Handle down? $281k bet into SA 6 Sunday..

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by freddymo

You think because the economy is poor that folks "newbies" will be available to go to the track? I don't think the poor economic conditions will be a positive.. I think while Jon Nerud was accurate in his analysis of the past and I mean the way past, his take is very much flawed in todays world.

I suggest racetracks are basically theaters for pay per view events. You think Saratoga was slow last year wait till this summer. You think the sales ring was slow last year and averages where down wait till this year..

For starters Freddy, Saratoga wasn't 'slow' last summer. The meet just got off to a horrific start... The odd calendar that provides for the earliest meet start possible, and numbingly dreadful weather, were far more influential in digging the hole to climb out of than the high gas prices at the time. And it was going to be impossible to match the 2007 numbers anyway which were driven by 36 days without a single drop of rain during race hours.

Secondly, Nerud's thinking is never flawed. By comparison to other forms of profesional sports, racing is virtually FREE entertainment. You don't think virtually free entertainment won't be an attractive diversion in a depression economy? I'll take Nerud's view and run with it.