Nevertheless, I always enjoyed the playfulness of the phrase and have often used it to tell people "well, it's the YMCA, you know." My kids always know what I'm talking about.
When I was working I remember hearing or reading that it was a good idea to write a letter when something was truly bugging you. Or a memo to files. You didn't have to send it to anyone, just get it out of your system by putting in words what was bothering you.
Quite honestly I did use this approach, but I usually mailed the letter. If anyone actually follows this blog they'll know a few posting back that I did just that when I let the New York Racing Association know how I felt about their new admission prices. I did get a reply.
A nice enough letter was received last week. It was from an executive whom I have met. I guess the CEO delegated. It was pointed out that NYRA reduced the prices of season passes from $75 to $50 for clubhouse and $35 to $30 for grandstand. This is true, and significant, if you go to the track x number of times to make it a true savings. We don't. Season passes are no bargain for our four trip vacation week.
What wasn't pointed out in the letter was that NYRA already announced, at least one week prior to the letter that they were no longer issuing season passes. Thus, with something like 6,700 or so already issued, there would be no more. Too popular. They became NYC taxi medallions, with a finite number issued.
Of course this wasn't announced when the racing meet began. Act now, the passes will no longer be available. Horse players are very good at math. They may strike you as dumb, but the know what a 6/5 shot pays to win. NYRA obviously is good at math as well. They reached a mathematical point that told them that if too many people started using these discounted admissions, they weren't going to get the benefit of having raised the admission prices in the first place.
I understand the season passes have a photo, and I'll assume a control that they can only be used once on a given day. NYRA had to make expedited provisions after the prices were announced, since there was a good deal of initial demand. NYRA took care of any demand there might be after. No more passes for sale. Just suddenly taken off the market, like a pharmacy pill's recall. Not good for your health. Not good for NYRA's health.
I'm trying hard not to think about what it's going to cost me this year just to walk into the place before I've even read the information board for changes and placed a winning or a losing bet. But it's at least $30 now.
Going to the races used to mean an admission price (historically $2 grandstand, and $5 clubhouse), a 75 cent Morning Telegraph, a 25 cent program, find a seat (always free), and start your day.
Okay, prices go up, but it seems they've conspired to all go up at once. The Morning Telegraph is now $9.00, and is the Daily Racing Form, and a program, if desired, but not needed when you buy the Form, is $2.50. The seats at Saratoga in the stands are all reserved and go from $13 clubhouse to $18 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For some reason, NYRA finds Friday to be a weekend day.
The Racing Form is slightly cheaper at the track, but no true handicapper buys the Form the day of the races. It's always before the races so that they can sufficiently study the past performances. The Form is not published by NYRA, but their Post Parade program is, which carries a slightly different layout for past performances, and is not desirable to me. It also can't be purchased in advance of the day's racing.
The Post Parade program is usually $4, except this past Saturday, when the Whitney Handicap was the feature race, when it was $6. Reading some Tweets from the day, people also complained of beer that was $5 was now $7.
For some reason, NYRA thinks racing is a spectator sport, and that quality racing demands an outlay. What they never realize is that racing is a spectator sport viewed by people who've made a bet. No bet, no interest. No viewing. The Sport of Kings is supported by its betting. No handle, no take, no purses, no owners breeding and racing their charges in front of a public, whether at he track, or viewing from a simulcast.
NYRA will tell you that they have to make themselves self-sufficient of the casino revenue they are getting from the Resorts World casino that is part of Aqueduct. If that were true, why then are the purses so high ever since the casino money started flowing its portion to NYRA? Maiden Special Weight races are $98,000 and a second level allowance race on Saturday at $105,000 was greater than the $100,000 stakes races.
Years and years ago when my friend was first starting out writing for the Bomze publication's Racing Star Weekly he was mentored by a older fellow named Howard Rowe. Howie was a turf writer who only recently passed away in his 90s. Howie and the other old-timers of that long ago era hated Saratoga. They hated that the prices in the town always went up during what was then only an August meet. Menu prices had tape placed over the old prices that people paid in July, and would then pay in September. Hotels of course went up significantly. Taxi rides cost more.
At the time, the track itself didn't get in the act of raising their prices. They were only there for August, so whatever they were charging ($2 and $5 to get in) never changed. They weren't acting like a clip joint like everybody else.
Until now.
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