Final thoughts from the Spa

Posted by noonante on September 15, 2015
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The Saratoga experience is a unique one.  It’s only been a week since the meet ended, but it seems like a distant memory.  Yet, the first time I walk through the gates next year, it will be as though I never left.  Here are some final observations:

  • By most measures, a hugely successful meet.  The wagering handle was up significantly from last year, the weather was glorious, and there were many excellent races.  There were full fields and challenging cards.  The number of Pick 6 carryovers is a testament to the competitive nature of most days.  One troubling indicator, however, was the attendance over the last half of the meet.  While NYRA touted total attendance of more than a million, they could only arrive at that number by counting the thousands of season pass holders that did not show up on a given day.  They falsely inflated last year’s attendance in the same way, adding the number of unused season passes to each day’s turnstile count.  In 2014, there were a total of about 6,400 season passes sold;  this year there were about 8,400.  So when the NYRA announced attendance  –  again, not the actual attendance  –  was lower on most days than last year’s figure for the last 20 days, that should cause alarms to go off.  It may be for the rest of us, but probably not for those in the executive suite who believe their own nonsense.
  • Highlight of the meet:  For me, it wasn’t any race, but an experience.  I left my house an hour before American Pharoah’s scheduled gallop over the track, figuring I could park in my usual spot near the Nelson Avenue backstretch gate.  After going two blocks and seeing the streets packed with parked cars and throngs heading in the track’s direction, I gave that plan up, parking farther away than if I left the car in the driveway.  The reported attendance in the grandstand was about 15,000.  On the backstretch there were thousands more.  There were lines ten deep at the backstretch snack bar  –  longer lines than I saw at clubhouse betting windows on Travers day.  All this to watch a horse jog, then gallop, two times around the track.  While we sometimes forget what got us hooked on this game, it is obviously the horse.
  • Say what?  Perhaps the most interesting thing I heard on the backstretch several times was the idea that Anthony Bonomo would  –  or should  –  resume chairing the NYRA Reorganization Board.

Bonomo was the last Chair “recommended” by Governor Cuomo following the departure of David Skorton to head the Smithsonian.  Shortly after his election by the Board, Bonomo was apparently implicated in the federal indictment of former Senate leader Dean Skelos and his son Adam, and then decided to suspend his participation in Board activities.  I say “apparently” because Bonomo is neither charged with a crime, nor is he even mentioned by name in the indictment.

Even though he is not named, numerous reports have identified Bonomo, who is the head of a medical            malpractice insurer, as the entity identified in the indictment as having given Adam Skelos a no-show job in order to secure favorable legislative treatment benefitting the insurance company.  To my knowledge, Bonomo has never denied being the individual identified in the indictment, and he did leave his position in charge of a major governmental body that oversees racing at New York’s three big tracks.

Setting aside whether he would be a good pick as Chair, there are two significant problems with his returning if, indeed, he is the figure identified in the indictment.

The first is that even though he is neither charged in the indictment nor named in it, his alleged involvement is troubling.  One of the offenses with which the senior Skelos is charged is “soliciting a bribe” from the malpractice insurer.  The indictment alleges that a bribe was made by the insurer  – giving the son a no-show job in the hope of favorable legislative action.  The necessary corollary of that allegation, of course, is that the malpractice insurer bribed a prominent political figure.

The insurer not being charged with a crime seems to be consistent with the approach taken by United States Attorney Preet Bharara in both this case and the indictments against Skelos’ counterpart in the Assembly, now-former Speaker Sheldon Silver.  He is apparently not charging significant  –  and possibly culpable  –  figures in the hope of landing the big fish.  In the Skelos case, the Complaint providing the probable cause to arrest Dean and Adam Skelos alleges there are two “Cooperating Witnesses” who have entered non-prosecution agreements with the government in exchange for their continuing cooperation.  Obviously, one would need a non-prosecution agreement if there is potential criminal liability.  These witnesses are related to other allegations against the Skelos’ and not to those pertaining to the malpractice insurer.  The second indictment fleshed out the allegations relating to the malpractice insurer.  The level of detail strongly suggests that there are cooperating witnesses from the insurer, even though they are not identified as such.

I once again emphasize that Anthony Bonomo has neither been charged with a crime nor even identified in the Skelos indictment.  But if the resolution of that case concludes that he was indeed providing benefits in exchange for anticipated favors, it seems unlikely the Governor would allow him to resume as Chair.  It is perhaps the height of irony that Bonomo began serving on the NYRA Reorganization Board  –  created by the Governor purportedly to restore public trust  –  at the same time the indictment alleges that Adam Skelos began his no-show job with the malpractice insurer.

The other troubling aspect of Bonomo’s appointment are the reports that he was a substantial contributor to one Andrew Cuomo.  I realize there is nothing wrong with this in the sense of “legally wrong,” but is this the perception that an Administration that has touted its reform of racing  –  leaving aside whether there is any merit to that claim  –  wishes to pursue?

Spa attendance in precipitous fall

Posted by noonante on September 4, 2015
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

The numbers of people passing through the turnstiles at Saratoga Race Course is declining dramatically from last year’s actual attendance figures.  In just the last four days, attendance is down 39 per cent from the comparable days last year.

Because seemingly nothing with the New York Racing Association is as they say it is, it takes some explanation for how they count attendance.  Last year, after the meet started and actual attendance was showing some disturbing figures, NYRA decided to add to the real figures the number of season passes that were not used that day.  Approximately 6,400 season passes were sold last year.  Comparing the actual turnstile count with the attendance reported by NYRA reveals that only one of every six pass holders attended the races on an average day.  Over the last 34 days of the meet for which NYRA had this imaginative accounting, the attendance reported by NYRA exceeded the actual attendance by 179,345.

This year, NYRA sold even more season passes;  the last number I saw was about 8,400.  They also changed the way advanced reserve seating is handled.  In years gone by, a reserved seat ticket was not used as admission to the track.  One had to pay separately.  This year, the ticket gets you in without a separate charge, although that admission charge is figured into the price of the ticket.  I suspect that now the number of advanced reserved seating tickets that are not used on a given day is now also added to the actual attendance.  NYRA did not respond to my inquiry on whether this was indeed their practice.

So, in an effort to figure out how many people are actually going to the track on a given day, one must discount the attendance reported by NYRA by both the number of unused season passes and the number of unused reserved seat tickets.  Assuming the same level of usage by 2015 pass holders as by 2014 pass holders  –  five of every six do not attend on average  –  the reported attendance should be reduced by 7,000 each day.  If we then assume that 1,000 reserved seat tickets are not used each day, we would then reduce the NYRA reported attendance by a total of 8,000 to get to an approximation of the turnstile count.

That’s where it becomes disturbing if one is concerned about the appeal of racing in general, and the country’s marquee meet in particular.  Since day 17 of the meet, estimated actual attendance is below the comparable day for last year on almost every single day.  Recently, it has been in a free-fall.  I omitted comparisons on Travers day, give-away days and one day this year for which I do not have a number.

For the remaining 15 days, the 2015 attendance was greater than 2014 on only two occasions.  Starting around day 20, the drop-off was generally in the range of 3,000.  But on days 26 and 28, however, the decline was about 8,000 each day.

In the four days since the Travers, the decline has been stark.  In 2014, a total of 56,583 passed through the turnstiles.  My estimate for this year, however, is that only 34,701 did  –  a decline of 39 per cent.

Numbers such as these should cause a sentient Board of Directors to start asking questions.  This is a year when the weather has not been a factor.  Is it the constant price increases and monetizing of anything that walks?  (How ironic is it, by the way, that New York’s Gaming Commission fined American Pharoah’s jockey $15,000 for wearing the name of an advertiser  –  and his own name  –  on the clothing he wore in the Travers?)  Is it the persistent disregard of the long-time fan in order to benefit those with money to burn?  Is it the constant disregard of the Saratoga community  –  whether it be the canceling of the Open House or the moving of give-away days to a Monday and a Wednesday?

NYRA CEO Chris Kay has actually said that the measure of Saratoga’s success is not in attendance figures, but in hotel occupancy taxes.  It is difficult to see how that level of obliviousness is going to provide an answer to the serious questions facing NYRA.  We can be sure, however, that the end-of-meet press releases from NYRA will be filled with their usual level of self-congratulatory nonsense.

The 2014 attendance figures are from NYRA.  The 2015 reported attendance figures on which I based my calculations are from The Saratogian’s Pink Sheet.

Random rants from the Spa

Posted by noonante on August 24, 2015
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics. Tagged: , , , , . 1 Comment

One observer’s musings:

What is going on with the attendance?  Initially it appeared that the Saratoga meet was off to a great start with all-source handle and reported attendance up significantly from last year.  Recently though, the attendance reported by NYRA has been below figures from the comparable day last year.

Last year marked the start of NYRA’s imaginative new way of reporting attendance.  After counting those who actually passed through the turnstiles, it then added those who had purchased a season pass but did not actually appear.  About 6,400 such passes were sold last year, with five of six pass holders not attending on an average day.  This year, approximately 8,400 passes were sold, and I suspect that NYRA is now also adding in reserved tickets sold in advance that are not used.  (NYRA did not respond to my question on this latter issue.)

So with attendance figures being inflated by several thousand more than last year on each day, when the reported attendance falls below last year’s numbers, it is an ominous development.  On Saturday, for example, NYRA reported attendance of 36,255 compared with 40,594 from last year.  That’s a ten per cent drop even before it is discounted further by the pass holders and reserved tickets sold to those who did not appear.  It is part of at least four days in a row with reported attendance being below the same day last year.  Attendance data for this year is from The Saratogian Pink Sheet.

Now that Fabulous Fillies Day is over, what is New York doing to attract more women as fans?  Teresa Genaro wrote a column in last week’s Saratogian that I did not think was particularly provocative, but sparked outrage from one anonymous troll who was effectively denounced by other commenters (each of whom used their name).  In NYRA CEO Chris Kay’s initial press conference two years ago, he identified attracting more women as fans as one of his priorities.  He had just started, so one would not expect he had fully-formed ideas.  Since then, NYRA has continued the inane Fabulous Fillies Day where everyone wears pink and there is a celebratory lunch. but I cannot think of another initiative unless you count the equally inane concert for mothers and their girls starring someone who can now be seen in pimple commercials.

The NYRA Board continues to be a club for white men.  Of the twenty who have been appointed by the Governor, legislative leaders and the “old” NYRA, there has been but one woman, and she has since resigned.  There has yet to be a Latino/a or non-white appointee.  The Governor has two vacancies to which he can make appointments, but has not done so in a while.

When I was writing about the disputed election for the presidency of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, I read the transcript of the appeal hearing.  NYTHA Board members Linda Rice, Leah Gyarmati and Tina Bond each asked pointed and relevant questions getting to the heart of the issue.  It made the standard NYRA Board meeting, by contrast, look even more pathetic.  So there are knowledgeable women in the business who could make a contribution, but I guess their talents would be wasted if the current leadership is only interested in more yes-men.

Speaking of women and NYRA, it’s good NYRA did not give in to the salary demands of the now-former horse identifier.  Writing in the Racing Form this week, David Grening reported on the departure of Carol Dolan, a 31-year employee of the Horse Identification Office.  Dolan had assumed the duties of chief horse identifier following the resignation of her predecessor, Janet Reid.  When Dolan’s salary requests were not met, she resigned.  I don’t know what she was thinking.  This NYRA clearly does not value those who are not only professional horse people  –  and one who plays an important role in the integrity of the game  –  but long-time employees.  After all, when you have to  to pay a Chief Experience Officer  –  whose salary is the same as the General Counsel  –  you are not going to get that coin by charging for picnic tables.  At some point, Chris Kay is sure to tell us what has been accomplished by this brain storm of his.

I’m sorry, but what racing are we talking about here?  Growing attention is being paid to the influence of performance-enhancing drugs in Track and Field.  As the New York Times reported, the “doping drumbeat is hardly new to track and field, but it is back to deafening levels amid recent allegations of widespread doping by Russian and Kenyan athletes and reports of suspicious blood values recorded by many leading athletes in endurance events in the 2000s.”

I laughed, though, when I read the defense of the sport by a representative of the International Association of Athletics Federations:

If you don’t follow the rules, they’ll take you down.  So why are we getting torn down as a sport for that?  Do you think other sports would take some of their biggest stars and let you know that they did something very wrong?  No.  Track and Field does, but since track and field does that, we get torn down.

Kind of sounds like those who are still in denial that horse racing has a doping problem.

 

 

NYRA backtracks on equine safety – an update

Posted by noonante on August 21, 2015
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

The following article is based on one I posted on August 15.  Following its publication, I received a communication from the spokesperson for New York’s Gaming Commission who provided me with a letter from Dr. Scott Palmer, D.V.M., Chair of the Task Force, who had determined it was not immediately necessary to change the ratio of purse levels to the claiming price.  While I had requested documents under the New York public records law, this letter apparently was not in the possession of the Gaming Commission.  This post discusses that letter as well as other factual material not included in the original post.

The New York Racing Association is running claiming races contrary to a key standard of the 2012 Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety.  The Task Force stated that the ratio of the purse amount to the claiming price “should be no greater than 1.6.”  Over the first 23 days of the Saratoga meet, NYRA has carded races that exceed that ratio 34 times.

The Task Force was created in 2012 following a significant increase in equine fatalities on Aqueduct’s inner track.  It was composed of widely-respected racing figures and chaired by Dr. Scott Palmer, D.V.M. It was charged with investigating the causes of the breakdowns and making recommendations.  One focus of their work was the infusion of revenues from Video Lottery Terminals that went to NYRA purses, especially in lower-level claiming races.  The Task Force concluded that the existing regulation

“contained no provision to address a potential imbalance between the value of the horse and the purse of the race, as occurred during the Aqueduct meet.  This imbalance contributed to perceptions that horses were being entered in claiming races beyond their level of competition and forced to perform to the point of serious injury or death.”

The agency regulating racing adopted a rule limiting the purse to claim ration to 2.0, but the Task Force found this inadequate to protect equine safety:  “… the Task Force believes that the purse to claim price ratio should be no greater than 1.6, in which the value of the horse is approximately equal to the winner’s share of the purse, and that the Rule should be amended accordingly.”  The Task Force conclusion is consistent with that of the American Association of Equine Practitioners which, in 2009, stated that the ratio should not be greater than 1.5.

Governor Andrew Cuomo agreed.  When he released the Task Force report on September 28, he directed the regulatory agency to amend the “claiming rule to allow a purse-to-claim ratio no greater than 1.6 to 1.”

In an interesting development, Dr. Palmer retreated from the Task Force’s recommendation three days later.  He cited the unintended economic consequence that might put New York at a competitive disadvantage with neighboring states that also had casino-fueled purse increases.  While one would conclude from reading the Task Force Report that equine and rider safety were paramount, Palmer was now weighing the economic considerations:

“The Task Force believes that [the 1.6 ratio] is a defensible ration from a pure safety-goal oriented perspective, but recognizes that in this situation there are degrees of risk aversion that may be effective, even if they are not absolute.”

(Emphasis mine.)

He further determined that the existing 2.0 rule

“may have already achieved the desired effect by providing a more appropriate ratio that has diminished the incentive to race horses at an undervalued price….  The existing rule change may well have established a balance between equine safety and economic viability, particularly when taken in the context of the implementation of the other recommendations of the Task Force.”

What is puzzling about this rationale is that the “other recommendations” of the Task Force could not have been implemented since the Palmer letter came only three days after the Report’s release.  Also, the existing 2.0 rule had yet to be in effect at the time of the Aqueduct meet.  It was adopted at the end of the spring 2012 meet, and had yet to be tested at the track that is the focus of so much attention regarding racing fatalities.

Since the 2012 crisis, Aqueduct has had two more occasions when fatalities provoked concern by New York’s racing officials.  The catastrophic injuries early in the 2012-2013 Aqueduct meeting caused David Skorton, then the Chair of the NYRA Board to raise the possibility that racing at the Big A should be cancelled altogether.  A member of the Franchise Oversight Board referred to the “killing fields” of Aqueduct.  In the 2014-2015 meet, fatalities resulted in NYRA adopting several hastily-conceived steps intended to address the problem.

In 2015, there were 10 fatal breakdowns at Aqueduct, including three on the main track.  Two of the seven inner track fatalities were in races where the purse-to-claiming ratio exceeded 1.6, albeit by minor amounts.  Two of three main track fatalities came in races where the ratio exceeded 1.6.

The Equibase chart for one of those main tracks fatalities was particularly poignant in light of the comment from the Task Force Report that “horses were being entered in claiming races beyond their level of competition and forced to perform to the point of serious injury or death.”  The chart for the first race on April 16 reported “ZENSTONE pressured on the pace inside by SONG BROOK early on and then PATRIA QUERIDA, got set down spinning just off the inside for home, inched away to the eighth pole, dug in under growing threat inside the final sixteenth, was caught in the last jumps while safe for the place honors, then was vanned off after the finish.”  The filly later died.

Was the $40,000 purse for a $20,000 claiming price the reason Zenstone did not survive her final game effort?  Since catastrophic injuries can have several possible reasons, it would be foolish to make that conclusion.  Are the four Aqueduct fatalities in ten races statistically significant?  No, given the small sample size.  (Saratoga’s 34 races exceeding the 1.6 standard mercifully have not resulted in any fatalities reported on the Gaming Commission web site.)

When Dr. Palmer wrote his October 1, 2012 letter, he recommended against an emergency change in the regulations to drop from 2.0 to 1.6, instead saying that the 2.0 rule should “be kept in place until such time that a deliberate analysis of  the potential unintended consequences that a proposed change in the ratio to 1.6 may be determined.”  While such a discrete analysis has not been done, the spokesperson for the Gaming Commission assured me that Dr. Palmer maintains that ratios greater than 2.0 are still inappropriate.

It’s a curious way to conduct the people’s business.  A well-regarded panel of experts prepared a lengthy report explicitly rejecting the 2.0 ratio and replacing it with a 1.6 ratio.  That ratio is consistent with the recommendation of the national veterinary group.  The Governor endorsed that proposal and directed the regulatory body (now the Gaming Commission) to change its regulations.  The chair of the Task Force reconsidered and sent a letter three days later, but it never made it to the regulatory body.  Since they did not have the letter, it is not clear if not amending the rule was the result of bureaucratic inertia or communications for which there is no written record.

What is clear, however, is that it is time to conduct the analysis recommended by Dr. Palmer.  New York racing does not need another winter of negative publicity concerning safety at Aqueduct.  Taking the claiming ratio off the table as an outstanding issue would be a step in the right direction.

 

 

 

NYRA backtracks on equine safety

Posted by noonante on August 15, 2015
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

The New York Racing Association is running claiming races that violate a key standard of the 2012 Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety.  The Task Force stated that the ratio of the purse amount to the claiming price “should be no greater than 1.6.”  Over the first 20 days of the Saratoga meet, NYRA has carded races that exceed that ratio 28 times.

The Task Force was created in 2012 following a significant increase in equine fatalities on Aqueduct’s inner track.  It was composed of widely-respected racing figures and was charged with investigating the causes of the breakdowns and making recommendations.  One focus of their work was the infusion of revenues from Video Lottery Terminals that went to NYRA purses, especially in lower-level claiming races.  The Task Force concluded that the existing regulation

“contained no provision to address a potential imbalance between the value of the horse and the purse of the race, as occurred during the Aqueduct meet.  This imbalance contributed to perceptions that horses were being entered in claiming races beyond their level of competition and forced to perform to the point of serious injury or death.”

The New York agency regulating racing adopted a rule limiting the purse to claim ration to 2.0, but the Task Force found this inadequate to protect equine safety:  “… the Task Force believes that the purse to claim price ratio should be no greater than 1.6, in which the value of the horse is approximately equal to the winner’s share of the purse, and that the Rule should be amended accordingly.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo agreed.  When he released the Task Force report, he directed NYRA and the regulatory agency to amend the “claiming rule to allow a purse-to-claim ratio no greater than 1.6 to 1.”

It is a matter of more than academic interest.  The Task Force determined that 17 of the 21 fatalities it investigated occurred in claiming races.  It concluded that the “disproportionate number of claiming horses in the population of fatalities suggests that inadequate protection was afforded to this class of horse.”

 

Scenes from Saratoga (re-posted)

Posted by noonante on August 14, 2015
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

I apologize to those who did not see the photos in the original post.  I hope I have fixed the issue.

Saratoga guests throng The Chris Kay Museum on Whitney Day

untitled (1 of 1)       untitled (1 of 1)

On a day when NYRA announced attendance of 36,471, the people CEO Chris Kay likes to refer to as “guests” did not appear to appreciate Kay’s self-indulgent monument to himself.  The structure houses plaques and memorabilia for winners of the Saratoga Red Jacket  –  or, as Kay has said, the “prestigious Red Jacket.”  This is something Kay started two years ago to honor personalities whose accomplishments have been a major part of the Saratoga charm over the years, such as Allen Jerkens, Angel Cordero and Tom Durkin.  Another part of that charm, of course, are the tall trees that populate Saratoga’s backyard, providing shade and natural beauty.  Kay had six of those trees cut down to build his structure  –  something no one ever expressed a need for, and if these pictures are an indication, do not want.

 

Seriously?

untitled (1 of 1)

While the NYRA CEO can build a vanity project, he has yet to figure out how to repair an escalator that has been out of service for a year.  As anyone who has lived in an urban area or been to a shopping mall can attest, escalators do break down, but are repaired within days.  On Wednesday, the NYRA Board announced that Kay would receive a $250,000 bonus for the past year.

 

Isn’t it time for NYRA to end their false attendance silliness?

DSC_3606

 

 

DSC_3607

This was the last seven sections of the grandstand on Wednesday when NYRA announced attendance of 23,780.  Last year it was revealed that NYRA was counting total season pass sales in the daily attendance whether or not the pass was used.  This meant that the figures announced for the entire 2014 meet were inflated by 179,345, by counting pass holders who did not actually attend.  On average, only 1  of every 6 pass holders actually go to a day’s races.  Since the number of season passes sold this year are some 2,000 greater than last year, this year’s figures are even more inflated than last year.  Also, I suspect that NYRA also counts the total number of reserved seats sold for each day even if the individual does not appear.  NYRA did not respond to my request for comment on this.

 

America’s Grandest Race Course

DSC_3592

This outhouse appears to be a permanent fixture of the Saratoga environment.  I assume it is there for the individuals who work in the tent when a race is being televised, but it was also there during the winter.  It must be a major attraction for those who live across the street, as well as those walking by on Nelson Avenue.

 

NYRA Board less diverse than GOP primary field

Posted by noonante on August 13, 2015
Posted in: Political/Social commentary, Politics. Tagged: , , . 1 Comment

The day before the New York Racing Association conducted “Fabulous Fillies” Day at Saratoga, it announced that yet another white male had been appointed to its Board of Directors.

In its almost three years of existence, the Board created by Governor Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders has had 20 directors.  The Governor makes eight appointees, legislative leaders make four and the “old” NYRA makes five

The one woman appointed resigned.  The remaining 19 have all been white men.

Scenes from Saratoga

Posted by noonante on August 13, 2015
Posted in: Political/Social commentary, Politics, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , . 4 Comments

Saratoga guests throng The Chris Kay Museum on Whitney Day

PhotoPhoto

On a day when NYRA announced attendance of 36,471, the people CEO Chris Kay likes to refer to as “guests” did not appear to appreciate Kay’s self-indulgent monument to himself.  The structure houses plaques and memorabilia for winners of the Saratoga Red Jacket  –  or, as Kay has said, the “prestigious Red Jacket.”  This is something Kay started two years ago to honor personalities whose accomplishments have been a major part of the Saratoga charm over the years, such as Allen Jerkens, Angel Cordero and Tom Durkin.  Another part of that charm, of course, are the tall trees that populate Saratoga’s backyard, providing shade and natural beauty.  Kay had six of those trees cut down to build his structure  –  something no one ever expressed a need for, and if these pictures are an indication, do not want.

 

Seriously?

Photo

While the NYRA CEO can build a vanity project, he has yet to figure out how to repair an escalator that has been out of service for a year.  As anyone who has lived in an urban area or been to a shopping mall can attest, escalators do break down, but are repaired within days.  On Wednesday, the NYRA Board announced that Kay would receive a $250,000 bonus for the past year.

Isn’t it time for NYRA to end their false attendance silliness?

Photo

Photo

This was the last seven sections of the grandstand on Wednesday when NYRA announced attendance of 23,780.  Last year it was revealed that NYRA was counting total season pass sales in the daily attendance whether or not the pass was used.  This meant that the figures announced for the entire 2014 meet were inflated by 179,345, by counting pass holders who did not actually attend.  On average, only 1  of every 6 pass holders actually go to a day’s races.  Since the number of season passes sold this year are some 2,000 greater than last year, this year’s figures are even more inflated than last year.  Also, I suspect that NYRA also counts the total number of reserved seats sold for each day even if the individual does not appear.  NYRA did not respond to my request for comment on this.

America’s Grandest Race Course

Photo

This outhouse appears to be a permanent fixture of the Saratoga environment.  I assume it is there for the individuals who work in the tent when a race is being televised, but it was also there during the winter.  It must be a major attraction for those who live across the street, as well as those walking by on Nelson Avenue.

GOP kicks off 2016 political season

Posted by noonante on August 7, 2015
Posted in: Political/Social commentary, Politics. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

I don’t know how we made it through the last 33 months without a presidential debate, but thankfully our nightmare is at long last over.  In words a thought I would never utter, Fox News put on a spirited, lively and informative debate last night.  At least the second group of moderators  –  Megyn Kelly, Chris Wallace and Bret Baier  –  did.  More about the crew moderating the “kids’ table” debate later.

Although the chances of my voting for any of the 17 candidates in a general election are pretty low, here are some impressions from the two events:

  • John Kasich surprised me with his grasp of issues, as well as for his empathetic views on those who are less fortunate and on same-sex marriage.  He has run afoul of Republican orthodoxy for having the temerity to actually accept federal Medicaid dollars for low-income Ohioans, but explained it to voters who twice nominated a so-called “compassionate conservative” for the presidency.
  • Marco Rubio also impressed me.  He was articulate and knowledgeable.  One thing that surprised me about him is how large his ears are  –  a feature that is not exactly an impediment to becoming President.
  • Jeb Bush and Donald Trump were the least surprising candidates.  Bush continues with his plodding style that is unlikely to get anyone excited.  Trump, of course, gets lots of people excited  –  some for, some agin.  He did candidly acknowledge that he gives a lot of money to candidates  –  including Democrats  –  because he expects something in return.  He contributed to Hilary Clinton so she would come to his wedding!
  • The moderators in the earlier debate –  the “kids’ table” or the “happy hour” debate  –  were as bad as the later group was good.  Martha MacCallum and Bill Hemmer appeared to be auditioning for promotions in the Roger Ailes/Fox News hierarchy.  The underlying assumption to many of their questions was an acceptance of right-wing heterodoxy as reality.  Should mosques be placed under surveillance?  How do we stop government hand-outs?  The second group, by contrast, asked specific policy-related questions, often tailored to a particular candidate’s previous positions.
  • Lindsey Graham will take us back to war in Iraq with ground troops.  Ben Carson  –  a doctor  –  will resume waterboarding because he is opposed to “politically correct wars.”
  • Carly Fiorina was clearly the star of the early group.
  • It is unclear why either Jim Gilmore or George Pataki is running.  Neither adds anything not offered by another candidate, although you could say the same about at least another half-dozen.  Both of the former governors stress they were in office on 9/11  –  a dubious qualification at best, and reminiscent of how Rudy Giuliani was able to convert that into winning exactly one delegate.
  • Rick Santorum remains capable of turning any issue back to abortion.  In response to a question on same-sex marriage  –  a group that likely does not have many unwanted pregnancies  –  into his staunch record opposing a woman’s right to choose.  Apparently, this was in case anyone does not already know that about him.  Mike Huckabee topped that with a statement saying “scientists” have proven that human life begins at conception because of some muddled description of DNA testing.

In terms of actual policy positions, there is not much variability among the 17.  All are opposed to funding Planned Parenthood, but with one exception opposed to abortion.  (Pataki is the lone pro-choice candidate, and as one moderator pointed out, a pro-choice candidate has not won a Republican primary in the last 35 years.)  All are opposed to the nuclear deal with Iran, although Fiorina seems to be the lone pragmatist acknowledging it was the best we are going to get.  Immigration?  You can probably guess.  Obamacare?  Please.

The most remarkable omission from the list of debate topics is a subject that should have been foremost  –  race relations.  There was no mention of it during the first debate.  In the second debate, there was a question to one candidate (Scott Walker) about “Black Lives Matter,” but nothing approaching a discussion.  Then the last question of the more than three hours of debate was one about the state of race relations  –  to Ben Carson.  There were, however, questions to several candidates about whether he had received a “word from God,’ that was then incongruously mixed in with a question about veterans.  In fairness, however, the Democratic candidates have not exactly covered themselves with glory when the matter of race comes up.

All in all, however, I thought the second Fox crew did an excellent job in managing an unwieldy group of 10 candidates in the two hours (including commercials) allotted.  We at least know more about each candidate than we did two days ago.

Stewards’ decisions in New York are an embarrassment for racing

Posted by noonante on July 28, 2015
Posted in: Horse Racing, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , . 2 Comments

In two of the three graded stakes run at Saratoga this weekend, the winner was decided by the Stewards’ disqualifying the horse who crossed the finish line first.  By their nature, DQ’s are going to be controversial since the losing bettor is often disgruntled.  The New York agency that regulates gambling announced in May that it would publish the reasoning of the Stewards to promote transparency and integrity in racing.  Unfortunately, the published decisions are anything but transparent.

In Saturday’s Grade II Sanford, Magna Light was leading down the stretch before sharply veering out from the rail, crossing in front of his rivals.  He then moved back in towards the rail, again crossing in front of those chasing him.  There did not appear to be any contact, although it looked like Percolator may have checked when the leader made his second move..  Magna Light finished 3/4 of a length in front of Uncle Vinny, who was 1/2 length ahead of Percolator.  The “inquiry” sign flashed, and Percolator’s jockey lodged an objection.

It was not clear to me which of Magna Light’s deviations from running straight was the problem, although the jockey’s objection would indicate he thought it was the second move.  In my opinion, however, I did not think the winner should be DQ’d.  (I did not have a wager on the race.)  The Stewards disagreed, placing Magna Light third and moving Uncle Vinny to first and Percolator to second.

Here is the actual text of the Stewards” ruling from NYRA’s web site:

Race 9: Steward’s Inquiry and Jockey’s Objection:  Kendrick Carmouche, the rider of # 10 Percolator, lodged an objection against the winner, # 4 Magna Light, for alleged interference in stretch. # 4 Magna Light racing on the lead shifts out several paths after passing the 1/8 pole. # 10 steadies briefly though # 4 is clear when crossing.  # 4 then drifts back down toward the # 10 in the final strides causing # 4 to steady.
# 4 finishes third, beaten a half-length for second.
After reviewing the race videos and speaking with the riders involved, # 4 is disqualified from first and placed third, behind # 10.
The Stewards obviously did not bother to proof read their decision since they twice referred to the #10 horse (Percolator) as #4.  More significantly, of course, is that there is no explanation for their decision.  Was it the first move by Magna Light that was the problem, or was it the second?  Did it affect the outcome of the race, or was he being penalized for interference even though it did not affect the final result?  (The Gaming Commission, NYRA and The Jockey Club each appoint a steward.)
When New York’s Gaming Commission ballyhooed its decision to publish the Stewards’ decisions back in May, it said the decisions of stewards would “include detailed explanations of any rulings, inquiries, claims of foul and more.”  The Commission further stated that the votes would be published  – whether “unanimous or majority-ruled.”  Clearly, neither was done here.  There is also nothing in the decision that is not already known to anyone who saw the race  –  except, of course, for the conclusion.
The Saturday ruling, however, is the norm for every decision emanating from the stewards since the May announcement of the Gaming Commission.  Sunday’s decision elevating Curalina over I’m a Chatterbox is similarly devoid of even a hint of an explanation or the voting breakdown of the stewards.  At least in that case, one can assume the winner’s bumping Curalina near the finish was the reason for the DQ.
The idea behind making the reasoning transparent, of course, is that fans and bettors should not have to assume.  The Commission’s May press release highlighted the importance of promoting integrity in racing, but when you do not know the actual reasoning underlying a decision, it weakens confidence in the sport.
Todd Pletcher coincidentally was the beneficiary of both DQ’s, having trained the official winners.  The conspiracy theorists are already claiming that was the real basis for both decisions.  An owner of Magna Light reportedly asserted that the Mexican heritage of trainer Rudy Rodriguez was the basis for that decision.  They have appealed the DQ to the Gaming Commission.
While I think the speculations on the “real” reason for the DQ’s are ridiculous, the Stewards did themselves no favors by putting out a meaningless explanation that made little sense.  Unfortunately, it is also another example of New York’s racing officials putting out press releases that have little connection to reality  –  yet another blow to the goal of fostering integrity.