Originally Posted by Travis Stone (Post 706604)

NY doesn't have to change. They handle the most out of any racetrack out there... their business is the strongest of all, particularly with Saratoga in the mix. Aqueduct in the winter for goodness sake out-handles most racetracks in the summer.

Furthermore, when NYRA runs, the industry receives a general bump in the overall marketplace... so them not running would pinch the marketplace as an industry. NYRA is not pinched by having too many races. They're the victims of the larger problems of lack of quality horses and what's left of the quality horses getting shoved into one shed row, forcing those trainers to spread them out.
Contraction in terms of races starts with tracks stretching-out their meets, barely making enough in terms of handle/field size/revenue, and struggling to get by as is. NYRA's not struggling in any sense of those.

Originally Posted by randallscott35 (Post 706779)

Nothing like Hastings double speak. So handle was down a staggering 25% in one year but it will be ok because an increase in attendance among a "younger demographic..." so this group will be betting oodles in 3-5 years(with food stamps?), trust me.

http://www.drf.com/news/hastings-handle-takes-hit

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell (Post 706847)

There was no double speak.

“One bright spot is that our attendance is up,” said the general manager of Hastings, Raj Mutti. “We have a new, younger demographic, and we figure it will take three to five years before they start making a big difference in the handle totals. Actually, most of our declines in handle came from our U.S. partners, particularly California.”

What do you think he should say?
"Hey it was a tough year, that damned iReggie needs to tell Obama we're waiting on him to pullout of iReggie and send us a bailout."