Through the generosity of good friends, my son James and I attended the concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saturday night that was cancelled midstream as the result of a criminal threat. Prior to the cowardly act of someone calling in a terroristic threat against the artists and venue, the rock band Garbage performed before an appreciative crowd. As their performance neared its end, lead singer Shirley Manson triumphantly and emphatically proclaimed “here in the 90’s and still here in the 20’s it’s a ...miracle.” About Saratoga Race Course my peers and I can say - “here in the 70’s and still here in the 20’s it’s a …miracle” and Saratoga Race Course itself can say – “here in the 1860’s and still here in the 2020’s it’s a …miracle.”
With that as backdrop and honoring the maxim “the more things change the more they stay the same” it is worth listing what to expect from this year’s thoroughbred meeting at the historic venue.
Fans can expect to see talented athletes, both equine and human, perform on the large stage for money, prestige, and history. A full complement of champions will be crowned, created, or unmasked in various racing categories.
In no particular order, we can expect to see new stars emerge, established stars confirm their status and other stars upset and beaten. The forty days of racing provides ample time for a full array of experiences both on track and off - some good - some bad.
Each year the relocation of humans and horses from their homebase seems to upset the routine enough to cause unusual results and events. In recent years we have seen a race run at the wrong distance, a race run to the finish but declared “no contest” because a well-meaning outrider warned riders to pull up on the turn and a number of off track incidents involving fans or racing participants that are out of the norm or sad. While it is impossible to predict which such incidents will occur this year, it is safe to say strange things happen here this time of year. You will know them when you see them.
Equally consistent in its inconsistency is weather (and this year smoke conditions). The tendency for extreme rain and/or heat typically leads to rapidly changing track surface conditions and in recent years cancellations. Be prepared.
The one constant that has greatly changed form and methods over the years is the wagering. The current wagering menu is varied and complicated with options previously unavailable to bettors for much of Saratoga Race Course’s history. However, the idea is still the same, bettors wager against each other with the racetrack and government taking a percentage of the money bet as commission for putting on the show (or in the case of government legalizing the action). The percentage taken out or “takeout” in racing parlance, affects the amount returned to winning better in the form of payoffs. One can forgive the average fan for thinking that the takeout is the same on every bet, but it is not.
In New York the takeout is lowest (and therefore value to the bettor best) on Pick 5 and Pick 6 bets on non-carry-over days at 15%. The next best values are the traditional Win, Place and Show pools at 16%, followed by Daily Double and Exacta bets at 18.5%. Those that play Trifectas, Superfectas, Pick 3 or Pick 4 wagers contribute a whopping 24% of amounts bet to takeout (the racetrack and government thank you).
Finally, in what can only be described as a government-sanctioned bait and switch, the takeout on the Pick 6 increases to 24% effectively ceding much of the carryover amount to the racetrack and government rather than the bettors. (Hint: do the math).
What has greatly changed from the 1970s until now is how bets are made. Most bets are now made on line or via pre-established accounts but in a surprise to many, cash is still the only way to bet at the window (or through vouchers purchased at the track with cash). Younger fans not accustomed to using or carrying cash can be seen on the long lines at the few available ATM machines. Save yourself time and fees – bring cash.
Which brings me to a 1970’s flashback. In those days there was no account betting and few ATM’s available anywhere let alone the racetrack. When that was combined with very few banks being open on the weekend, a trip to Saratoga required cash – lots of it. When you had a winning Saturday, it meant you were running around town with wads of greenbacks and even if it were only temporary it felt good – far better than a credit to your wagering or checking account. To steal an advertising tag line from the 1970s “Try it – you’ll like it.”
