Well, Week 6 went by too fast as did the entire track season.
Friday night was twilight racing starting at 3 pm. It was great to see the last race go off at 7:17 pm just before sunset on a beautiful day.
Look for NYRA to do 2 Twilight racing days next year.
Attendance for the last week was high with many people coming for Twilight racing as well as the final weekend.
The season was a success with track handle and off track handle very high and attendence over 900,000 for the season.
Saratoga Race Course is a jewel. It is truly the best race course in the country. If you have not been there please mark your calenders for next year for it is the Summer place to be.
I will see you next year, until then I welcome your comments and e-mails.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Week 5-Travers Week
It was a splendid Travers week at the spa-featuring of course the 137th running of the Travers Stakes. A nice crowd of 40,000 plus was there on a day when the sun never came out.
Bernardini ran a awesome race, toying with the 6 horse field. Bluegrass Cat was toyed with by Bernardini as he left Bluegrass Cat and the rest of the field in the dust at the last turn.
He is my choice for 3 year old horse of the year.
Also impressive was Henny Hughes in the King Bishop.
On Friday , Discreet Cat, demolished the field in a 3 yr. old allowance race. Keep on eye on this horse.
Siro's, Broadway and Caroline Street were rocking at night, as they should be.
Already starting to count down till next years travers.
Bernardini ran a awesome race, toying with the 6 horse field. Bluegrass Cat was toyed with by Bernardini as he left Bluegrass Cat and the rest of the field in the dust at the last turn.
He is my choice for 3 year old horse of the year.
Also impressive was Henny Hughes in the King Bishop.
On Friday , Discreet Cat, demolished the field in a 3 yr. old allowance race. Keep on eye on this horse.
Siro's, Broadway and Caroline Street were rocking at night, as they should be.
Already starting to count down till next years travers.
Week 4 complete
Beautiful weather and large crowds at the Spa for week 4, the week before travers.
Pine Island a beautiful huge filly wins the Pine Island.
Will rest for Travers week.
Pine Island a beautiful huge filly wins the Pine Island.
Will rest for Travers week.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Week 3 complete
What a difference a week makes. The weahter changed and the crowds came out also, including a spinner crowd of $70,000 plus on Sunday. Very nice tribute to the great Jerry Bailey on Sunday.
Was lucky enough to be there Friday through Sunday and see some great racing. Hit the grand slam on Saturday and actually had the first place horse in all 4 races. However it paid only $162.50 oppossed to $961 I had bet the pick 4 and hit on the 4 horses. Dont really like the grand slam as he get know reward for hitting a win or place bet over the show in the 1st 3 races. The grand slam is to me, designed to entice the novice better.
I hit the trifecta in the 2nd for a $123.05 payoff and had a nice weekend. And of course the nice weather brought out some great people watching. The meet is half over with week 4 bringing more races including the Alabama. See ya at the track.
Was lucky enough to be there Friday through Sunday and see some great racing. Hit the grand slam on Saturday and actually had the first place horse in all 4 races. However it paid only $162.50 oppossed to $961 I had bet the pick 4 and hit on the 4 horses. Dont really like the grand slam as he get know reward for hitting a win or place bet over the show in the 1st 3 races. The grand slam is to me, designed to entice the novice better.
I hit the trifecta in the 2nd for a $123.05 payoff and had a nice weekend. And of course the nice weather brought out some great people watching. The meet is half over with week 4 bringing more races including the Alabama. See ya at the track.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Week 2 complete
What a week- We saw the first ever meet day cancelled because of excessive heat and ended the week with an impressive Grade 1 win by Invasor. This horse is the potential Horse of the Year if he can win 2 more including a Breeder's Cup Win.
The weekend weather was beautiful and the crowds were a plenty both Saturday and Sunday. I know Sunday was a spinner day but nonetheless the crowds were out.
There have been a quite a few articles bemoaning the drop in attendance for week one of the meet. The articles are nonsensical too me as they do not make mention of what I suspect is an overall drop in summer 2006 tourism and entertainment attendance due to the high cost of gas and the miserable heat this summer. I would even guess when compared to Lake George attendence and other close tourist venues that the "drop" is less than those spots. All I know is that the track seems crowed when I am there and the restaurants and bars are packed in the evening.
Now that the weather seems to have turned for the better watch for an increase in attendance.
The weekend weather was beautiful and the crowds were a plenty both Saturday and Sunday. I know Sunday was a spinner day but nonetheless the crowds were out.
There have been a quite a few articles bemoaning the drop in attendance for week one of the meet. The articles are nonsensical too me as they do not make mention of what I suspect is an overall drop in summer 2006 tourism and entertainment attendance due to the high cost of gas and the miserable heat this summer. I would even guess when compared to Lake George attendence and other close tourist venues that the "drop" is less than those spots. All I know is that the track seems crowed when I am there and the restaurants and bars are packed in the evening.
Now that the weather seems to have turned for the better watch for an increase in attendance.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
No Racing Today
For the 1st time in modern racing history at Saratoga a day at the races has been cancelled because of the heat. Economically this is a blow to the meet. Between attendance, money spent on track, bet on track as well as off track handle the $$$ add up. Some of the races will be added to Friday and Sunday's cards but NYRA cannot possibly make up all they would have made today.
Interestingly there have been articles running in the news stating attendence is down 14% as is overall money bet on track. NYRA has blamed increased cost of gasoline for the decline. Big factor, but what about the weather. Of the first 6 days, it rained at least in part on 4 of the 6 days and it has been oppressively hot on all 6 days. I would say Gasoline and the weather are equal factors.
If the weather cools off, attendance will increase, especially for the day trippers who might go up for the day on a weekday.
Interestingly there have been articles running in the news stating attendence is down 14% as is overall money bet on track. NYRA has blamed increased cost of gasoline for the decline. Big factor, but what about the weather. Of the first 6 days, it rained at least in part on 4 of the 6 days and it has been oppressively hot on all 6 days. I would say Gasoline and the weather are equal factors.
If the weather cools off, attendance will increase, especially for the day trippers who might go up for the day on a weekday.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Day 5 & 6
Sunday, Day 5 the spinners were out. People claim to be reselling for $15-$30 dollars. Hard to believe as you can buy the hat retail for about 5 bucks.
Spun Sugar, another Pletcher horse was the stakes winner of the day giving Pletcher another stakes win. If you have not learned yet, keep betting Pletcher horses this meet.
People at the track still talking about Bernardini's win on Saturday.
Day 6, Monday, a day of Upsets with some great payoffs for those that had the right underdogs.
Still at -$48.20 for the meet.
Will be resting on dark day to get ready for Wednesday, Day 7
Spun Sugar, another Pletcher horse was the stakes winner of the day giving Pletcher another stakes win. If you have not learned yet, keep betting Pletcher horses this meet.
People at the track still talking about Bernardini's win on Saturday.
Day 6, Monday, a day of Upsets with some great payoffs for those that had the right underdogs.
Still at -$48.20 for the meet.
Will be resting on dark day to get ready for Wednesday, Day 7
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Day 3 and 4
Day 3 was my first day of the Meet that I was unable to attend. I had work committments. Yeah, I know, work. Once in a while even during Track season we must work. It was hot and humid again on Day 3 and rained at times making the second half of the day sloppy conditions. Magnificent Song won for Todd Pletcher, giving me 3 straight feature stakes races wins. As I said before, go with the hot trainer at the Spa.
Day 4, Saturday, was once again Hot and Humid with early showers leading too sloppy conditions on the Track. I hit with in the sixth for a nice payoff on a $ 2 bet. Then tried the pick 4 on races 7-10, hitting on the first 3 only to see my 10th race pick, Mheara Maskey, lose in a photo finish. So close yet so far. Ended up $9.20 in the hole for the day and $48.2o in the hole overall for the meet. My goal for the Meet is too break even all while having fun, watching the horses and the beautiful people at the Spa.
Hard to believe only 32 racing days left.
Day 4, Saturday, was once again Hot and Humid with early showers leading too sloppy conditions on the Track. I hit with in the sixth for a nice payoff on a $ 2 bet. Then tried the pick 4 on races 7-10, hitting on the first 3 only to see my 10th race pick, Mheara Maskey, lose in a photo finish. So close yet so far. Ended up $9.20 in the hole for the day and $48.2o in the hole overall for the meet. My goal for the Meet is too break even all while having fun, watching the horses and the beautiful people at the Spa.
Hard to believe only 32 racing days left.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Day 1 and 2
Hard to believe day one and day two of this grand meet is already complete.
So far we are at 100% attendance as we were able to attend both day 1 and day 2.
Day 1 was typical Saratoga weather in August-Hot and Humid. Attendance for day 1 was very good with over 27,000 in attendance and over 3 million bet in on track handle.The first stakes race of the meet was won by Cotton Blossom, trained by Todd Pletcher, last years leading trainer at Saratoga as well as the trainer of Flower Alley-winner of the '05 Travers.
If there is one thing you should remember when placing your bets at this meet-is that hot trainers who are run alot of horses at Saratoga win at Saratoga and continue to win. Expect the Pletcher parade of winners to continue.
Everything ran smoothly on day one at the track-although we did note rather long delays between posting the results of each race and annoucing payoffs.
Walked out of Day one at -$41.00 after missing a few trifecta's and seeing Desire to Excel slip coming out of the gate in the 9th, screwing up my combo bets in the feature race.
On Day 2, the spinners were out for Bobblehead day. Again, Hot and Humid. The feature race winning trainer was Todd Pletcher-now 2 for 2 in stakes races after 2 days. He won with 2 year old Scat Daddy in the Grade II Sanford Stakes. As for me left with a +$2.00 for the day and an overall -$39.00 for the meet after 2 days.
Have to actually work on day 3 tomorrow but should be able to sneak in at the end of the day to catch a race or two.
So far we are at 100% attendance as we were able to attend both day 1 and day 2.
Day 1 was typical Saratoga weather in August-Hot and Humid. Attendance for day 1 was very good with over 27,000 in attendance and over 3 million bet in on track handle.The first stakes race of the meet was won by Cotton Blossom, trained by Todd Pletcher, last years leading trainer at Saratoga as well as the trainer of Flower Alley-winner of the '05 Travers.
If there is one thing you should remember when placing your bets at this meet-is that hot trainers who are run alot of horses at Saratoga win at Saratoga and continue to win. Expect the Pletcher parade of winners to continue.
Everything ran smoothly on day one at the track-although we did note rather long delays between posting the results of each race and annoucing payoffs.
Walked out of Day one at -$41.00 after missing a few trifecta's and seeing Desire to Excel slip coming out of the gate in the 9th, screwing up my combo bets in the feature race.
On Day 2, the spinners were out for Bobblehead day. Again, Hot and Humid. The feature race winning trainer was Todd Pletcher-now 2 for 2 in stakes races after 2 days. He won with 2 year old Scat Daddy in the Grade II Sanford Stakes. As for me left with a +$2.00 for the day and an overall -$39.00 for the meet after 2 days.
Have to actually work on day 3 tomorrow but should be able to sneak in at the end of the day to catch a race or two.
And they're off!
As the 138th season of Saratoga Race Course begins, this blog is simple in goals. We talk about the Track and everything we love about it. For the 2006 season we will try to attend as many race days as possible all why still working and juggling all of life's responsibilities. This amazing track seems to get more popular year after year, always standing for the best racing of any meet in the country, now matter what any politician or racing association may do to try to screw it up.
So lets go, as They're in the Gate!
So lets go, as They're in the Gate!
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