'Toga wrap-up
During the final week, some track restaurants closed, a lot of the help went back to school. Box seats were empty.It just seemed like the Summer Place to Be wasn't that. Saratoga should not be running races in September. That's when people are putting the covers on the swimming pools, sharpening the snow shovels, buying the school clothes for the kids.
High gas prices overwhelmed all other factors and brought attendance down, said Bill Nader, senior vice president of NYRA. "I thought about this a lot. Short-distance travelers still came, but those on the fringe may have come less frequently," Nader said. Increased ticket prices on Travers Day and a constant spotlight on NYRA's legal woes did not affect the numbers, Nader said. "Gasoline is a real tangible variable in the decision-making process. People can relate to that," Nader said.
Of course, if they didn't move the Hopeful to Travers Day, they might have been able to cut down on post-Travers blues, which put an even greater than usual sag in attendance the last week:
On Monday, with just 21 reservations for the Carousel patio, a space that normally seats 600 to 800, track concession operator Centerplate stopped service and shifted diners to six other restaurants, regional vice president Mike Billows said.That meant early dismissal for a handful of Centerplate's 750 track employees. Bartenders staffed trackside taps alone rather than in pairs.
"It's been dead all meet," moaned one longtime bartender who asked that his name be withheld.
As usual, the track season went pretty smoothly. Things did get off to a bad start when the power went out opening day, costing NYRA some rediculous amount of lost on-track handle. But the track was pretty good - again, as usual - at quickly implementing patron suggestions when things did get rediculous. This year's key headache - the blanket day fiasco - will be alleviated next year by an EZ-Pass lane for patrons who don't want to spin. This was directly suggested jus weeks ago in a letter to the TU. Nice job, SRC.
The downtown scene was as alive as ever, although many people did note that the "trashiness" level had increased a notch over past years. I didn't mind. The revitalization of the IceHouse was a pleasant surprise, i suppose.
Ah, Saratoga. You did it again. We'll see you next year.
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on Tuesday, September 06, 2005 at 4:13 AM.
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