A Saratoga wrap up, best and worst

The Spa meet isn't the only time everyone in the industry gets together
what about the horsemen out at Del Mar?
I'd consider the Derby and the BC more of an all-inclusive gathering
I'm not saying it isn't great, I'm sure it is
but when East meets West, and toss in Mid-west and International
to me, you'd have to rate that as higher horse racing affair

Originally Posted by BellamyRd.

The Spa meet isn't the only time everyone in the industry gets together
what about the horsemen out at Del Mar?
I'd consider the Derby and the BC more of an all-inclusive gathering
I'm not saying it isn't great, I'm sure it is
but when East meets West, and toss in Mid-west and International
to me, you'd have to rate that as higher horse racing affair

Bellamy you really don't get it.
Not everyone goes to the Derby or the Bc. Trust me, everyone goes to the spa.
At those events you can't even watch workouts without a badge or paying to get in.
Its not about the horse racing Bellamy. You can watch that on tv, and most people do.
saratoga's daily attendance is the highets average in the USA. Dwarfs every place else. Now why do you think that is when they could all stay home and watch on tv?
You really should come here once before you make a statement like that. I don't know how you could compare them without attending it.
I could go forever without attending a BC, and not care one bit. I love the derby and Kentucky, but if given a choice between never being there again, and attending the Spa. It would take less than a nanosecond to make the choice.

Lemme put it a better way. A guy like GPK comes here last year, and then actually flies into town the last two days this year on the spur of the moment just because he can't bear the thought of not being here for at least a day.
Del Mar? No sales there, so I don't know how you can say the whole industry gathers there, because they don't. Saratoga is attended by people all over the world. Many who pick up and ship outta wherever they live and rent overpriced houses and rooms or hotels. They don't do it to watch racing Mike. Everyone now can watch races in there homes and quite nicely at that. You don't drop everything you have going on, spend a fortune on rent, and head to Saratoga for the racing. The racing is only part of it, and in most cases its not the whole reason. Its the social gatherings, seeing friends, the nights out, and the mornings watching graded stakes horse after graded stakes horse prance onto the track to work out as you sip coffee in a clubhouse box while mary Ryan drones on and on.
You ever make it here, lets see what kind of tune you are singing after you leave. Maybe next year!!!

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Bellamy you really don't get it.
Not everyone goes to the Derby or the Bc. Trust me, everyone goes to the spa.
At those events you can't even watch workouts without a badge or paying to get in.
Its not about the horse racing Bellamy. You can watch that on tv, and most people do.
saratoga's daily attendance is the highets average in the USA. Dwarfs every place else. Now why do you think that is when they could all stay home and watch on tv?
You really should come here once before you make a statement like that. I don't know how you could compare them without attending it.
I could go forever without attending a BC, and not care one bit. I love the derby and Kentucky, but if given a choice between never being there again, and attending the Spa. It would take less than a nanosecond to make the choice.

Have you ever been to Del Mar? It used to be great. It's not that great any more because both the dirt and the turf courses are all messed up. I don't like running horses on either surface down there. I won't have to worry about the dirt any more because they are geting rid of it but that turf course is a joke. It's like cement.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

I agree that it is laughable to argue about who was the best jockey at the recently concluded Saratoga Meet. Gomez was easily the best and the numbers dont lie. This is a jockey that was NEW to the toughest racing circuit in the country and still managed to lead in percentage and dollars won. Quite a feat.

I dont agree that he is that much better than Prado though. By the mere fact that he is Edgar Prado, the prices on his mounts will be shorter. I am more comfortable saying that they are equivalent and that Gomez outrode him a little bit this meet.

Prado is fine. If you put him on the best horse, he will usually win. However, he's not going to move horses up by a few lengths like Gomez.

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

Have you ever been to Del Mar? It used to be great. It's not that great any more because both the dirt and the turf courses are all messed up. I don't like running horses on either surface down there. I won't have to worry about the dirt any more because they are geting rid of it but that turf course is a joke. It's like cement.

Rupert,
I have always wanted to see del mar more than any other track. I've never tried to compare the atmosphere or ambience of the two because I couldn't do so in an intelligent manner obviously.
My friends are all unanimous in their praise of its women, atmosphere, and climate. All the folks I know give it a huge thumbs up.
The racing stinks there these days but I still wanna see it someday. It just doesn't work out for me because it starts before we start here by a week and overlaps. Someday though I'm gonna fly out of here on Tuesday(today) and catch the last two days and the Futurity. Maybe someday get to meet you and Alysheba and the West Coast guys on here.

[jpops757]

I have never attended the Spa but you guys sure make me want to. My take on Del Mar(which I have attended] is kinda kike Texas stadium. The true Cowboy fan is not there . Its a place to be seen and the true fan watches at home. Texas stadium is nothing like Philly or Wash. I would like to throw another venue out there for you to attend . Oaklawn, sounds as if it comes close to the spa except it dosent have the magnitude of the everyone is there but the atmosphere sounds very similar.

Pops, the only reason its easier to accept the meet ending up here is because of the weather. Its now colder and dark today and the weather makes up so much of the atmosphere here. Those warm and sunny mornings and evenings and hot afternoons in the sun give it a certain flavor. People walking around in shorts, women in light summer dresses, etc.
If anything, I always thought NYRA should consider backing the meet up a week and ending before labor day. But they never will because the difference in handle and attendance at Spa the last week(though down from the other 5 weeks here) still dwarfs what they used to do at belmont back when they went home a week earlier.

As Usual It Is Over Rated .. Some Good Horses ..a Lot Of Not So Good Ones .. Small Fields In Big Races Was The Norm .. It Is Only Your Arrogance That Keeps You From Realizing That This Meet Is No Better Than Any Other New Yawk Meet, Give Me This Belmont Meet Coming Up..it Is The Best Bar None.. Sackatoga ,thank God It Is New Yawk, So Its Ego Driven Meet Stays In The Least Part Of The ****ry

Originally Posted by ladbroke drc

As Usual It Is Over Rated .. Some Good Horses ..a Lot Of Not So Good Ones .. Small Fields In Big Races Was The Norm .. It Is Only Your Arrogance That Keeps You From Realizing That This Meet Is No Better Than Any Other New Yawk Meet, Give Me This Belmont Meet Coming Up..it Is The Best Bar None.. Sackatoga ,thank God It Is New Yawk, So Its Ego Driven Meet Stays In The Least Part Of The ****ry

Well 13 grade one races in one meet is the most of any meet in the country, even though its only a 6 week meet. The stars are on display.
I won't argue that with the expansion to 6 weeks that cheaper races are run more often than they ever were.
But I really don't think that if the meet was as you describe it that so many folks would come from so many places to be here for it.

[PSH]

Saratoga is a special place during a special time of the year.....
My favorite month of the year is August and my favorite place to be is Saratoga. Too bad it is so far away from the SF Bay area.

If you love horses then Saratoga is the place to be.... Especially, in the mornings - being on the backstretch, leaning over the rail at the Oklahoma track, walking around the barns.

The afternoons are special too. Sitting behind Steve's place and just hanging out with other horse players, friends.... The scenery is spectacular and the racing top notch. The best horses, jockeys and trainers all converge in this small town. It is truly a celebration of our sport....

I can not imagine what it is like living there and being able to participate on a daily basis.... ALso, what it feels like today, the day after the meet has concluded and the numerous vans take away the horses to Belmont and Aqueduct.

I need a break given the last six months of non-stop racing at the Mecca. That said, it won't be long until i start dreaming of the last Wendesday of July 2007 approaching and making my plans to travel 3,000 miles to once again be part of The Spa. Next year, it will be for one full week and i will be bringing my family this time.

Thanks for a great meet everyone. Until next year at Saratoga Springs....

PSH

Originally Posted by PSH

Saratoga is a special place during a special time of the year.....
My favorite month of the year is August and my favorite place to be is Saratoga. Too bad it is so far away from the SF Bay area.

If you love horses then Saratoga is the place to be.... Especially, in the mornings - being on the backstretch, leaning over the rail at the Oklahoma track, walking around the barns.

The afternoons are special too. Sitting behind Steve's place and just hanging out with other horse players, friends.... The scenery is spectacular and the racing top notch. The best horses, jockeys and trainers all converge in this small town. It is truly a celebration of our sport....

I can not imagine what it is like living there and being able to participate on a daily basis.... ALso, what it feels like today, the day after the meet has concluded and the numerous vans take away the horses to Belmont and Aqueduct.

I need a break given the last six months of non-stop racing at the Mecca. That said, it won't be long until i start dreaming of the last Wendesday of July 2007 approaching and making my plans to travel 3,000 miles to once again be part of The Spa. Next year, it will be for one full week and i will be bringing my family this time.

Thanks for a great meet everyone. Until next year at Saratoga Springs....

PSH

Steve's piece on this site pretty much sums it up. When you are sitting in the freezing cold in the winter, or on a gloomy fall day, you ask yourself what the hell you are doing here.
Then your mind shifts back to that one great day that was even better than the other great days during the meet. The day when you won a pile of cash, or watched some great races and went out to dinner and then went laet night swimming at a bbq with the beer flowing and were talking about the days races and what was on tap for the next day. You close your eyes and remember that day and tell yourself that more of those are coming the next summer, and you make it through.

[Gander]

Theres just something special about this place. I've been to a few California tracks and while nice to look at, there just seems to be something very social and "meet specific" lacking. The vast majority of people that I see are there because its something to do, a novelity. At Saratoga, people actually plan vacations around the track and as someone who lives here, there was only 1 weekend this entire meet that we didnt have guests from out of town up to visit. I've really come to appreciate the quality of racing here, its very easy to take for granted, especially if you dont compare it to other tracks like Delmar which has in general a very consistently weak quality of racing.

I need a break as I went more this summer than I have in a very long time, but 322 days is a little too long!

I guess I will just have to hope the next 32 days go by very quickly.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by Gander

Driving Kev to the airport at the crack of dawn was classic today. Picture 2 hungover and tired guys driving down the street each proclaiming that it was indeed time for a gambling break and both a little glad the meet was over. We drive 3/10ths of a mile and what do we see? Horses working out on the Oklahoma track, backdrop is the sun slowly rising. A little funny and sad.

Its refreshing to get back to normal life again. Feels like opening day was many months ago.

Oops, sorry to leave out meeting Dell on my first trip to the track this year, too many Saturdays ago to remember!

It's 100% my fault....I was the one who insisted we go over to the harness track and bet the simulcast..as if the 10 races at Toga were not enough..God I have issues...


and those words keep ringing in my head...."And here comes ROCK LOBSTER.."

[Gander]

Dont sweat it Kev. If it wasnt last night it would have been Friday or Saturday. Now that I got that out of my system I actually feel better.
There will be many Rock Lobsters that will make us scratch our heads and talk to ourselves. As long as you continue to gamble on this crazy sport, get use to it

[SCUDSBROTHER]

That should read "major" issues.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

That should read "major" issues.

It should??? That was more self depricating than anything. All in all, I'm an okay guy.

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by GPK

It should??? That was more self depricating than anything. All in all, I'm an okay guy.

It's the harness betting that pushes it tremendously hard into the "major" issues category.Think about it.You're accepting them confiscating your money just because a harness horse breaks stride.You got to be weak to keep accepting that after a week or so.I mean,many of us play it for fun,but we are then again reminded why it can't be considered acceptable activity for very long.

[Gander]

I dont know Scuds, I played 2 horses at Delmar who got absolutely abysmal starts, that were very much the equivalent of a harness horse breaking. One was Vice Admiral and the other was Soldier. Both horses made up tremendous amounts of ground in the stretch to finish 3rd and 2nd (I think).

[GPK]

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

It's the harness betting that pushes it tremendously hard into the "major" issues category.Think about it.You're accepting them confiscating your money just because a harness horse breaks stride.You got to be weak to keep accepting that after a week or so.I mean,many of us play it for fun,but we are then again reminded why it can't be considered acceptable activity for very long.

Didn't bet a single harness race last night....that was where we had to go for the simulcast. If I bet harness racing 1 time a month, thats alot. I haven't bet harness racing on a consistent basis in well over a year.