who was not a regular there.

As for the traffic, another spot on call and the main roads are usually pretty busy there on Saturday without another 20,000 cars being added.

[point given]

The lifer tellers and staff from meadowlands/monmouth are ones to watch. I've had a couple like experiences, must be kissing cousins from NYRA. Test them out by seeing if they willingly push the coins to you after the bills !
BUT, i did manage to find a few summer tellers, who were terrific and stuck with them. One elderly lady even gave me $300 for a $200 score, which I quickly returned and urged her to be more careful . Kept on going back to her during the meet to ask for more, to kid with her. When the other tellers near her saw what was going on, they were very nice and we had a good time . Just stay away from those "other" type tellers, you can usually see that jaded look in the eye.

[michiken]

If we can't have colored saddle cloths, make the jocks where the approriate silks color that corresponds to the post?

That would be even better than colored saddle cloths....

[wonatthewire1]

Originally Posted by cj's dad

I was @ MP on Aug 23rd with CJ and my boys and they are adding seats near the paddock, about 1500 I think. Larry Collmus also told me that the traffic will be diverted one way before and after the races to avoid congestion/delays.

I don't know if you've been there, but it is a tough place to get into and out of. Haskell day in the past was brutal. I stopped going because of the delay in getting out of there. It is a fairly nice track but it is partitioned off in an odd way. It is difficult at times to get from point "A" to point "B". Sometimes you can't get there from here . As someone mentioned previously on another post, watch your ticket purchase amount. calculate what you will be wagering and be aware of your transactions at all times.
I got short armed twice on different haskell days in the past

You can take NJ Transit train too if you want to avoid parking near the track; leaves from NYC on the North Shore branch. Here is the link from the transit page:

Home page:
http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servl...inSchedulesTo#

Here is Link the link from the NJ Transit page for Breeders Cup about the schedules, there's a link "planning your trip" in the blue area.
http://www.njtransit.com/breederscup/

Red Bank is 2 stops north of the track and not far from the Garden State Parkway as is Homdel (3 stops)

Have fun guys - I'm taking the train from NYC as it is easier for me going that way.

[cj's dad]

Originally Posted by michiken

If we can't have colored saddle cloths, make the jocks where the approriate silks color that corresponds to the post?

That would be even better than colored saddle cloths....

The truth is that the powers that be will do whatever the damn well they please at the direction/whim of the sponsors with absolutely no concern for the betting public.