"A Roaring Start"----Handle?
 

Flat to slightly down....Maybe its just semantics but c'mon.

“The 2010 meet is off to a roaring start with great performances and strong support from our on-track and simulcast customers,” said NYRA president and CEO Charles Hayward in a release



http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...with-last-year

I believe they budgeted for a 5% decrease in handle so slightly down is actually up from the projections.

It is a press release, not a court document.

The Titanic got off to a roaring start as well.

I'm sure the press releases said it did. A press release is a companies chance to "make" the news. In this day and age the media basically makes up a lot of what we are told so why shouldn't NYRA try to frame the numbers in the best light? I'm sure the KC Royals dont issue press releases saying that "we suck, dont come". They extoll the virtues of "great seats available" and Larry Gura night.

You miss the point. Contained in an article that states handle is down about 4% and that includes not having the first Thursday (lowest handle day of the meet) this year. With that backdrop, in the bloodhorse article, it sounds disingenuous. I said in my initial post its semantics, I understand PR. I also understand that spin and bullshit are synonyms.

It sounds like he was doing his job in trying to cast the best possible light on the start of the meet considering the political football that racing has become in the state. With the idiocy that is reported as news in NY regarding racing, NYRA and OTB you have to play the game the way the others are playing. You can call it what you will but it is the reality is that the game is played that way. Being that the first 4 days were new I don't know how you can draw a whole lot of conclusions about the start of the meet, good or bad.

Where does it say that the first Thursday was not included? What the article says is "the first two full weeks."

NT

There was no 1st Thursday this year. They started on a Friday for a reason.

You're reading it wrong. They compared the same 12 days from 2009-2010.

"Attendance for the first two full weeks of the meet (12 days, Days 5 through 16) was 271,800, down 3.2 percent from 280,843 for the first two weeks (12 days) of the 2009 meet, with a daily average of 22,650 compared to 23,404. (*See note on attendance below.)"

http://www.nyra.com/saratoga/stories/Aug092010f.shtml

NT

Those are not the same first 12 days(see below)...To me, its not an apples to apples comparison but that's fine even if you look at it that way. It is down from last year, yes better than the -10% industry but a disappointment if you ask me....And just so people know 75% of my action since Toga opened is on Toga. Its still my favorite meet to be at and one of the best places in the world....It is not my favorite betting meet. That would be Belmont Fall. I say this simply b/c people think I am simply anti NYRA which is not true. But press releases like that are silly.

• Attendance for the first two full weeks of the meet was 271,800, down 3.2% from 280,843 for the first two weeks (12 days) of the 2009 meet, with a daily average of 22,650 compared to 23,404. (*See note on attendance below.)

And your point is what? Are you surprised? Are we now going to start a thread about what is "silly" in horse racing. Cue Clyde..........

Put the drinks down. My point was in my original post. Read slowly.

You're amazing. How many driinks have I had? If you're within 2, you get a prize on the top shelf.

6 :D;)

I don't think you're reading it right. The numbers in comparison are for the first two FULL weeks of the 2010 meet (July 28-August 2, August 4-August 9) vs. the first two full weeks of 2009. If anything, the 2009 numbers should be significantly higher given that the opening day/weekend cards were not counted for 2010.

NT

Actually the best comparison I think is the races run number and that is a percent or two behind last year.

I agree, the difference in races run from year to year is 116 (2010) vs. 120 (2009). When you take that into consideration the result is exactly what NYRA advertised on its website, "Handle nearly even with races run through two full weeks at the Spa."

NT

Roaring indeed.

Saratoga
 

I was there Saturday and Sunday, Big crowds both days but on Saturday I had to park on the Oklahoma track. First time in many visits i have ever seen that.
I really enjoyed driving my car on the track. I gained respect for the horses and jocks reaching speeds of 40 mph. It took an Hour after the races to get off the track because of traffic.