Advice for Saratoga Horse Racing

Brought my own beer in.  Founders All Day IPA was a good choice as its only 4%

It was a fun day.  Like I said I had plenty of tickets cashed and lost well less than than my limit.  Occasionally a sports result where a bad ref call just tips the score inside the point spread or a race like this where you go WTF just happened and when you do the math you come to understand the track benefited to the tune of millions with that unknown long shot winning.  It makes you wonder if the fix was in.  It has nothing to do with Matts screwed up thoughts that I won't get into outdid the OT section.

Let's do a NY Ski Blog track day next summer.

Sounds good
Would we do seating or the picnic grove?  You live in that area I think Jeff so I think you can go in early and hold a spot.

You can now make a reservation for a picnic table (used to be strictly first come, first served), so that's what I'd do.  I think it's $10 per person ($60 for the table).  We'd do a mountain bike ride at 9, then hit the track.  Penalty chugs (or shots) for anyone who talks politics.

This sounds like a good day, why don't we do it this year? Plenty of Track days left.

Also, I talk politics on here so I don't have to do it in real life. Politics are stupid.

Also, I'll drive up from Clifton Park, rather than pay to reserve a table at the track.

That's some Gore Mountain paid parking shit and I refuse to do it on principle.

Agreed

That's cool.  I suggested next year just because my next 3 weekends are shot, then it's Travers (bad time to go to the track) and then it's Labor Day.  But if we can make it happen this year (with or without me), all the better.

Who all is in besides me and Matt?

Might be tough this year.  I don't have many free weekends either.

How about Friday the 19th? I'm always up for taking a Friday off for the track.

We were there Saturday for the last 4 races. I don't know that I would say any horses were holding back in the jim dandy. One of the favorites did bump coming out of the gate and it seemed like a bit of a slow start after the bump. But then #2 took the lead and never lost it. He was challenged twice towards the end but held the others off. I had money on the other longshot (#6) and also had an exacta on the favorites. $2 paid $56. Would have been a good hedge in hindsight.

Coach Z wrote

Long shot with very little money on it wins wire to wire.  While big money triple crown winner and placing horses seem to be hold back.  Trainers said the race was oddly run.  The track had to make a killing on this.  Oh and the winning horse thru his jockey after the wire.  Seems like the fix was in.

I had Creator hooked up with Mohaymen.  Didn't work out of course....  that being said, as the Andy Serling said after Pharoah, a triple crown winner, lost the Travers... "Thats why we run 'em".  With that, Creator was not a tripple crown winner.  He won at Belmont and lost at the Derby and didn't run the Preakness.  All the "big money" horses weren't even at Saratoga last weekend, they were down in Jersey at the Haskell.  This horse coming in was not that surprising.  He had some killer workouts earlier in the week and had one of the best jockies in the country on his back.  

Also, the track didn't "make a killing".  You are betting in a parimutuel system.  The house takes a 15-24% cut, depending on the bet type, out of the entire pool.  They don't care who wins, they make the same amount of money no matter what.  That is why odds constantly change... the payouts for each horse are locked to how much each horse has bet on it in each pool.  The house ALWAYS wins in parimutuel systems... and always wins the same percentage every time.

Always remember, at the end of the day its a bag of meat with a smaller bag of meat on it.  

...Also, don't pay for picnic tables in the "pen".  There is no shade, they don't allow tents back there, and the tables are packed in like sardines.  Get up here early, get a table, got to breakfast, hang around town, hit the races.  

If we do decide to do a get together I'd be up for that.  I can run across town and get a block of tables... No go on the 19th.  Maybe we play the long game and do something next season.  

what I don't understand is why some trainers kill it elsewhere and come to NY and suck it up

are the rules different allowing for what they can and cant due by state?  

Coach Z wrote

what I don't understand is why some trainers kill it elsewhere and come to NY and suck it up

are the rules different allowing for what they can and cant due by state?

The trainers that really clean up (Chad Brown, Mott, Todd Pletcher) do it by a simple numbers game.  They run a horse in nearly every race.  They are good at what they do but they do a lot of it.  They also have the best relationships with the best jockies and have owners who don't get in their way.  These three run horses here while also working at many tracks across the US at the same time... and they pick the best of their barn to come to Saratoga.    

There are different governing bodies that allow different use of drugs at various tracks.  Lasix is allowed at most tracks in the US.  Overseas it isn't.  

Also, Saratoga tends to be a weird track.  Its a longer track but spends that time more in turns then straights.  Our final stretch is also a bit shorter.  It also has one of the stranger paddock locations.  It tends to throw a lot of horses off their game.  That is why Saratoga has such weird outcomes.  

good to know
thanks

Next time you go really spend some time watching the Jockies.  To me, that is where the real story is.  I truly believe that the only reason American Pharoah lost the travers last year was due to his jockey.  Victor Espinoza only ran the travers that day.  He did not know the course.  He was racing against Saratoga veterans who simply out jockeyed him.  

Footer wrote

Next time you go really spend some time watching the Jockies.  To me, that is where the real story is.  I truly believe that the only reason American Pharoah lost the travers last year was due to his jockey.  Victor Espinoza only ran the travers that day.  He did not know the course.  He was racing against Saratoga veterans who simply out jockeyed him.

I think it was because he was over raced and was pressed by Frosted in the Travers. JMO

After reading through this thread it is clear Footer knows a lot about horse racing.

After reading through this thread it is clear that Couch Z knows a lot about skiing and golf.

I go to the races once a year and know very little
Thanks for sharing