Although these events occur annually, you will notice the word “new” that describes NYRA. The use of that word was purposeful, of course, because, for the first time in several years, the nation’s number one horse racing franchise is acting the part of a leader.
An enormous percentage of all monies wagered are wagered on NYRA’s races. NYRA’s tracks host the most graded stakes, offer the country’s highest prizes and feature many of the sport’s greatest stars. As a verse to a popular song goes, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” Yet, looking back at the past several years, effort has not caused performance, so the change in behavior is welcome.
Following New York City’s OTB demise in the winter, NYRA operatives have stood up to the plate and shown gumption. Instead of crying out loud that they’re treated unfairly, which they often are, they began acting responsibly. They saw attendance and handle grow in response to meaningful steps they took to gain back the losses they felt when the shops closed. More importantly, they stopped saying that they were a business that couldn’t survive without help from outsiders.
The way NYRA has recently behaved is startling to many. The franchise has rarely taken to proactive measures except for seeking the assistance of others. With its problems behind, there’s a good chance that 2011 will be the start of a new golden era. At least, it is looking that way. Past won’t be prologue this time.
Last July, despite Hayward’s denial that business would be adversely affected by negative publicity, attendance and handle at Saratoga decreased in accordance with a decade-long trend. Three months before the track opened, Hayward warned people that horse racing might not take place at the Spa unless the State would come through on its promise to bankroll the franchise while the Aqueduct casino was being built. In return, fans made other summer plans, causing hotels and motels to panic.
In addition, New York Thoroughbred Breeders chipped in with their own ill-advised moaning. They added coal to the fire by saying that a cessation of the sport in the Empire State was imminent. The actions of both organizations were in no sense a good way to build enthusiasm. Well, you know the rest of the story.
Business at Saratoga declined. There were Thursday and Mondays when there weren’t 10,000 fans in the seats, even though there were more reported. In fact, business has declined in all but two of the last 10 summers. This year would be a good time to end that string. Count on PJ Campo to write races that lure big, bettable fields. Hope the weather stays sunny and cool. But, by all obvious signs, the track is at least several more years away of accomplishing a true revival.
Two weeks ago, Hayward told Ray Paulick of the paulickreport.com that designs are all but complete for a new permanent structure to rise on the clubhouse turn replacing the temporary At the Rail Pavilion. The proposed building is intended to serve those fans that want air-conditioning and favor more modern amenities. The price of construction will be high and it’ll take two years to build. In true “cover your behind” fashion, the association has hired experts from out of town to help with decisions. Nevertheless, a common refrain is “if you build it, they will come,” and that’s what everyone’s counting on.
Throughout the Triple Crown season, horse racing has proved that putting on a good show is all that it takes to make friends. Although there is little to sell in the way of charismatic horses now that it’s over, Saratoga’s festivities offer a similar stimulus. The historic racecourse’s charms are unrivaled and the meet’s 40 days, while not 24 or 30 or 36, still constitute to some extent a “get it while you can because later you can’t” energy.
In the end, corporations are still a lot like leopards – they never change their spots. Everyday operatives learn quickly that if they want to advance in the ranks, they must act like their bosses do. By and large, NYRA’s middle management operates in the manner it does because that’s what’s expected of them. The guy on the bottom looks up to the guy above him who looks up at the guy above him and so on. Yet, there are signs that seem to indicate change in the Empire State.
NYRA wants the Breeders Cup back at Belmont Park, for example, and won’t rest until it has its own OTB operation. In the meantime, laying low with the complaining has helped matters. Having said that, don’t expect many decisions at NYRA to be made for the sake of the fans, if they cause discomfort with horse owners. The franchise became horse racing’s epitome by offering Big Apple-inflated purses, writing stakes for the best horses and making rich folks feel welcome.
Funny how effectively that’s worked, as a matter of fact. Let the party begin.
Vic Zast has filed this column from Inuvik, nearly 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. He completed a drive by RV in 16 days to get there for golf at midnight on the longest day, which is today. Learn more at http://www.ourlongestdrive.com.
20 Jun 2011 at 05:43 pm | #
“… don’t expect many decisions at NYRA to be made for the sake of the fans, if they cause discomfort with horse owners. The franchise became horse racing’s epitome by offering Big Apple-inflated purses, writing stakes for the best horses and making rich folks feel welcome.”
I’m fine with the last sentence, but horseplayers will be looking for Hayward and Duncker to follow through on their pricing remarks once the slots are actually generating revenue.
21 Jun 2011 at 06:32 am | #
The following is also posted to the Too Smart To Fail Message Board at: http://www.toosmarttofail.com/forums/showthread.php?6333-Vic-Zast-on-NYRA-New-Spots-on-the-Leopard
This is certainly a case of “what a difference a year makes.”
At this time a year ago, there was the threat that NYRA was going to close up shop following The Belmont Stakes. The political infighting had hurt it very much, especially with problems concerning the slots contract. NYRA being under a Federal Monitor and subsequent bankruptcy following a prior teller scam and milkshaking image didn’t help. A lot of that can be placed in the hands of Elliot Spitzer, whose attempt to clean up racing in New York was in part to set him up to successfully become Governor in 2006 before the scandal that led to his downfall. The franchise renewals and other factors further created problems for NYRA, all of which Charles Hayward has had to deal with while trying to solidify NYRA’s future.
The closure of NYC OTB was a wake-up call for NYRA and many others that the status quo could not continue. Everyone sprung into action, taking care of items that had been needed to be done for years (but weren’t) to make sure the industry survived in New York. NYRA has been the most aggressive of all in being able to retain more than enough handle lost with the closure of New York City OTB to where it has not missed a beat at all. On top of that, the new deal that will have for the first time ever the feature race from Saratoga on national TV (NBC/Versus) every Saturday of the meet is another major positive that can only help NYRA and the sport continue to gain exposure and create new fans past the Triple Crown events.
As for NYRA wanting the Breeders’ Cup, while I would like to see it back at Belmont, unless laws are changed in New York to permit thoroughbred racing at night (at least for a limited number of special event programs like the Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup) AND unless NYRA installs lights at Belmont Park, I don’t see Breeders’ Cup, Ltd. awarding a Breeders’ Cup to NYRA for the foreseeable future.
The fact is, we have already dabbled with night races in the Breeders’ Cup, and I see the Breeders’ Cup becoming a full-fledged nighttime event if not this year within the next few and definitely if it returns to NBC after the current deal with ESPN expires. Aside from the fact that things have changed drastically since NBC last had the Breeders’ Cup to where sports are now the only thing that does decent ratings on Saturday nights, the Asia-Pacific region can no longer be ignored from a handle standpoint. The potential for new handle from Japan, Hong Kong and Australia that could easily top $1 BILLION is why we are likely looking at the Breeders’ Cup eventually becoming a full-fledged night event and in 2012, the Oaks and Derby being contested at night for the first time as those events would be looking to gain a potential hundreds of millions in new handle as well (not to mention Comcast-NBC wanting the TV rating from the Derby to count in the prime time TV ratings during the “May Sweeps"). The fact Churchill Downs now has lights likely makes Churchill a near-lock to not only get the 2012 Breeders’ Cup, but possibly several more in a row unless another track with the capability of racing at night makes a serious bid. NYRA will have to install lights at Belmont Park and get the laws in New York State changed to permit thoroughbred racing at night if it wants to host the Breeders’ Cup again.
That said, things are looking up for NYRA. That will hopefully show at Saratoga, where in turn hopefully we will see a better product offered than last year. As noted, NYRA still has a long way to go, however. The big one of these is being able to open its own tele-theaters, which need to be in key locations, mainly near major transportation hubs. Among those I would be looking at (and if not the exact location, as close to such as possible):
1. The South Street Seaport, which is a MAJOR tourist attraction in Lower Manhattan. OTB used to have one of its non-surcharge restaurants there (The Yankee Clipper), and that location is right on a plaza that can also be used as an outdoor plaza for festivals connected to The Belmont Stakes, Travers (and for the matter, the entire Saratoga meet), Breeders’ Cup Preview Day, etc., as well as perhaps staging the post position draw for the Belmont Stakes and other important races at Aqueduct and Belmont Park in order to bring attention to such races.
2. A former OTB location on Park Place west of Church that is within a block of the A/C/E trains on the 8th Avenue Line (Chambers Street-World Trade Center) and Park Place (2/3) on the 7th Avenue Line and City Hall (N/R) on the Broadway Line, not to mention the PATH trains and the soon-to-be-completed Fulton Transportation Center a few blocks away.
3. A former OTB location on Lafayette between Walker and Canal Streets, within a block of another major subway station (Canal Street for the J/N/Q/R/6 trains). This was one of two OTBs that were extremely popular with Asian bettors in particular.
4. The former ESPN Zone at Times Square. This is directly over the 1/2/3/7/N/Q/R/S station at Times Square, within a block of the A/C/E 42nd Street station on the 8th Avenue line as well as the Port Authority Bus Terminal to the west and the 42nd Street B/D/F/M station on the 6th Avenue Line and a short ride on the 7 or S from Grand Central and the 4/5/6 lines. This also would be about a half-mile from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.
5. The Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. This is yet another major transportation hub with the 2/3/4/5/B/D/F/N/R/Q trains as well as the Brooklyn branch of the LIRR all stopping here, as well as the C & G trains within a short distance. It will also be home to the Barclays Center (future home of the Nets), which too makes it a crucial location in my opinion.
These to me are among the most crucial for NYRA. If NYRA can land these such locations in particular with tele-theaters, it can go a long way to solidfying the future even more.
21 Jun 2011 at 03:16 pm | #
WG,
The OTB parlors you advocate are not the only way to further the socializing aspect of horseracing. With today’s personal computers, instant and virtually cost-free video communication is now possible between friends anywhere in the world.
My college buddy who introduced me to racing, but whom I haven’t seen in years, called me on Derby Day using SKYPE and we watched the televised event together just like old times.
What we didn’t do was combine our resources and go for a big score like we did in the old days because ADWs don’t permit partnerships that would have enabled us to split the tax burden if we were successful. (Of course the only exotics available then were doubles and exactas.)
As players age, they are more likely to play from home; especially if they have a large screen, high definition viewing capability. In my opinion, NYRA—as the premiere racing venue – could attract far more handle both locally and nationally if its ADW facility were to implement partnership accounts.
Of all the things NYRA did upon OTB’s closing, the one that impressed me the most was the bus service. That was true customer service. But what demographic did it primarily serve? I would guess it was people who couldn’t or wouldn’t use on-line wagering facilities. If NYRA were to also teach those customers how to use their ADW facility – and possibly even supply off-track viewing/wagering capability that enabled partnership participation as well— they could expand their customer base in addition to handle.
Something to think about—right, OTM Al?
21 Jun 2011 at 03:29 pm | #
Indulto:
What I wrote was only part of it (and I had to truncate it some to fit a 10,000 character limit on the post I made to the board noted in my last post). ADW’s without question are very important with more people wagering from home, and your idea of SKYPE is something that will become more important as that becomes more commonplace over time.
That said, even in 2011, not everyone has a computer or wants to have a wagering account online, so that’s where the old fashioned locations are still important. The key this time around, however, is not how many there are, but where they are located. South Street Seaport is in the mix because of the fact there is an outdoor plaza that can be made into a huge landing point for those in Manhattan who may not want or have the time to make it out to the track for the big event, but still want to be part of such in some way with a big crowd. The others are ALL near major transportation hubs that in turn allow those who might want to watch a few races with friends after work before going home can do for example. They also if made appealing enough can help bring in new people as well.