Saratoga meet is set to open July 16th, 2020

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

You know exactly what I'm talking about. Players who didn't want to play with Magic...they were quickly shut up....because of politics. Ironically.

I'm not saying it was right or wrong. I'm just pointing out another instance of NBA players not wanting to play because of health concerns...zero ****s were given to them back then.

Magic left the league. Other than the ASG, no player was asked to play in a basketball game with Magic at the time when everyone was in panic mode.

When Magic came back, the virus was nearly undetectable because of the protease inhibitors he was taking, and the doctors signed off on it.

There will be a point when the doctors sign off on less distancing here too.

[cj]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Except nobody is saying that...

Who exactly is saying "screw the vulnerable?"

The vulnerable and those who care for them can do what we all are doing right now. Nothing would change for them. And the gov't, if it didn't have to pay EVERYONE a check, could much more easily assist the vulnerable (and those who care for them) in meeting all of their needs. It would be a much easier and economical way of accomplishing the same thing.

Do you think if that was the case there would be all this concern about people losing there jobs and trying to help them out? Sure they could assist those that are vulnerable, but would they? I doubt it. I hope I'm wrong on that.

It could very well be that there is a better plan than what we have now, I don't doubt that. But just going about our business as usual isn't it and never was. In the beginning I don't think anyone knew enough and shutting things down was probably the right way to go. Now we know more and there should be a plan to get things going as soon as possible. But if we do that too quickly and too liberally, it is going to happen again. I'd bet big money on it.

[cj]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Magic left the league. Other than the ASG, no player was asked to play in a basketball game with Magic at the time when everyone was in panic mode.

When Magic came back, the virus was nearly undetectable because of the protease inhibitors he was taking, and the doctors signed off on it.

There will be a point when the doctors sign off on less distancing here too.

Yes, the NBA had the science by then to back up the decision to let him play. No player was forced to play if they didn't want to, they just wouldn't have been paid. It was up to them.

[PaceAdvantage]

You know what? There ARE NO easy answers...especially where we are now after everything that has been done.

I just know this can't go on forever...or not even that much longer.

And what happens the next time a Pandemic rolls into town?

Back in 2009 there was the H1N1 Pandemic in the USA. Many people weren't even aware, that's how little was done in response.

What happens if a 2009-like Pandemic hits the USA? Do we do this COVID-19 thing all over again? How do we not? People are going to want to...they aren't going to want to take any chances, right?

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by castaway01

It's amazing the number of people whose brain functioning works at the level of:

1) People are drowning, everyone out of the pool!
2) No one is drowning anymore because the pool is empty, it's safe to swim again!

There's probably some moderate position out there between everything is shut down and almost everything is back open. The tough part of finding the point where we are maximizing freedom without paying any health cost. I think you need business leaders and health leaders in the same room. That way they can put on check on each other's extremism and we can open the things without risk but not take and foolish risks for money or other priorities.

[cj]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

You know what? There ARE NO easy answers...especially where we are now after everything that has been done.

I just know this can't go on forever...or not even that much longer.

And what happens the next time a Pandemic rolls into town?

Back in 2009 there was the H1N1 Pandemic in the USA. Many people weren't even aware, that's how little was done in response.

What happens if a 2009-like Pandemic hits the USA? Do we do this COVID-19 thing all over again? How do we not? People are going to want to...they aren't going to want to take any chances, right?

Agree, there are no easy solutions and it can't continue.

I hope we learn from this one and do a better job next time. Hopefully it isn't in our lifetime, but that is probably wishful thinking.

[groupie doll]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

What happens if a 2009-like Pandemic hits the USA? Do we do this COVID-19 thing all over again? How do we not? People are going to want to...they aren't going to want to take any chances, right?

More likely the response would be similar to 2009, or somewhere between that and what is happening now. H1N1 had a far, far lower mortality rate and was by all accounts a much less-severe virus in terms of the illness it caused. It was also not spread as easily. But, yes, humans will probably overreact in some sense as they normally do, esp. where liabilities and the like are in potential play.
There are absolutely no easy answers; I'd just be happy if some tracks could get back to running without an audience so we can see some decent summer racing on display.

[pandy]

The guidelines established for the shutdown was to flatten the curve to mitigate the damage from the virus and try to keep the hospitals from getting overwhelmed. There was never any plan to keep the country and states shutdown until no one was getting the virus anymore. If that had been their goal, shutdown as long as it takes to virtually end all infections, it would have caused the second great Depression, which is the reason why it wasn't feasible. That and the fact that you can't kill a coronavirus, so a long shutdown doesn't guarantee that it won't keep spreading or start up again.

We just have to hope for the best but if the virus seems reasonably well controlled in mid-July, my guess is that plenty of people will show up in Saratoga.

[Saratoga_Mike]

They were harrowing the main track at the Spa this am.

[lamboguy]

i think New York Racing will get opened up for the summer, but i doubt they will allow spectators. my guess is that if it does happen, Belmont will be the place.

if they do get open, maybe they will get on a national network every day. i don't know how their contracts are written with TVG, but if they do go on a national network, i hope they can go with the regular NYRA simulcast show instead of the TVG weekend show now on NBC sports. it would be great for the game.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by pandy

The guidelines established for the shutdown was to flatten the curve to mitigate the damage from the virus and try to keep the hospitals from getting overwhelmed. There was never any plan to keep the country and states shutdown until no one was getting the virus anymore. If that had been their goal, shutdown as long as it takes to virtually end all infections, it would have caused the second great Depression, which is the reason why it wasn't feasible. That and the fact that you can't kill a coronavirus, so a long shutdown doesn't guarantee that it won't keep spreading or start up again.

We just have to hope for the best but if the virus seems reasonably well controlled in mid-July, my guess is that plenty of people will show up in Saratoga.

Don't conflate "shutdown" with social distancing. Restaurants will very very likely be open in late July. Hair salons should be operating with restrictions. Etc. There won't be a shutdown.

But there will not be events with thousands of people gathered in one place.

[moneyandland]

Originally Posted by Saratoga_Mike

They were harrowing the main track at the Spa this am.

Where? It was all stone dust yesterday? All the dirt was removed when went past at noon yesterday.

[Saratoga_Mike]

Originally Posted by moneyandland

Where? It was all stone dust yesterday? All the dirt was removed when went past at noon yesterday.

A friend sent me a pic taken from Nelson Ave this am - a very large John Deere (or Caterpillar brand) was on the track. Maybe they weren't harrowing the surface (I made that assumption), but some sort of prep work was taking place.

[QuarterCrack]

Yes they are in the middle of doing some sort of resurfacing - they appear to have just completed (or are close to completing) the stone dust or whatever base layer is going in. There are huge piles of dirt/sand out over by the backstretch chute; I think this was removed from the surface after last season, and my speculation is it will go back in once whatever they are doing to the bottom layers is complete. But it definitely isn't down yet, so there was no harrowing going on.

I guess if there is a ray of sunshine during these times, this work has been going on for awhile now and has not been shut down yet. For whatever that is worth.

[clicknow]

Originally Posted by cj

It could very well be that there is a better plan than what we have now, I don't doubt that. But just going about our business as usual isn't it and never was. In the beginning I don't think anyone knew enough and shutting things down was probably the right way to go. Now we know more and there should be a plan to get things going as soon as possible. But if we do that too quickly and too liberally, it is going to happen again. I'd bet big money on it.

There were good and bad decisions. Closing the schools I thought was good. The situation at Smithfield was very bad and they should have done more in such a high density environment. I think we could go up and down the lists but and put them in columns.....good decision/bad decision.....agree that hopefully we are able to do this more *elegantly* next time around, and going forward.

A thoughtful re-opening will most likely work in most cases now.

In some cases people aren't going to attends things like movie theatres, casinos, and large indoor events. I would certainly feel comfortable going to my outdoor local farmers market (booths are not close together) and stuff like that. Probably not the gym yet. I guess everyone will pick and choose what is comfortable risk for their personal situation.

No way to cover all the "symptom-less spreaders" out there, never was and never will be. High density situations as we learned iwth mardi gras, smithfields, etc. needed better plans in place.....shoulder-to-shoulder doesn't work well