Shutting the fans out?
 

I really feel the same way as the gentleman in this editorial does and don't see myself hurrying off to the Derby again anytime soon...

http://opinions.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=37109

I'm sure the Derby will still attract it's infield of drunken people...but what about the people who support the sport day in and day out? Like the author states, most of us have other means to watch and wager on the sport, but how do tracks ever expect to keep attendance from declining when they don't support the audience they already have?

Must be NYRA's fault.

Here's the problem, scalpers get their hands on many tickets and charge well more than even the price with this new fee ( which I guess adds a couple hundred bucks to each ticket ). From the venue's standpoint, why should they get such a small percentage of what scalpers get, and a fair argument is to let the market decide fair value.

To be honest, the crowd that attends the races rarely, and only on special days, does not deserve special treatment. The problem is for those of us that support the game year round, through attendance and wagering, and often can't even get access to specific amenities. Racing needs to find ways to reward those that keep the game alive.

Every year there is a letter from someone in NY that got shut out of Belmont seats claiming how poorly they are treated by NYRA and how they have been attending the Belmont for umteen years, and blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah. I say unless you are a regular attendee, and/or wagerer THROUGH the host track, tough luck. The once a year people, sadly, don't help....at least from my perspective.

I had to pay thousands of dollars for my Colts Season Tickets and the cost is going to go up even more with the completion of the new stadium. I don't think that the PSL for five years for Churchill is that big of a deal. Ticket brokers are the ones I have problems with. The tickets go from $108 to about $425 per year. It is a major event and if Churchill can charge a PSL fee then fine.

Lots of places charge these sorts of fees. I think the Redskins do it, among others.

THe bigger problem with Derby tickets is the scalping. CDI should find every individual who scalps their tickets for a dollar more than face on eBay or stubhub and never allow those individuals to purchase tickets again.

I completely agree with you on this post.

With a thriving sport I think you can do that, but racing certainly is not thriving by any means. It just seems to me that if you want to introduce something to people and help out your declining admission you make it more affordable...also, the money people aren't spending on seats and $5 hotdogs may go into the windows. Their prices at the Breeder's Cup were more expensive than those at Belmont last year too.

The Derby, sadly, doesn't introduce fans to the game, at least the ones buying those seats.

Good points.

I didn't realize ticket scalpers had such an effect on price point, thanks.

You are lumping the Derby in with everyday racing. The Derby is thriving. They increase the price of the tickets and they still sell out. The Derby is totally different from any other racing event in America.

But do you think this idea of expensive ticketing packages and 5 year ticket "ownership" would spread to other tracks?

It could happen at Saratoga.....especially if NYRA loses the franchise. But, honestly, there is no demand. I suppose Magna could do it for the Preakness...and probably will.

I could see it at Saratoga for the Travers. Dont they have season tickets you can purchase for the Saratoga meet?

Not specifically. But you basically get the same seats, I think, if you order every day or a bunch of days.

I guess that is the sort of trend that I could see tracks possibly moving in and I don't see it as a positive thing.

Gotcha. You think The Preakness draws enough interest to charge a PSL fee? Belmont could if they could guarantee a possible triple crown each year.

Shoot, I'd love to just have the opportunity to fork over a grand to hold my seats for five years.

Preakness tickets will still be available on May 1 if you'd like to buy them. There's no chance a fee of this variety would be necessary.

People need to find monetary discipline.There is a reason why they can charge astronomical prices to even an f'n baseball game(81 of those in each team's ballpark.)People simply lose all control when they go to these live sporting events.This is a nationwide sickness.My God people,Mike Piazza is so far over the hill that I might just allow that one player the o.k. to use amphetamines(because that bat moves so slowly.)Paying him 8 mil a year is simply a public abortion.They can afford to do it because fans will pay damn near $5 for a bag of peanuts.Fans need to say no.The author of this story finally did that.People get run over because they allow it.Dont pay these amounts.It isn't right.Just because the idiot beside you also paid it,doesn't make it right.Prisons are full of like-minded fools.