Completely right. I find it hard to believe that people will become die hard race fans if they don't come to the track. It's not a fortune but there are a lot of people who come to Saratoga who live upstate and have very little. They aren't going to the clubhouse. Ever.

It isn't just New York. I live in Pittsburgh and tickets for the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates have all gone up substantially while I think attendance in all three leagues has gone down.

Like Doug said, there is a finite number of seats for pro sports. There is an actual demand in most cities. Those that aren't winning and have lots of empty seats don't raise prices that I have seen as a general rule. Even when a local team stinks, people often want to see the stars on the other teams.

There is no demand for clubhouse admission to Belmont, or any admission to Belmont. I could see if this were for days with G1 races, or something like that. But a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon to see five maiden races, a couple claiming races, and some bad statebreds? Come on. You probably won't find two people in the crowd those days that are there for the sporting aspect.

Between tolls and gas they should be paying you to come to Belmont on the weekdays.

The ticket price increase at Saratoga pales in comparison to the increase in the hotel rooms. This year during Travers week it was $285/nt, next year $360/nt.

ticket prices also depend on the opponent. we're pricing hockey games, and caps vs boston is significantly higher priced then caps vs kings.

The uninformed bettor make up the majority of the dead money in the pools. You want these people to fatten up the pools for you to take it away. Would you rather have ONLY saavy handicappers at the track so you can chase 4/5 shots all day? The uninformed bettor is exactly what you want coming to the track. Free admissions will invite more of these people in. I would rather see increases in prices in racing forms, clocker reports, and other sheets because this gives you an edge over your fellow degenerate.

People still go to the track? And they pay? I can see why NYRA would think that they'd then be willing to pay even more.

:D:tro:

I see you changed your post. The undesirables and uninformed are not the same. Part of the reason I used the word "undesirables" is because I was describing people who do not add to the pools but take away from the atmosphere and distract the actual bettors.

will a lousy fiver really make the difference between going to the track or not? hell, people pay hundreds every couple months to upgrade to the latest iphone, if they want to go to the track five bucks won't make the difference.

Its best to reward people coming to the track than to punish them. If you say an extra 2 dollars wont decrease attendance then the counter argument shall be....does it increase it? If so, how? Is there something new and spectacular offered at the track that the new increase is worth me coming? A fiver multiplied by 50 days times 1000 people is money that could be used in the pools. Would you not welcome that or are the hobos that much of a nuissance to you?

Fair enough but I think you can keep out the undesirables either way. Do casinos have undesirables when the admission is zero? They get booted out. Bad for business

ok, make it free for a week-let me know the difference in attendance.

It is free at Remington, and I don't see a bunch of vagrants hanging out.

In any case, wouldn't it actually be easier to remove them when they haven't paid to get in.

Just for my own curiosity how often do you go to the track?
I get the feeling the folks advocating price hikes don't have a lot of skin in the game.

ding ding ding

it's not so much advocating price hikes as saying a two dollar increase is no big deal. how long has it been at $3? prices go up on stuff all the time.

do i go as often as others? no. but whether i went every day or once every third blue moon, $5 is no big deal-especially when one considers it costs twice that, or more, just to park at other venues. or a cab ride to get to a game. the cold pizza i choked down at a football game costs more than that.


like i said earlier, last time i made the jaunt to arlington it was $7 to get in, now it's $8. anyone in that area know if it had an attendance drop due to the increase? you think people went to arlington, got to the ticket booth and said $8?! i'm out of here? and if it's $8 there, $5 starts to sound like a bargain.

Except that this isn't a football game. You go too bet on the races. That is where tracks make their money. And last I looked there are options all over the place for the gambling dollar.

I guess I should just take your advice and suck it up, but from someone who actually attends the races the costs add up, $10 admission $5 program $32 for two seats in the Clubhouse and a couple of bucks for the person who wipes your seat with a dirty rag.
Multiply that by 4 or 5 days per week. So will $6 more dollars be a deal breaker, maybe.