The big question?????

[jacckk8]

Will Saratoga open? If so, with or without fans... or with or without the famous “yellow blanket”?

Jack

[jacckk8]

Hooper...as chairman of the condo..,what do you think?

[1hooper]

Papa Jack,
I will be shocked if there is normal meet for fans. The meet lures fans from all over the world and the Fasig Tipton August yearling sales have been chopped.
The best we can hope for is probably owners allowed into the paddock and phone betting. How do you decide what fans to admit?
It sucks after 47 consecutive Travers but I can't envision the blanket getting inside this year.
A treatment breakthrough in the next 6 weeks is our only hope.
What do you think? You lived in Saratoga for awhile.

[tenfurlongs]

I think fans who have already bought season passes should be allowed... .

TW

[tenfurlongs]

Other than the restrooms and the 1863 Club, it is an open-air facility. If restaurants and retailers (indoors) will be allowed to have limited customer capacity, it could certainly be done for an outdoor venue. One-third of the grandstand/clubhouse seats utilized (checkerboard pattern), and back yard seating at properly spaced picnic tables only. Masks if you cannot properly distance at any point, and always in an enclosed situation (bathrooms), which could operate at half-capacity too. The logistics aren't complicated, but the admission details could be a nightmare. Who gets in? Who doesn't? Purchase in advance on Ticketmaster only? No walk-ins, clearly. Temperature checks at the gate? Throw out anybody who coughs (too much pepper on sandwich)? Who gets a picnic table? Online daily random drawings the day before? Can I stand at the paddock fence? No one from a country/state/county/city with a certain level of "active" viral spread? Essential Workers Day, once a week? How do you establish those criteria? Are concession stands open? Tellers or self-betting machines/apps only? Who enforces all this, and how compliant will guests be, after alcohol consumption and a losing day? Fun times ahead. Thoughts welcomed.

TW

[mattcoll]

Betting APP by your own phone , order food by app and it's brought to you or a set location , probably some moving and shuffling of the limited seating...but it's time to be creative for OUTDOOR activities.  Some people will stay away on their own, others will ignore all the rules and ruin it for everyone one else....but demand is there for people who want to go and can do it the right way.

I'd love to book a day for a group of 8.  Been a while since I've heard the hoofs pounding and TV misses so much of the experience.

[1hooper]

Will have to tell TW my open air restroom story during the 1979 General Assembly Travers one day.

[gam]

Not sure I could find a link to it but Cuomo’s comments back in early May(?) made it sound unlikely fans would be permitted. The most I can see would be limited attendance permitted, and who knows how’d they run that. Lottery for admission?

[jacckk8]

As an old Saratogian...as much as I hate to admit it.. I think it is fanless!

The economy will be crippled up there. So many motels and shops and restaurants will suffer. I’m sure they want to keep Skidmore College($$$) free from this Covid potential .. again..

Canadians might not be allowed yet?? Not sure and will European clients / owners allowed to fly here yet? Not sure on that either.

Sadly.. and I hope I am wrong.. I say 75/25 chance of not opening!

Or.. make the meet September! Gorgeous weather there and have a 5 day meet! Watch the Derby there!

Crazy ideas ...lol

[gam]

Oh, they'll have the meet, barring a major change between now and scheduled opening day. NYRA absolutely wants to run there, even if fans are not permitted. They anticipate the handle will jump considerably for racing there. Again, if fans are permitted, there'll be a limit imposed.

[gam]

Canterbury Park allowing limited fans. Depending upon how things go, this is the most I'd think we'll see for Saratoga and other venues. What number of fans do you guys think Saratoga might be able to permit on site? Based on my experience being there with much larger announced attendance, I think 2,000 fans can be on-track and remain fairly distanced.

[tenfurlongs]

Just did some quick “back of the PPs” calculations, based on Ticketmaster Virtual Venue and Google Maps.

Not counting the indoor 1863 Club, the owners boxes or The Stretch. Also not counting the porch, dining or apron seating.

clubhouse seats, sections B-L: 11 sections x 11 rows x 20 seats across= 2420 fixed seats.

Grandstand seats, sections M-T: 8 sections x 15 rows x 20 seats across= 2400 fixed seats.

If you allow 50% capacity= 2410 guests.
If you allow 33% capacity= 1590 guests.
If you allow 25% capacity= 1205 guests


backyard is roughly 1000 ft across x 200 ft deep. If you place a picnic table in the center of a 12’ x 12’ square, you could subdivide 83 x 16 squares. But this would not account for paths, fixed structures, trees, etc. Let’s approximate that 60% of that space is usable. 50 x 10= 500 tables. If you limit tables to four guests= 2000 fixed seats.

Additional benches are scattered throughout the facility, but I don’t know how you distribute or regulate that seating. So, depending on the level of distancing you could accommodate between 3200 and 4400 guests. 




TW

[DoctorDisaster]

I applied for a job with the grounds crew
If  you can't beat em....join em
hope I don't get fired the first week

[tenfurlongs]

FWIW...

We were just listening to a podcast that features John Hardoon, the guy who does the Ragozin Sheets seminars at Saratoga. He happens to be in town now, and he said he's hearing that they may well be able to have limited admissions, assuming that the Phase Four opening-criteria are met on schedule. He didn't mention a source.

TW

[gam]

You’d hate to get too restrictive, but it’d probably help the cause to have no open betting windows and inform those who got passes that all wagers would have to be made via electronic devices.

[tenfurlongs]

Latest rumor: Business owners in Saratoga are hearing some rumblings that if things continue to progress smoothly, on August 1st the track could start to allow up to 10,000 patrons. No reliable sourcing, but if you (NYS/NYRA) are considering opening to fans, wouldn't you have to quietly get the word out to the right people so that local businesses and lodgings could make preparations? Stay tuned.

TW

[gam]

Tom, personally, I have a hard time seeing 10k. I imagine it could be done in a reasonably safe manner but the optics might not be acceptable.

[quickcall]

If they allow fans in at a limited amount, who gets in? That, to me, is the big question.

[gam]

Just watching the NASCAR event and they said they allowed 5k fans. I guess there’s hope.

[tenfurlongs]

Monmouth will allow some fans:

Who saw this coming? NJ Gov. Phil Murphy has announced that fans will be allowed to attend the races at Monmouth when the meet begins on July 3. There will, however, be limits on attendance, as well as social distancing and mask requirements. Details to come.

from the Saratoga Special




TW

[gam]

Wondering if it’ll be crowded on the fence at Nelson Ave.

[gam]

Latest developments far from encouraging for presence of fans. My county closing down alcohol sales at bars/restaurants again starting today.

[jacckk8]

Bars closed down here in Sarasota Fl. We must wear mask effective today.
No way I can fly to Saratoga..,Cuomo will have me in lockdown. Lol..

Going miss Saratoga...but I guess I am not alone.

Not sounding good for my old town. Geez

Jack

[spiderjohn]

more interested in what is going on your way, jack
wanting to head that way, not so sure.....
beach closed? restaurants?

some benefit to living in a small town in a quiet state---becoming a better idea every day

[DoctorDisaster]

Jun 23, 2020 19:19:30 GMT -5 gam said:

Wondering if it’ll be crowded on the fence at Nelson Ave.

I'm making one of those ladder stands so I can glass over the fence.I'll be six feet in the air.

[gam]

There is a thread on this at Tgraph. One interesting post, someone claiming to have connections said many plans were under consideration, including starting the meet in September. Imagine starting Labor Day weekend as opposed to ending then.

[soundsofsaratoga]

Hey gam is there a place I can read that article or is it a subscription based article.

[gam]

I was just referring to the message board at Thorograph, and a thread there I came across: www.thorograph.com/phorum/read.php?1,118964,118969#msg-118969]


Maybe Tom, Colleen or Doc can provide some local knowledge.

[soundsofsaratoga]

Thanks going to read it

[elkurzhal]

Condition book is out, with July 16th start date. Also saw a twitter post saying NYRA had emailed unlit refunding a reservation. Looks like the show will go on, sans fans. Really sorry for all you guys who make it out there. Those live meet ups are what bonds this board together. Maybe I’ll make it back in 2021!