Since reading about the story in Sunday's New York Daily News I've followed the story online back to the upstate newspapers. No one's happy about this, but that lousy expression, "it is what it is" applies. (I swear that line came from the movie a 'Perfect Storm' when the swordfish boat 'Andrea Gail's owner explains the math to George Clooney on what his catch is worth to him.)
Nevertheless, the following letter was sent to a member of the New York Racing Association's (NYRA) board of directors who was said to be fairly outraged at the developments. I guess they, and a few others fell on that other side of The Supreme Court ruling. Putting the text of that letter in my blog, and then going #NYRA on Twitter, referring back to it, might get the sentiment some exposure. Social media.
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July 15, 2014
Mr. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
NYRA, Board of Directors
PO Box 90
Jamaica, NY 11417
Dear Mr. xxxxxxxxxxxxx:
Just how stupid is NYRA that they want to, in the immortal words of John Hendrickson, "piss-off" every customer, every time they enter the track, six days a week for six weeks, a total of more people we are told than attend either a season of Rangers or Knicks games—as they pay the ridiculous increase in admission prices for either Clubhouse or Grandstand, absolute dollar sums and percentage increases that no sane American business would consider after already losing attendance in the prior year?
The story about the price increases is just now reaching us downstate. Downstate papers carry very little racing news. It was only Jerry Bossert’s Sunday Daily News story that lite the fuze.
Following that thread to online upstate papers, I read Hendrickson’s rich quote, and your own opposition to the price increases. I’ve mailed the attached letter to Mr. Christopher Kay, Governor Cuomo, and the Saratoga county State Senator, Kathleen Marchione.
I have been going to NYRA tracks now for 46 years, and there is a special mentality that seems to grip whomever is in charge. What other entertainment venue charges money to get in for the right to use the reserved seat that you have separately paid for? Raises that admission price, as well as raises the seating prices over the years? I’ve already got my reserved seats, and now will pay even more than last year just to put my butt in the seats I already paid for. (Season pass will not work for us.)
Let me give you an example of how NYRA thinks. And this is only recent history. The 21st Century.
In 2003, the Friday before the Belmont Stakes when Funny Cide was trying for the Triple Crown, I paid my $5 admission price to Belmont’s Clubhouse, went upstairs, and was confronted with the entire array (I mean every seat in the joint.) of seats roped off and usher guarded. It seems NYRA made people buy Friday’s ticket, as well as Saturday’s ticket if they wanted to see Funny Cide’s attempt.
Needless to say, people were able to read a calendar, and had no intention of going to the races when Funny Cide was not going to enter the starting gate. So, you had the usual sparse non-weekend Belmont crowd being greeted with thousands of seats they couldn’t sit in. They weren’t allowed.
I pitched such a fit that security lead me to the ground floor customer service, where after some vigorous talking, the woman reached behind her desk and gave me a reserved seat ticket, for Friday—in the Grandstand. I accepted the ticket, sat in the seat, then wrote a letter of complaint that I paid for Clubhouse and was made to sit in the Grandstand. I got some complimentary admissions.
Ever since then I seem to remember taking note that there were publicly posted notices at admission gates that admission didn't include a seat. I like to think I at least made them state what I already knew.
So, what value does NYRA have in store for us? More competitive contests like Sunday's Rockville Centre Stakes where only one horse had won a race, the few others hadn't even started? A $125,000 purse for that! The race unfolded in a sorry line of 5 horses struggling to finish the distance, separated by more than 35 lengths. Greater than Secretariat’s margin of victory. Exciting, right?
Oh, a newscaster upstate mentioned NYRA plans to give us all flat panel TVs. Well, not give, but provide for our viewing. Has NYRA walked into an appliance store lately? There are no other types of TVs available. You can’t buy anything else. They finally upgraded the downstate dining room TVs only recently. Giving snow away in the winter.
And let’s not even discuss this year’s Belmont Stakes. The WSJ carries a story before the race of how difficult it is for the LIRR to get trains out onto that spur. I started going to Belmont in 1968, by train, and there were always trains waiting to take us back to the city after the 8th and 9th races.(No 10th in those days.) Multiple trains already at the Belmont platforms. I guess those were the days.
There are fewer people in NYC with driver’s licenses, so NYRA and the LIRR must figure people are going to walk to the track. Because walking back was certainly an option.
We no longer do Belmont Days, for many reasons. Lots of stories in nearly 50 years of attendance. Common thread? The bad ones are brought to me by NYRA.
My hope is you share this letter and sentiments with your like-minded board members—and those who aren’t like-minded.
May the horse be with you. And in the right order.
Yours truly,
P.S. The best part of going to Saratoga used to be listening to Harvey Pack and Little Andy, especially when he had the dunce cap on his head. But then again, that was brought to us by Siro's and they provided the seats. Free.
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