For those itching to pack the cooler, chomp a cigar and thumb through racing stats under the Saratoga sun, post time just got a little bit closer.
New York Racing Association officials uncovered many of the final details of the coming 2009 racing season at the Saratoga Race Course on Monday, June 29, at the Desmond Hotel in Albany.
Among the revelations made was that the always-anticipated giveaway items will be reduced from five to four this year and will not include the reintroduction of the popular bobblehead dolls, which were pulled in 2008.
Attendees will be treated to the following free merchandise on four Sunday track days while supplies last: on Aug. 2, Alabama Stakes baseball caps; on Aug. 16, Saratoga Race Course short sleeve T-shirt; on Aug. 23, a long sleeve T-shirt; and on Sept. 6, in anticipation of the coming cooler weather, a race-course-red winter cap.
Also targeted for select weekday giveaways is the new jockey autograph book, which will also be available for purchase. It features 10 of the most successful jockeys that fans can endeavor to collect autographs from.
We think it’s a nice opportunity for the kids to interact with the riders, said NYRA Executive Vice President Hal Handel.
Proceeds from sale of the book will benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund.
But for those who make the trek to see the horses, officials say 2009 will offer unparalleled excitement. Stall applications were nearly double the availability for this year, said NYRA Racing Secretary PJ Campo. This year’s Travers has Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird as probable contenders, and NYRA hinted at the possibility of an appearance by Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra.
`If the planets align for us, we will see some of the best races of the summer,` said Campo. `I’ll be looking forward to it, and I pray for sunshine.`
While NYRA has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the economy has also worsened in that time. And as the plight of Las Vegas and other gaming-based recreational hotspots attests, gambling is not the recession-proof industry many had thought it to be.
`Like every other gaming venue in the country, we’ve struggled,` said Handel.
NYRA President Charlie Hayward noted, however, that racinos countrywide are not being affected as badly as vacation hotspots, and he speculated that many people will be taking `stay at home-type vacations` to the track this summer.
So far this year, NYRA’s handle is down 10 percent. The goal at Saratoga this summer will be to limit decline to 5 to 7 percent.
`I think it would be imprudent to say we’re going to turn the decline into a positive,` said Hayward.
Saratoga will be one of the richest tracks in the country, though, with $10.8 million in purse money slated for the coming season.
As in the 28 years previous, the gates of the race course will open three days before the first race for the annual Open House on Sunday, July 26.
The race season will run for 36 days, starting July 29. There will be racing every day except Tuesdays.
While the 141st racing season will be similar to those in years past, 2009 will present a few improvements for attendees. A new restaurant, Curlin CafE (named after the two-time Horse of the Year), will join the dining options at the track and offer a private trackside dining room with butler service and a private bar.
The popular television show `Talking Horses` will broadcast from insides the gates of the race course for the first time. The show, presented by Daily Racing Form, will be broadcast live 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from the Carousel Restaurant.
Not only will ESPN cover Travers Day, on Sunday, Aug. 29, but MSG Plus will be introducing a `Saturdays at Saratoga` program to run Aug. 1 to Sept. 5, from 5 to 6 p.m.
NYRA will be expanding a partnership with Kentucky-based thoroughbred auction firm Fastig-Tipton, which will hold a Festival of Racing event Aug. 8 and 9 to precede its annual yearling sale. In addition to the racing, there will be a free education program entitled `From the Farm to the Finish Line,` a best-groomed horse award and a `Best Turned Out Filly` fashion contest for women. The company will be extending invitations to its clientele worldwide to come experience the Saratoga racing season.
`We want to make Saratoga an international showcase for the best yearlings in the world,` said Fastig-Tipton President Boyd Browning.
As with last year, appreciation for the backstretch workers will be shown through nightly events at the track, including movies shown in Spanish, dinner nights and live concerts. Once again, the chief organizer will be John Hendrickson, husband of city socialite Marylou Whitney.
Lovers of the race course should stay tuned at the end of the year, when plans for renovations and upgrades to the course itself should be ready, according to Hayward. Though he did not reveal specifics, he said around $400,000 has already been spent on designing changes to barns and dorms, as well as to renovate the front side of the course and expand air conditioning. He noted that NYRA will be working with preservation-minded local architect Tom Frost.
`We feel we have a responsibility to the community to get it right,` said Hayward.“