Just doing the math in my head (and I realize I'm the only one who cares or is belaboring this point), but to lose $5 million on the infield from '08-'09 would mean that A., the attendance decline from one year to the next was entirely infield tickets, which it most likely was not, and B., each infield patron from 2008 would have had to spend approximately $84 a person on top of the $60 ticket price that wasn't spent in 2009.

Now, do some people that go to the infield spend some sort of money on something? Of course. But are the majority of those patrons the types to spend near $100 on betting or goods when they were allowed to bring as many cans of Mickey's they could carry? I would suggest not.

have you been in the infield for the Preakness? I could easily see the money lost in the 4-5 million range, and yes the attendance decline was probably 98.7% infield tickets, did you see the TV view? The infield was empty compared to being packed the years before. And they are not just drinking, but gambling away.

Yes, I've been to the infield - was there in 2009 even - and no, I've never noticed a gang of people waiting to bet. It's just not a "betting" crowd per se.

And in '09, folks were buying beers at $3 a pop, which they weren't in 2008, countering at least some of the attendance loss one would assume.

Anyway, I think the $20 all you can drink deal is a great medium between the wrongful death lawsuit plan of the mid-2000's and the $3/beer infield plan of 2008. I certainly don't think that people from Baltimore County should have been able to roll their own kegs into the infield as they were allowed to do through the early 2000's.

the betting lines were crazy long in the infield the few times i was there- last one being barbaro/bernardini

Slot ....let me ask you something. Did some kids harass you last time you were there? What is it with you and your generalizations, not only of the Baltimore county citizens, but also the make up of the Preakness crowd in general? You really are coming off as some sort of bigot.

Money is money...it is all green and MJC needs it. My first comment in this thread was about drastic declines in attendance tied to their BYOB policy and the revenue lost because of it. I stand by the fact that these aggressive marketing campaigns and the $20 bottomless beer should have been rolled out at the same time.

You need to look in the mirror.

Oh, no doubt about that from a marketing standpoint.

And come on down from the high horse. You've clearly never seen the average infield crowd. Or watched the Wire for that matter. Maryland blows.

They would be much more successful if this was the case.

The track actually stands to have significantly more potential liability if they sell the beer than if they allow BYOB. It is called dramshop.

Clearly, what's on display here is a disgruntled non-MDer that has nothing in their home state to brag about or claim as their own so they blast a border state that has something they want.

VA racing sucks and will soon not exist - so what better chance to blast another state's racing?????

Kegasus sucks - but it has accomplished its goal - it is drawing attention. The only thing worse than a negative response to advertising is no response to advertising. Believe me, this ad has the target market talking. And that comes from an employee of the UMD system - the college boys are ramping up as a direct response to the ads.

So bash MD all you want. What does VA have to compare? Oh, that's right - two races a year no one has heard of.........

I didn't realize this thread was a comparison of VA versus MD racing. VA racing is basically an offshoot of Maryland racing, isn't it? I think Maryland versus West Virginia or Pennsylvania even would be a better comparison, and if it weren't for the Preakness, Maryland racing probably would have gone the way of the do do bird by now whilst racing in every state surrounding Maryland thrives.

I happen to have spent more than my fair share of time in Maryland, and think the place is awful from Cumberland to Baltimore, Oxen Hill to Hancock, and all points in between. If hating a state makes someone a bigot, then I'm guilty as charged.

Can't attribute the bigot claim to my post as I didn't accuse you of that. But when you say MD racing "blows", and attach that to the Kegasus ads, I take exception.

Considering you live in VA, and only have that as a comparison, I would assume you make your comments about MD based on your experience in MD.

I can't explain how much I LOVE shipping my horses three hours south to run for crap VA purses.............it won't happen ever again Tell me, are they still ready to close Colonial?

Do you really want to expose yourself by saying WV or PA, or VA racing thrives given the current climate? Really????? Has handle increased at those tracks, including those with their slots fueled purses, as compared to MD, handle absent any slots enhanced purses?

If it weren't for slots, WV, PA and DE would be out of business. And if it weren't for Joe DeFrancis, Colonial would not exist.

I think there's some confusion here. When i say Maryland "blows," I wasn't referring to the racing in the first place, just the state.

Doesn't MJC run the Colonial Downs meet? That was the genesis of my Virginia racing is an offshoot of Maryland racing comment in the first place. Ergo, if Virginia racing stinks - and it mostly does unless we're talking hurdles - MJC has at least something to do with that.

Anyway, I think Kegasus is great. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And there's no state more desperate today in so far as horse racing goes than the state of Maryland.

MJC hasn't run the CNL meet for years - don't know the exact timeframe it occurred but I think it's been about 5 years since Jacobs bought out the MJC contract.

I don't think Colonial has improved under the new management team......and 5 years is long enough to get things straightened out.

That's a fact - no dispute there. At least VA has a racetrack, unlike most of the rest of the "South," so I guess that's something.

Thank you for admitting what you are. That is the first step in change.

Kegasus spotting at the O's opener!

KISS MY MARYLAND A$$. There are many beautiful places in Maryland. And yes, there are places that are not so nice. This would be true in any state; nice places and not so nice places. Horse racing in Maryland has been around since prior to the Civil War. I don't know today's statistic but a few years ago there were more horses per square mile in Maryland than any other state. Maryland employes thousands of people making a living in the horse industry and in industries that support the horse industry.

It's a shame what has been allowed to happen to horse racing in Maryland.

On behalf of Governor Martin O'Malley, I ask that you keep your sorry butt outta here.

Attachment 1746

^doesn't read his own board.

O's looking good so far, Andy!

Slapped it up while on air. Missed the link.. And isn't the visual better than the link?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/18/sp...imes&seid=auto

I know I should be judging the frat boys jumping from a port-a-potty, flying through air along with several projectile beer cans, but my first thought when I saw the picture in this article was "that's a nice shot." Can the people in the infield even hear the music during the post parade over the bacchanalia? I'd love a poll of how many are staggering around, trying to figure out why they had to listen to a rendition of "O Christmas Tree" in May. (Don't throw things at me Marylanders, I think "Maryland, My Maryland" is a beautiful song.) I know expecting them to watch the race is like asking Snooki to use less self-tanner, but does anything racing-related make its way into that drunken cesspool?

Bigot!!!! (Sorry, was channeling Thoroughbred Fan there for a quick second.)

Slot,

I actually think he is just stereotyping the alleged actions of "frat boys" at a particular event from the past, which while ignorant, isn't necessarily bigotry.

You, on the other hand, openly admitted hatred against an entire state.

You are the definition of bigot!

big·ot noun \ˈbi-gət\

: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance.

Thanks for watching the board while I was sleeping. Be vigilant!

-TF

Soooo...one can't be "bigoted" against frat boys? Your logic has me, as usual, quite confused.

P.S. - "frat" boys would indicate that the patrons in the infield have some sort of schooling past, one would presume, 12th grade. Based on a very informal, unscientific poll I took at the 2008 Preakness, persons with some form of education - elementary, secondary, college, whatever -represent approximately .000005 percent of the Preakness infield crowd. Sorry, couldn't resist getting one more "bigoted" dig in there before the rapture!

Slot,

Merl never used the word hate or denigrated a group of people. He merely made and observation and a reference to a Roman festival, which I can say on certain years is a fairly accurate comparison. In fact, I'm almost sure he meant the first words to be "I know I shouldn't be...."

You sir, used hate of a group of people prior. This latest "dig" is just furthering my point. Also, I am quite sure you're poll was very informal and unscientific.

It must be quite lonely in your angry little world. LOL! Enjoy!

I meant that I presume the reason they chose that picture was to inspire some sort of recoil. I, for one, am shocked, shocked that there is drunken debauchery going on in this establishment. I think we scared the NY Times aka the "Grey Lady." Not very Sport of Kings to see a bunch of college kids having a partay and jumping off a bunch of outdoor toilets, is it? Well darn. It went so well after they got rid of BYOB a couple years ago. Oh wait, it didn't. I'm not sure what they think they'll accomplish without a better plan than 'don't let them bring their beer in here.'

This doesn't mean I love a half-beer gut, half-horse mascot, but a better idea is required here instead of judgment by anti-Kegasus folks. Not just cries of 'oh how tacky.' It's not as if the people doing it think it's particularly elegant. I'm sure if they could come up with one that was less tacky yet as or more successful, they would.

You don't think my poll of "college" kids coming out of the infield caked in mud and being placed on EMS stretchers was scientific? I can't believe it.

P.S. - Maryland still sucks. So does Delaware for that matter. Does hating two states make me more or less bigoted? Because I'm confused.

How many dundalkians will be in the infield and how much will they wager?

You are more than confused! Enjoy your day hating the world!

I'm also bigoted against people with the screen name of "Thoroughbred Fan," just for the record.

I am crushed!