Question For Saratoga Folks

[saratogabrit]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Huh? The weather is beautiful? I give up. You might have gotten lucky for one day when you closed on your condo, but for the most part it's cold. I'm sure Albany Airport would be fine.

I don't believe Albany Airport would be fine at all. There's only 1 Breeders' Cup venue that doesn't have an airport that flies direct to the majority of the cities in the US and overseas-and that's Churchill.

But Louisville Airport has more flights a day than Albany and is also less than half the distance to the nearest Hub/International Airport than Albany is.

During the meet a steady stream of people are coming and going but when Breeders' Cup ever came to town everyone would arrive in a 48-72 hour time span

[boswd]

Originally Posted by saratogabrit

I don't believe Albany Airport would be fine at all. There's only 1 Breeders' Cup venue that doesn't have an airport that flies direct to the majority of the cities in the US and overseas-and that's Churchill.

But Louisville Airport has more flights a day than Albany and is also less than half the distance to the nearest Hub/International Airport than Albany is.

During the meet a steady stream of people are coming and going but when Breeders' Cup ever came to town everyone would arrive in a 48-72 hour time span

I don't think it would be a problem either. People would just make the proper adjustments on the getting flights in that are direct to Albany but are full. Most would pick up flights that would go through NYC which has flights to and from Albany almost on the hour every hour.

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by saratogabrit

I don't believe Albany Airport would be fine at all. There's only 1 Breeders' Cup venue that doesn't have an airport that flies direct to the majority of the cities in the US and overseas-and that's Churchill.

But Louisville Airport has more flights a day than Albany and is also less than half the distance to the nearest Hub/International Airport than Albany is.

During the meet a steady stream of people are coming and going but when Breeders' Cup ever came to town everyone would arrive in a 48-72 hour time span

Don't the Euro horses fly charter? I really don't know.

[saratogabrit]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

Don't the Euro horses fly charter? I really don't know.

No I meant racefans. The average number of British and Irish that attend Breeders' Cup is now about 8,000 and that figure would go above 10,000 with more fans from Asia etc.

Albany is over 150 miles from the nearest Domestic/International Hub. Some foreigners will hire cars in Boston or New York or take the train up from Penn Station but the bulk will have to change planes in New York etc and they'll all be trying to get on the same flights that racefans from the US and Canada are trying to get seats on.

[Linny]

Were the blessed event to occur, I thank God and Man o' War that I'd have to board nothing more exotic than my old jalopy in order to attend...assuming I could get seats.

[Slewbopper]

Originally Posted by Linny

Were the blessed event to occur, I thank God and Man o' War that I'd have to board nothing more exotic than my old jalopy in order to attend...assuming I could get seats.

A picnic table for 6 (and no more)....$1000
A picnic table for 6 next to the Big Red Spring....$1500

[ARyan]

Just for those who said it is far too cold up here to host a BC...

http://www.weather.com/weather/weeke...nav_undeclared

Outside of the 50% chance of Rain, high of 70 on Saturday dosen't seem too bad...

[ARyan]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Would you agree that it has been unseasonably warm up here and this is more or less the exception than reality when it comes to weather? I mean it's fun to rehash these old arguements, but if it were snowing right now (something unlikely, but as probable as it being 70), the arguement is the same.

Actually, its been off and on. Almost a frost the other morning, and then some days top out at 75. Then last night I had my windows and sreen doors open because it was so nice.

The weather up here is always a crapshoot, I don't think its any more warmer this fall then the last few years I can rememebr. Look at Sunday in that forcast, 54 high. Like I said, its a crapshoot. I have lived up here for almost my entire life, and some falls you won't see a snowfall (till January), and others it snows in early October.

I guess my point is that anywhere in the Northeast (Toronto to Monmouth to Belmont) you are going to be hit or miss on the weather. You can't count Saratoga out because of it. On the flip side, it really has no indoor seating, and that is probably one of the biggest issues with it for the BC. If you do get a cold, rainy day, where will the attendees go to seek shelter?

I just hope I can squeeze into some shelter tomorrow and Saturday at Monmouth...

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by saratogabrit

No I meant racefans. The average number of British and Irish that attend Breeders' Cup is now about 8,000 and that figure would go above 10,000 with more fans from Asia etc.

Albany is over 150 miles from the nearest Domestic/International Hub. Some foreigners will hire cars in Boston or New York or take the train up from Penn Station but the bulk will have to change planes in New York etc and they'll all be trying to get on the same flights that racefans from the US and Canada are trying to get seats on.

I'm sure Yankee Trails would work out a bunch of buses up from NYC to Saratoga for the BC. Plus the irony of a Yankee Trails bus full of Englishman would be delightful.

[SentToStud]

Why couldn't they just limit attendance at Saratoga? Really no big deal on the weather. Chance of bad weather can't be worse than Chicago or Toronto. There's no Gen Admission at Monmouth. What are they capping attendance at? I assume they capped attendence at Lone Star.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

Why couldn't they just limit attendance at Saratoga? Really no big deal on the weather. Chance of bad weather can't be worse than Chicago or Toronto. There's no Gen Admission at Monmouth. What are they capping attendance at? I assume they capped attendence at Lone Star.

As far as I know there is general admission at Monmouth for $50 but you have no seat. I could be wrong about that.

There was not an attendance cap at Lone Star, as the temporary seating expanded the overall capacity. Because of the location and the amenities available, it was not a popular destination for most people and so the attendance stayed so low.

The weather bug is always a tricky one, on BC day at Lone Star it started around 65 degrees but was in the mid-80s by the afternoon and that really drew the ire of out of town guests.

For those of you who were talking about out of town tellers also, I was a teller at Lone Star is 2004 and there were a bunch they trucked in from Gulfstream and other places. They paid them a flat rate and it was good.

For those of us who worked the full meet the daily pay was $500 for BC day.

NT

[saratogabrit]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

Why couldn't they just limit attendance at Saratoga? Really no big deal on the weather. Chance of bad weather can't be worse than Chicago or Toronto. There's no Gen Admission at Monmouth. What are they capping attendance at? I assume they capped attendence at Lone Star.

They can't limit attendance much below 45,000. The original criteria-they may have altered them in recent years-is that you should provide permanent/temporary seating for 45,000. I would think that would require the construction of around 30,000 temporary seats.

Bad weather would be an issue. There's so little inside space-especially in the Club House.

Pricing out the local community is also a big issue.