I thought Saratoga has a policy that if the box isn't full every day they take it away. If the actual owner of the box isn't sitting in it then someone else is.

And the PROS in racing are getting their rebates.

But we're off point here; the pros aren't getting these seats. Someone with the money to afford them will.

Right, but if they're betting through NYRA-One they get a rebate from NYRA, albeit relatively small, but NYRA keeps the bulk of the takeout from their wagers.

Well, I know about it through a NYRA-One mailing ( which I got as long as two months ago ) so perhaps they are making them available to their best betting customers first.

Most people betting $1000 a day are not sitting in boxes. They are doing it online. They don't sit out in boxes at Saratoga except occasionally. The people that sit in boxes are the ones who come and spend some money on food, maybe a few dollars gambling, parking, etc. Their families come back every year. Maybe bring some friends and introduce them to the sport.

I really don't know anyone who is a serious gambler that watches races live. They watch on the tv, usually from home.

You can always get tickets for seating at Saratoga during the week anyway. Go early or just show up and pay someone selling them. I spend 3-4 weeks per year up there and every day I just go and buy 4 seats from somebody selling them right outside the track. Usually they aren't even asking for more than face value.

At Saratoga, I beg to differ, when i was there for four days, i was playing close to $250-$300 a race. I know of MANY serious gamblers that were at Toga for the whole meet.

I agree, Saratoga is unique. People who bet go there.

I see empty boxes every day. I also see alot of very big betttors there every day, though rarely in boxes. The boxes are populated with local and national rich people, political types, racehorses owners and breeders and socialites. Many of the local people who have had boxes at Saratoga for decades are well off people who liked racing and attended alot in the days when Saratoga attendance lagged behind Belmont and the box was their reward. Most are not big bettors.

Did my wife's family "deserve" a letter in March saying thanks very much for your 50 plus years of patronage, but we feel the need to relinquish your rights to the box?" No alternative seats offered either. And yes, they owned and bred horses in NY, supported thoroughbred causes, and employed people in that area. I understand that business is business. Isn't the handing down of boxes thru generations part of what makes Saratoga the most traditional, festive, and complete racing experience in the world? Just treat the people properly that have kept this thing special for so long.

You are giving your side of the story, which may well have merits, but there is certainly another side to the story.

On the highlighted part.....I don't particularly agree.

Are you saying you gave them $350-$500 in take-out each day?

Exactly my point. Time for NYRA to earn. Absolutely nothing wrong with making money on people in order to provide an excellent product. Saratoga is the golden goose. How is the Inner meet suppose to be offset and improvements to game suppose to be managed without money?

There are a couple hundred great seats.. Sell them for big money and take the funds and do the right thing with the money. What are there 17 elite racing days (Sat&Sun) not a lot of seats not a lot of premium dates. If there are 300 great seat for each day then there are 5100 pay days for NYRA at 500 a seat that is 2.5mil from people who can and will afford it. If NYRA can earn an extra to 5 to 7 mil by raising the price of the seats then they will have 5 mil to go after cheats.. Do the math it's better for everyone including the people who lost there seats.

Handing down the boxes does nothing for the racing experience.

I believe that the people that owned the seats should be given first opportunity to renew just at the MODERN day Market for the greatest horse meet in the world. Folks its the Super Bowl of racing..It's not nor should it's importance be cheapened. It's the All star game price it as such.

PS Save the statebred races lol

Easy to say when when it's not affecting you. Outside looking in, bro. You know what opinions are like.........

It is that bad Sun Devil karma...

You might want to be careful what you believe in the future from your NYRA insider. The number is not even close to 100.

Between 30 and 40.

Anyone got any leads on a contact or good way to try and snag some Clubhouse seats for this weekend? Craigslist has been a bust so far.

Go wait outside the gate where they sell seats. Usually on Friday morning there are people there trying to unload their friday and often saturday seats. Most people sell them at face value. Also you can just try Saturday morning.

are regular grandstand seats available during the week?