Saratoga Meet so Far
 

How are things in upstate NY? I have talked to a few local people who tell me business is off 25%. Not as many people attending the old spa this year.

Bars and retuarants need a big 7 weeks here to show a profit for the year and to stay viable.

Is it the ecomony or the weather or a combination of both??

I'd say Whitney day when it was down 9% is a better indication of where it stands. The first few days were ruined by the weather. I think the meet overall will do well but matching last year is pretty much impossible.

It is July 31st. This meeting has always been about the month of August. The bad weather obviously didn't help, and perhaps the economy is somewhat relevent, but it's too early to make any definitive conclusions.

guys thx for the input keep me posted on what you see as the meet progresses , we have had a small drop in gas prices this week , so perhaps things will change

The one positive of the bad economy is less vacations means more people home on weekends looking for something to do that decide to hit up the track, and more people sitting at home betting on their computer.

More on the betting end....am I the only one getting my ass handed to me thus far? It's feeling like a bad replay from last year.

I seriously can't think of the last time I have had so many pick 3 tickets bust out on the last leg. It's maddening because I love the meet so much...but just can't catch a break I need to turn to the corner.

!!!!!!!!!

Id even take some of PG1985's pick about now...

Kevin you should have scored on Miss Ocean City I did pretty well with her but not as good as my uncle, won like she should of been 1-5

You have to expect the economy to play a part in this. Look at NASCAR - attendance down a ton. I think 7% for the season.

It's similar to the SPA in that a lot of people that go (like myself) drive hours to get there. Gas prizes are certainly not helping those people. I'm not equating NASCAR to horse racing but the travel involved here does equate.

This weekend will be a decent indicator. It's August, the weather looks good.

Lets see that weekend 2 numbers are next Tuesday.

EDIT: RE: wagering. I am also down for the meet. The only decent hit I had was on Acai this past Saturday. Opening Day was a disaster for me and put me in a hole I'm trying to dig out of.

Most are either staying in expensive housing/hotel or driving to Saratoga. Driving up is expensive with gas prices and many don't feel like forking over big money to stay there, especially if the weather is bad and you spend all your time in a hotel room.

I thought i was the only one who became an idiot on the last leg of the pic 3 or 4, and a genius on the beginning legs. I which i knew why that always seems to happen, and it usually doesnt matter how many picks I have in the last leg. I think I would even question me hitting if i had the all button punched

Solution to your problem: The Rolling Doubles!:)

It's been my worst start in many years.

I've been getting absolutely killed to the point where I'm forcing myself to take a one week break. . . which is hard since I have to be there every day. It seems like all the winners are either logical chalk or illogical longshots - none of the logical longshots that we all look for.

Since I had my 9 year old granddaughter with me last Saturday, I was betting her whims.

Her whims were not particularly good.

Now when my daughter was her age, she had a six or seven win day. People near us wanted to know who the little girl liked.

Well, you don't lose much on $1 bets.

She has been one of the very few bright spots thus far Pat. I had some win $ on her and used her to hit both doubles....but my losses are far more than my winnings thus far.

At least it sounds as I am not alone in taking a beating.

Hard as it is to believe, this may be the worst thread I have ever seen.