Toga Friday Start times

[jms62]

Are there any twilight Fridays scheduled this year ? I've grown to like splitting out a little early on Fridays going home and catching the last 5-6 races at Belmont...

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by jms62

Are there any twilight Fridays scheduled this year ? I've grown to like splitting out a little early on Fridays going home and catching the last 5-6 races at Belmont...

Yup, opening and closing Fridays.

[Scav]

Is there a reason why they don't do it for every Friday there?

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Scav

Is there a reason why they don't do it for every Friday there?

I think the bars and restaurants are still undecided on whether it helps or hurts business.

[Kasept]

Downtown/area merchants/restaurants object to it. Negatively impacts their traffic/turns.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Downtown/area merchants/restaurants object to it. Negatively impacts their traffic/turns.

That is surprising. To use Arlington as an example, which obviously they are completely different tracks, but it has helped the local area. Trackside used to be dead on a Friday night and now, everyone goes there or Jimmy D's after the races.

I would think drunker people would help the bottom line

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Scav

That is surprising. To use Arlington as an example, which obviously they are completely different tracks, but it has helped the local area. Trackside used to be dead on a Friday night and now, everyone goes there or Jimmy D's after the races.

I would think drunker people would help the bottom line

There are other places for people to go in Chicago. In Saratoga the downtown area is really the only option.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Scav

That is surprising. To use Arlington as an example, which obviously they are completely different tracks, but it has helped the local area. Trackside used to be dead on a Friday night and now, everyone goes there or Jimmy D's after the races.

I would think drunker people would help the bottom line

apples and oranges... for saratoga springs they really only have 6 weeks a year to really make the . If people are eating dinner at the track, then they arent going to the restaurants.

People will drink beer all night no matter what time racing ends!

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Downtown/area merchants/restaurants object to it. Negatively impacts their traffic/turns.

I think they are full of it - I have reservations this Friday, just back to 830pm. It's the restaurants that should adapt and serve food longer!

[3kings]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

I think they are full of it - I have reservations this Friday, just back to 830pm. It's the restaurants that should adapt and serve food longer!

Few people will either hang out or be sober enough to want a full sit down meal at 10:30, and the restaurants know this.

[pick4]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Downtown/area merchants/restaurants object to it. Negatively impacts their traffic/turns.

I've heard the same thing you mentioned but why is the tail wagging the dog?
The last time I went to Saratoga was the first weekend of the 2007 meeting.
After the races on Twilight Friday we went to a sportsbar in town. I don't remember the name of the place but we waited nearly an hour for a table and did not walk out of the establishment until around 10pm.

[SniperSB23]

If the restaurants were smart they'd make a huge marketing campaign to push to get people down there for lunch instead of eating at the track. The extra two hours at lunchtime could offset many of the people that don't want to eat dinner at 10:30.