NYRA Racing on NY1 - mid-late 90's

[BarchCapper]

Long before there was "America's Day at the Races" and before there was TVG, my first media experience of horseplayer heaven came in the mid-late 90s when they started showing the full NYRA cards on the relatively new local news cable channel NY1.

It was a great time for me because I was working a midnight shift during those years so could catch most if not all of the racing.

I had never enjoyed so much pre-race discussion of each of the races of the day. I'm fairly sure I have memories of our own Andy Serling doing some of the between races commentary, and also remember Paul Cornman, but only have a fuzzy picture in my mind of a couple of the others, without remembering names. I can't remember if Steve Crist did some of the shows or just had a hand in them coming about.

I don't know how long NY1 carried those cards, since we moved to Phoenix in 1999. If any other NYer has memories of those times and the personalities, I'd be grateful if you'd share them.

[the little guy]

It was not on NY1, it was on Channel 71.

[Zman179]

Originally Posted by BarchCapper

Long before there was "America's Day at the Races" and before there was TVG, my first media experience of horseplayer heaven came in the mid-late 90s when they started showing the full NYRA cards on the relatively new local news cable channel NY1.

It was a great time for me because I was working a midnight shift during those years so could catch most if not all of the racing.

I had never enjoyed so much pre-race discussion of each of the races of the day. I'm fairly sure I have memories of our own Andy Serling doing some of the between races commentary, and also remember Paul Cornman, but only have a fuzzy picture in my mind of a couple of the others, without remembering names. I can't remember if Steve Crist did some of the shows or just had a hand in them coming about.

I don't know how long NY1 carried those cards, since we moved to Phoenix in 1999. If any other NYer has memories of those times and the personalities, I'd be grateful if you'd share them.

You’re thinking of cable channel 71 which was run by NYCOTB on a city owned channel. They would show the live feeds from NYRA, Yonkers and sometimes Monticello.

Before that in Long Island they used to show the Capital OTB channel, which would give live odds but delayed calls for NYRA (live when they were at the Spa.)

[BarchCapper]

Originally Posted by the little guy

It was not on NY1, it was on Channel 71.

More memory needing to be jogged! Thank you! This 57 year old brain has received a lot more input since then and some things fall out.

We had Gilbert Media owned Staten Island Cable. Staten Island didn't even get cable until the mid-late 80's (I believe that was the case with most of NYC outside of Manhattan). I do remember the joy of finally seeing my first non-Christmas Day, non-playoffs Knicks' games broadcast from the Garden now that I could watch MSG.

I now do remember Channel 71 being the channel - but also have some recollection (of course, a potentially faulty one) of things moving around at some point - wonder if it was on 71 right at the beginning on our system? I know at the beginning we didn't even HAVE a channel 71 - but don't know when that changed. I know that when we first got cable at my mom's house I was simply excited to have more channels than 2,4,5,7,9,11 and 13 along with a couple of fuzzy UHF ones watched mostly for wrestling!

Would still love to be reminded of more of the hosts during those early years!

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by BarchCapper

Long before there was "America's Day at the Races" and before there was TVG, my first media experience of horseplayer heaven

I think you might have enjoyed the days of Harvey Pack handicapping races in the grandstand for a crowd of people. He was great at it. He had an almost perfect balance of handicapping knowledge with some humor mixed in.

When I was a teenager, I stopped him one time and asked him if he knew anyone that was actually beating this game regularly and making a living at it. He just looked at me and said, "Stay in school kid".

[pandy]

On channel 71 at night there was live racing from Yonkers. I did quite a few of the shows along with Frank Drucker. The cable TV exposure boosted the handle and then, believe it or not, OTB and Yonkers got into a dispute over revenues and the show was pulled off the air for well over a year.

[KirisClown]

It started in February 1995. I believe it was Harvey Pack, John Veitch, John Imbriale, Paul Cornman, Jan Rushton. John Velazquez's wife Leona had a short stint on the show. The following year Andy Serling and Mike Watchmaker were part of it.

This is just a short segment of one of the programs from February 1995. It was their second show.

https://youtu.be/aMvHi3EuI50

[BarchCapper]

Originally Posted by KirisClown

It started in February 1995. I believe it was Harvey Pack, John Veitch, John Imbriale, Paul Cornman, Jan Rushton. John Velazquez's wife Leona had a short stint on the show. The following year Andy Serling and Mike Watchmaker were part of it.

This is just a short segment of one of the programs from February 1995. It was their second show.

https://youtu.be/aMvHi3EuI50

Thanks!

[SG4]

Anybody else still have this gem of a t-shirt in their wardrobe? Believe the bet-by-phone launch coincided with the initial broadcast on Ch 71, and back then you actually got free stuff for being a customer.

[Secondbest]

Originally Posted by SG4

Anybody else still have this gem of a t-shirt in their wardrobe? Believe the bet-by-phone launch coincided with the initial broadcast on Ch 71, and back then you actually got free stuff for being a customer.

I have a sweatshirt .

[aaron]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I think you might have enjoyed the days of Harvey Pack handicapping races in the grandstand for a crowd of people. He was great at it. He had an almost perfect balance of handicapping knowledge with some humor mixed in.

When I was a teenager, I stopped him one time and asked him if he knew anyone that was actually beating this game regularly and making a living at it. He just looked at me and said, "Stay in school kid".

I think it was you,but didn’t Harvey have a great Andy Beyer story about beating the game.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by aaron

I think it was you,but didn’t Harvey have a great Andy Beyer story about beating the game.

I think it was when Andy Beyer released "My $50,000 Year at the Races".

It was a big race day and Andy Beyer was Harvey's special guest in the grandstand. Harvey introduced Andy and plugged the new book. Then he said, "You can find it in the fiction section".

[aaron]

That is the story. Loved Harvey’s humor. Harvey kept NY horseplayers entertained and informed for decades.