NYRA to Customer-Send us your Money Now

NYRA continues with their antiquated Saratoga reserved seating mail in process. (There is a limited internet on-line option conducted later on in the year to buy tickets from NYRA for the “leftover” seats.)

I can’t tell you who is right or wrong in the NYC-OTB vs. NYRA squabble or who is right in the state audit proceedings of NYRA. That is best left to others far smarter than I. Hey, they do have a nice website, and Andy Serling is always around, but in the end, I judge companies by my own personal experiences with them, and my experiences with NYRA as a customer have sucked.

The Saratoga 2010 reserved seating letter from NYRA this year sounds more like a FU letter than a customer service letter. The first thing you will notice is the large bold type with a red letter box around it stating: Post Mark Date January 15, 2010.

In case you manage to miss that the second line of the letter warns (again in bold type) that you must have your application postmarked by the “Postmark Date” listed to be eligible. Than they warn (of course, in bold type) the following: “NYRA will not mail any ticket until at least twenty days after your check was deposited to permit your check to clear. If you do not receive seating NYRA will return your funds”.

This is particularly galling because as anyone know who participates in this charade, NYRA does not mail out tickets until at least June of every year, some 160 days or so after I am mailing my check in to meet the deadline date of 01/15/10.

Last year my tickets were mailed to me by NYRA 183 days after my check cleared on 01/19/09. Of course I did not get my first choice of tickets and a refund check for the difference was mailed out 10 months later in a letter postmarked 10/20/09. Who got the escrow interest on my check? One guess Sherlock.

So anyway suckers…I mean NYRA racing fan and customers, run to the post office for the clock is ticking on the Post Mark Date. Oh the letter does say “Thank you” at the end, although not in bold type.

Big Event Strategy

No Surprise on this street that NBC and Churchill Downs are continuing and expanding their "Big Event" Strategy with the broadcast of the Kentucky Derby.

They completely destroyed their Prime Time and Late night ratings with the Leno/O'Brien Fiasco, but NBC knows what they are doing when it comes to broadcasting Big Event type sporting events. Last year before the 2009 Derby, we noted NBC's Big Event Strategy and it produced fantastic ratings thus far.

The Kentucky Derby is an "event" much like the Olympics and the Super Bowl, and NBC gets it. I just wish NBC had the entire Triple Crown series (ABC/ESPN has the Belmont). ESPN can put out press release after press release about how committed they are to Horse racing but the simple truth is they have higher sports-rated events to fry and they just don't build up the "event" aspect of racing coverage properly.

Caption This

Jockeys Eriluis Vas (on Divine Light) and Ademar Santos (Mi Helena) exchange punches along the backstretch of the 5th race at Philly Park on 01/08/10.

I'll start the fun:

"Maybe this will get us on the next season of Animal Planet's Jockeys show"

Maybe they meant the week after that

The Times Union headline on Saturday January 2, 2010 blared:
Governor promises decision on racino
than in smaller type:
Paterson says he will endorse a bid next week to install gambling terminals at Aqueduct Race Track.

I'm no expert on what "next week" means but using a Gregorian calender would it not be the week beginning January 3rd and ending January 9th?

Seemed strange that NY Governor David Paterson would force the issue of naming a slots operator the week of 1/3/10-1/9/10, especially with his State of the State address this week keeping him busy. And in reading the Times Union article and other publications, I could not find any actual quote where Paterson says he will endorse one of the bidders this week. What he actually was quoted in the Times Union article was this:

"If the two other leaders cannot come to a conclusion and a decision about which group should be the sponsoring organization, then I think I'll be forced, as I did last year, to announce my group and hope to persuade the two other leaders"

Who knows, maybe something will come from Paterson today, or tomorrow, but for now round and round the merry go round we go.

Help Wanted

In this era of double digit unemployment, the Sunday Jobs Classified section is pretty much an empty stocking. I did catch one ad in the Times Union (Albany, NY) Classified placed by a Saratoga based racing stable advertising for a "Thoroughbred Racehorse Groom".

The position is a temporary position from 4/1/10-11/30/10. Sounds like fun, after all who would not want to be around horses all the time, in Saratoga no less? But like most jobs, the reality of the job is far more laborious than it appears-and you will not get rich doing it.

The job duties listed in the ad are demanding: feed, water, maintain stalls & tack, clean, brush, administer medicine as directed, inspect & observe horses physical condition. You also will have to clean horses feet, apply bandages & racing bandages as required as well as hot walk the horses. Each groom will have 3-5 horses to care for.

The pay rate is $8.42 per hour, 6 days a week, 7 hours a day, starting at 5 am each day. Over the 8 months position that is a gross salary of $11,316.48. After taking deductions out for good ole Uncle Sam, New York State and FICA, how far do you think that goes in Saratoga?

Also, if you figure you would like to break into this business but have no idea how to actually be a Groom the ad warns-"no on-the-job training avail." In fact, the job requires 3 months of experience.

I've been to many a racetrack and seen many a groom tending to horses, and can't remember onetime when the groom was not dutifully and what appeared to be eagerly doing his or her job-almost always anonymously and for little pay or public recognition.

All the reason to support these Backstretch workers through outfits such as Backstretch Employees Service Team (B.E.S.T.). B.E.S.T offers a variety of services to New York backstretch workers, including health care, visa assistance, and translation. This 501(c)(3) organization assists workers at all three NYRA tracks including Saratoga.

Take No Prisoners

As 2009 draws to a close and we approach 2010 many of us are taking a look at the changes this decade has thus far brought us.

To me the technological changes in the media field have been vast, particularly how the consumer gets his news, both general interest news and specific news in nature. It appears that most of us get it for free, and like well fed consumers buying cheap goods at Wal-Mart, we like it that way.

With regard to obtaining racing news content I get most of my news and information on free websites and blogs. I start with the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance (TBA) homepage each morning where I can access anything I want to know from both TBA and non-TBA bloggers on the big Stakes races, National and International Issues as well as issues of a specific interest to me such as the ongoing NYRA slots issue.

I'll still buy the Daily Racing Form when I am at the track, ( I think I would feel naked without a copy of it under my arm) but other than that, the writing available on the web is so good, so well researched and accurate I don't need to pay for a newspaper or subscriber website to get the information I am looking for.

I have no problem paying for quality content, I just don't know how you make it work, when the information available now for free is of equal quality. In fact on the NYRA issue alone no paid newspaper can compare on a consistent basis to the information I have read from my brethren at the TBA including Alan at Left at the Gate and Steve at The Business of Racing.

For more on this issue, the NY Times reports on publishers trying to reverse the trend, by setting up systems where some of the online content will be available for paying subscribers only.

However, it may be too late. The most telling comment in the whole NY Times article is this quote from media consultant Alan D. Mutter:

“One of the problems is newspapers fired so many journalists and turned them loose to start so many blogs,” Mr. Mutter said. “They should have executed them. They wouldn’t have had competition. But they foolishly let them out alive.”

New York Racing-50 years ago & Today

Sometimes things really don't change, they just happen over and over again.

Sports Illustrated writer Whitney Tower in an article 50 years ago dated September 14, 1959 wrote:

...Thoroughbred racing in New York has had some great days. But it has also been saddled with an apathy and an inertia that at times forced New York to take a back seat to such race-conscious states as New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Florida, Illinois and California, where year after year striking new tracks sprang up to attract the sports-minded pubic.

But in 1959 New York got its new track, a brand spanking new Aqueduct and it opened that fall with much success.

On December 20, 1959 The New York Times ran an article with this lead line from author Joseph C Nichols:

"Horse racing in New York enjoyed the most prosperous financial season in its history as a result of the opening of the new Aqueduct track in September"

Fast forward 50 years to 2009 where now New York once again has been saddled with an apathy and an inertia that at times forced New York to take a back seat, this time falling behind in the slots mania, a now 8 year long and counting debacle brought to you by our wonderful New York Legislature.

Perhaps exaggerated a bit (by quotes from Charles Hayward of NYRA), but now on December 21, 2009 we get this article from the NY Daily News with this paragraph:

A top racing official says the Belmont Stakes- the third leg of the fabled Triple Crown - could be scratched this year because the governor and legislators can't agree on a plan to revitalize the state's premiere racetracks.

At least 50 years ago, it seemed optimism was at least alive, whereas now most of us just expect to get shafted.

Much like our Federal Government over the last 8 years, The New York Legislature falls deeper and deeper into dysfunction, not doing much but lining their own pockets where all but the most naive wait in line to see OZ.

Easy Gambling

The average U.S. residents large appetite for easy and fast gambling continues. According to the Census Bureau's annual Statistical Abstract of the United States, U.S. residents last year spent over $53.4 billion on lottery tickets, up from $52.4 billion in the previous year.

Most decided to skip the "more complicated" type of lottery where you have to pick a bunch of numbers, as about $3 of every $5 went toward instant scratch-off tickets. Despite a poor economy the numbers climbed from last year as they have every year-you can check out the numbers here (PDF)

The other gambling favorite of our times, video slot machines, got a boost as the Shinnecock Indians of Long Island, NY received federal recognition, clearing the path for the group to go forward with casino plans and essentially another player enters in the Aqueduct/Belmont 8 year long slot drama.

Saratoga in the Snow

Aqueduct canceled its Wednesday card due to heavy rain and wind but it was all snow in Saratoga where about 8 inches of the white stuff fell in Saratoga Springs yesterday.

Photo Credit: Capital News 9 (Time Warner Cable)

Horse for Sale: Best Offer

For Sale:

5 year old Horse

Name: Christy's Night Out

Previous Sales History: $80,000 as a one year old to Bazaguma LLC from NY State former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno convicted of Federal Corruption.

Current Value: Virtually worthless on the track but horse will have value as a conversation starter and symbol of our dysfunctional New York State Government. Serious inquiries only.

Off Track Sammy

If you happen to be flying in or out of Albany International Airport (Albany, NY) this Tuesday around 11 am you might want to stop by the new "Silks Saratoga Bistro" which is having it's grand opening at the Airport, replacing the Saranac Brew House in the Food Court. Sam Grossman,aka Sammy the Bugler, NYRA's official Bugler will be playing "Call to the Post" at 11 am. If you are around stop by and say Hello to him.

Sam is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. I have had the opportunity to speak with him several times. Most people at the track are friendly, but lets face it,some are complete jerks and quite unapproachable. Sam is always approachable, always nice and also quite knowledgeable about the sport. He is someone you can count on, someone familiar, someone always there. When I am at a NYRA track, I know that 10 minutes before every race I can count on hearing Sammy playing "Call to the Post" better than anyone else can.

Rachel Alexandra has arrived

Today the UPS man knocked on my door for a signature required package. Upon opening the package I discovered that my Rachel Alexandra wine made by Kendall-Jackson had arrived. So what did my 50 bucks get me?? The wine came with a glossy card insert with a photo of Rachel on the front and a message stating:

This limited bottling commemorates the 2009 racing campaign of Rachel Alexandra, the extraordinary horse who inspired millions

Unless of course you are a Zenyatta fan, for by judging various comments in the blogosphere and Twitterverse, Rachel has really not inspired you at all. I wonder, when Zenyatta’s wine comes out will it one up Rachel and say..the extraordinary horse who inspired billions.

Anyway, what to do with the wine? The back of the card describes the wine as a 100% Pinot Noir, Vintage 2007 from the western slope of the Arroyo Seco appellation in Monterey County. I don’t know what that means, as yours truly buys his wine by waltzing into the Exit 9 Wine & Liquor Warehouse in Clifton Park NY once a week. I ask the friendly staff for a good bottle of wine for under $20 bucks to match whatever I am cooking/eating that day/night wherein they promptly point me where I need to go, just like the old guy who greets you when you walk into Wal Mart looking to buy a flat screen TV.

The glossy card provided to me free of charge with my bottle goes on to say the wine was aged 10 months in 100% French oak barrels, 41% new. Is that good?? who knows, I can barely interpret all those #’s in the Daily Racing Form despite years of reading it, now I am supposed to absorb numbers on wine stuff so quickly.

I guess I have some time to figure this out, as the card says:

Enjoy now or cellar for five years.

What about the temperature in the cellar?..Doesn’t say…oh well for now it will sit on my desk, keeping my NYRA calendar company,while I go get a beer.

No Dual Option Vote on Horse of the Year-Good!

I don't know if it has been reported elsewhere but I first read it on the Crist Blog by Daily Racing Form Publisher and Columnist Steven Crist that Eclipse Award voters will not be given the option of naming Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta as joint Horse of the Year winners. It was decided Today by a 2-1 vote of the three organizations that present the awards.

I for one say Yippee!!! I think the raging debate on who deserves the Horse of the Year (HOTY) is great for the sport and the more debate, the more discussion the better it is for Horse racing. Once one of them gets the nod from the Eclipse Award voters the debate will continue on as the losing camp will likely go bonkers (unless the unlikely event of a tie happens).

There is a reason it is called "The Great Debate" by the Daily Racing Form, because it is. As we approach the cold days of winter ahead we can sit by the fire, the laptop, the twitter thingy, and we can type, discuss, argue, and scream over who is better, who raced more, the racing surfaces, the different tracks, the number of races, and on and on and on.

Racing needs more of this and any Co-Horse of The Year would mute The Great Debate. I say , vote one, get a winner and debate on.

The Legend of Jimmy The Greek

"My favorite racetrack is the track closest to where I am at the time"-Jimmy The Greek

ESPN may screw up coverage of Horse racing but their documentary series "30 for 30" is pretty good. They have run 6 documentary films so far with the last one premiering last Tuesday 11/10/09 titled "The Legend of Jimmy The Greek" . You may only remember Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder from his firing in 1988 by CBS for making racially insensitive remarks, but like all tragic figures, there was much more substance to the man.

I can't think of anyone more influential in the public acceptance of gambling. It was Jimmy that openly discussed sports gambling on network television. There are great behind the scenes information about the "NFL Today" show, which featured Jimmy from 1976-1988. This show ruled the pre-cable television era and it dominated the ratings every Sunday.

Jimmy clearly loved horse racing and there are great tidbits in the film which the horseplayer & racing fans will enjoy, including funny quotes from Jimmy and great shots of Hialeah Park racetrack.

This documentary shows the good side of Jimmy The Greek as well as the bad side. The film is well done on its storytelling. It's worth catching - here is where you can catch a replay:

11/20/09 1 am on ESPN2

11/29/09 9 pm on ESPN Classic

12/25/09 9 pm on ESPN Classic

Rachel or Zenyatta: Debates and Discussions

I have been reading many media columns and blogs on the Horse of the Year. Sprinkled in are comments stating that the Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta Horse of the Year debate is bad for the game. I could not disagree more. I think this debate and discussion is the best thing to happen to this game/sport in years.

I think Bill Simmons would agree. Simmons, author of the Sports Guy column on ESPN.com as well as the current best seller "The Book of Basketball" is profiled in Sunday's NY Times.

The Times highlights what makes Simmons such a good writer, he understands how a fan thinks, and how important debates, discussions and lists are to the sports fan. The Times article highlights a recent column by Simmons where he debates what is the better sports month- April or October? Simmons describes it as an "underrated argument". The NY Times writer, Noah Cohen than goes on to say this:

"Perhaps that is because it can never be resolved. Can you ever really answer which is better, October or April, or, more profoundly, who is the better N.B.A. center, the prolific scorer Wilt Chamberlain or the prolific winner Bill Russell?"

Rachel vs. Zenyatta can be added to the list. It can never be resolved and that is what makes it so appealing.

Colonel John Retires

Colonel John, last seen finishing 5th in the 2009 Breeders' Cup has retired and will stand at Winstar farm, joining his sire Tiznow. I liked Colonel John in the Breeders' Cup and had him in my 4 horse box trifecta on Breeders Cup day with Zenyatta, Gio Ponti and Summer Bird. The Zenyatta stretch drive was thrilling, but I sure wished Summer Bird or Colonel John could have held on for 3rd instead of leaving me with a worthless betting slip.

I have an affinity for all Travers Stakes winners, so I continued to follow Colonel John after his win by a nose over Mambo in Seattle in the 2008 Travers Stakes. It seems so many of our 3 year old stars retire as a 3 year old, so it is always pleasing when a 2 time Grade 1 Stakes winner as a 3 year old (he also won the Santa Anita Derby in '08) goes on to run as a 4 year old.

He also won a race on all 3 surfaces earning a place in the Omnisurface Stars list winning a Grade 1 over dirt (Travers Stakes), a Grade 1 over synthetic (Santa Anita Derby) and a ungraded Stakes over grass (Wickerr Stakes) .

He retires with over 1.7 million in earnings with wins on both coasts and all 3 surfaces-not bad at all. Here he is winning the '08 Travers Stakes at the Spa.

2009 Breeders Cup TV Ratings Comparison

Select weekend overnight ratings for other Sports/events compared to the Breeders' Cup:

• NFL-Eagles/Cowboys-Sunday 8:15 pm-NBC: 14.3
• College Football*-Saturday 3:30 pm-CBS: 4.4
• College Football**-Saturday 3:30 pm-ABC: 3.8
• NASCAR-Sunday 3:15 pm-ABC : 3.1
• MMA (Strikeforce) 9:00 pm-CBS: 2.6
  
• College Football***-Saturday 2:30-NBC: 2.3
• Breeders' Cup-Saturday 1:30-ABC : 1.0
• Breeders' Cup-Saturday 3:30 ESPN: 0.9
• Bull Riding- Sunday 4:00 pm NBC: 0.8
• Figure Skating-Sunday 2:00 pm NBC: 0.8

*: LSU vs. Alabama
**: Ohio vs. Penn State
***: Navy vs. Notre Dame

The 2008 Breeders Cup rating on ABC was 1.3. Last years ESPN rating was 0.9.
Friday's ESPN2 rating was 0.3, same as the 2008 figure.

The rating figures above are all overnight ratings data, national final figures will be released later this week.

In a sign that maybe the world is really ending in 2012, Sunday's two-hour episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, featuring Lakers' Forward Lamar Odom's wedding drew a 3.2

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Zenyattá Mondatta

I'm a stickler for details particularly when reading articles from the mainstream media, prepared by highly skilled paid writers, broadcasters and paid editors (as oppossed to the unpaid unskilled writer of this blog). I heard mentioned twice yesterday on TVG that 2009 BC Classic winner Zenyatta was named after The Police album called Zenyatta. Later on ESPN one of the commentators said it was a Police song called Zenyatta. Now this morning I read in the Times Union (Albany, NY) the following written by Tim Wilken:

"We're over the moon," said Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records and owner of Zenyatta.

Moss named Zenyatta for the album of the same name by the Police, a group that was under his label in the 1980s.

Of course there was never a album called "Zenyatta" by The Police. The Album was called Zenyattá Mondatta. No song named "Zenyatta" was ever released by The Police.

The Wierd, the Wacky and the Fun

The Breeders Cup is here, time to put away the complaints about the surface, the West Coast location, the 2 days, because it is all water under the bridge and we might as well watch the event, plunk down some money and win. This is the weekend to contact one of your offshore accounts and play the proposition bets like these supplied to me courtesy of the Bodog outfit.

Here is a sampling:

Which call will Trevor Denman use to describe Zenyatta's move?
"Jumps in at the quarter pole" 5/2
"Moving like a winner" 11/4
"They'd have to sprout wings" 4/1
" Poetry in Motion" 3/2
(If none of these phrases are used then all wagers will be no action.)

My pick: Stay away, I think you will here none of them used

If Zenyatta wins the Breeders’ Cup Classic will she break the Santa Anita track record for 1 1/4 miles?
Yes +150
No -200

My pick: NO-even if she wins don't see her breaking any track record


What will attendance for Saturday's Breeders’ Cup Races be?
Over/Under 51,000

My pick: Under, close but under.

What will the national television rating be of ESPN's Saturday broadcast of The Breeders’ Cup Classic be?
Over .7 -160
Under .7 +120

My pick: Over -last year did a 1.0, should get that many again with enough people curious to watch with Zenyatta running

Will the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic be bred in the United States?
Yes -400
No +300

My Pick: Yes-got a good shot with Summer Bird, Zenyatta, Mine That Bird, and even Colonel John

My overall advice: Don't get lost in the Stats this weekend, go with the gut and have fun

You can also check out the Thorougbred Bloggers Alliance (TBA) Home Page where yours truly and others have posted their selections in each race.

Tuning in to the Breeders Cup

With the 2 Day Breeders Cup at Santa Anita Park only days away I find myself still trying to muster up some excitement. I would guess I am not the only one that is looking more forward to the 2010 BC when it returns to dirt at Churchill Downs and than hopefully to Belmont Park in 2011.

The action starts on Friday and for those not actually out west ESPN2 will broadcast from 3:30 till 7:00 pm. On Saturday ABC has it from 1:30 -3:30 with ESPN taking over from 3:30 till 7:00 pm.

As for the TV ratings, look for the Friday rating to be flat compared to last years rating figure of 0.3. Last year on Saturday, ABC drew a 1.3 and ESPN drew a 1.0. I expect the ABC number to be the same or a tad lower than last year. I see ESPN drawing a tick higher than 1.0 as maybe some casual viewers tune in to see what the Zenyatta story is all about.

Ratings Source: The Nielsen Company