It is here and this year, it arrives earlier than usual.\u00a0 There once was a time when Saratoga Race Course raced 24 times per year and was advertised as \u201cThe August Place to Be.\u201d\u00a0 Over time, that became 30, then 36 and now with 40 dates, it is \u201cThe Summer Place to Be.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new wrinkle for 2019 is a change in the racing schedule.\u00a0 Instead of the Spa opening on Friday, July 19 and racing six days per week over seven weekends, it will now open Thursday, July 11 and race five days per week over eight weekends.<\/p>\n
I like the change.\u00a0 Sure, having an extra weekend is good for the bars, restaurants, hotels and for those who rent their houses out, but the racing product will benefit the most.\u00a0 When you race six days per week, it\u2019s really difficult to fill fields.\u00a0 Nobody wants to see races with four and five horses.\u00a0 The extra day off should help in that regard.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think the NYRA is going to overcompensate by having 12 and 13 races each day.\u00a0 Let\u2019s have nine or ten and be done with it. We know there will be exceptions on the big days–Diana, Jim Dandy, Alabama and Travers–but let’s keep the number reasonable.<\/p>\n
The Opening Day card looks good.\u00a0 There are 10 races; two stakes races along with a $92,000 allowance race on the dirt and a $90,000 Maiden Special Weight race on the turf; that is serious money for races of that nature.\u00a0 In the 10 races, there are 113 starters, ranging from seven to 16.<\/p>\n
Friday offers more of the same\u2014one stakes race, 10 races, and 109 starters.\u00a0 This is what we all want to see.\u00a0 The more horses, the more options for the bettor and usually, that means more handle.\u00a0 And, for NYRA, that\u2019s important because Saratoga is the money maker; it keeps NYRA in the black.<\/p>\n
Being dark on Monday and Tuesday will be an adjustment.\u00a0 Even though Monday attendance was lower, there were people who attended on that day for that reason.\u00a0 Mondays offered easy access, room to roam and shorter lines and for some, losing Monday does come with some sadness.\u00a0 But with heightened awareness of horse safety, it\u2019s probably a good concession to be dark two consecutive days.\u00a0 There are very few racetracks that run more than four days per week, so even a 5-day week won\u2019t be easy. Belmont and Saratoga can do it because the purse money is very good, which in turn, attracts more trainers and owners.<\/p>\n
Another thing you will see lots of at The Spa this year is turf racing.\u00a0 The strange thing about horse racing is that even though all the American classic races are on dirt, the betting public loves turf racing.\u00a0 With turf racing, you see larger fields and better options for bettors.\u00a0 In addition, turf racing holds to form more than dirt.\u00a0 That makes it easier for the bettor to wheel the favorite with others in the hopes of attaining that big payout.<\/p>\n
If you think turf racing isn\u2019t big, look at Woodbine<\/strong> in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada.\u00a0 Once home to three tracks\u2014tapeta, turf and harness—it is now the home of two turf courses and tapeta.\u00a0 The harness track was torn up so an inner turf course could be installed.\u00a0 Mohawk Park was then winterized to accommodate 12 months of harness racing.\u00a0 To see how popular turf racing is, all one has to do is look at the entry lists.<\/p>\n Opening Day at Saratoga has 6 of its 10 races on turf; the next day–it\u2019s 6 of 10 again.\u00a0 And, just to compare, Wednesday\u2019s Woodbine card features eight races with four of those on the turf.\u00a0 And sprints, once just reserved for dirt have become enormously popular on the turf. Three of the Opening Day Saratoga turf races will be contested at 5 \u00bd furlongs.<\/p>\n Saratoga will offer plenty—big crowds, big purses, lots of turf racing and high prices.\u00a0 A day at the Spa is not cheap.\u00a0 Most will pay the $7 general admission, find a picnic table, plop down a Captain\u2019s Chair and be fine.\u00a0 But, if you want a seat, visit a bar, or sit in Club 1863, you\u2019ll have to pay some big bucks.<\/p>\n There are ways to minimize costs.\u00a0 The Johnny Furgele Way <\/em>(patent pending) is one where I park in the free lot, hop on the free school bus shuttle, pay the $7 and plant my chair in the picnic area.\u00a0 Because I like to watch the races live, I will saunter up to the clubhouse, pay another $3 and watch races from behind the seats.\u00a0 If you keep your betting to a minimum, you can escape relatively unscathed.\u00a0 Of course, if you start winning, that changes everything.<\/p>\n Good luck and have fun!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is here and this year, it arrives earlier than usual.\u00a0 There once was a time when Saratoga Race Course raced 24 times per year and was advertised as \u201cThe August Place to Be.\u201d\u00a0 Over time, that became 30, then 36 and now with 40 dates, it is \u201cThe Summer Place to Be.\u201d The new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":189,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n