Kay Talks Saratoga

by Mike Kane 
While American Pharoah remains a possibility for Saratoga Race Course this summer, there definitely will be plenty of changes awaiting visitors this summer. New York Racing Association CEO and President Chris Kay delivered the news Monday during NYRA’s annual pre-season press conference: 

– NYRA has added 100 picnic tables to the backyard that it will rent on a daily basis throughout the 40-day season, which opens on Friday, July 24. Kay said that 850 tables, the same number as last year, will still be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

– The lower level of the Carousel will be changed into a sports bar with reserved seating and 40 high-definition televisions that will show racing and other sports. Previously tables and chairs in that space on the back of the grandstand were free of charge. 

– A museum–the Saratoga Walk of Fame–is being constructed on the grounds, to house plaques and memorabilia of people selected for the Red Jacket Ceremony, begun by Kay in 2012, for making important contributions to the track. This year’s inductees are Mary Lou Whitney and Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps. A half-dozen large trees that provided shade in the backyard were removed to make room for the structure located near the Carousel. 

– Two of the four popular giveaway days have been moved from Sundays to what are typically low-attendance weekdays, a Monday and Wednesday. 

– The annual free Open House, held for 34 years on the Sunday prior to the start of the season, has been eliminated. Non-profit organizations that had raised money at the open house have been offered the opportunity to operate a booth on some weekdays during the meet. 

– NYRA track announcer Larry Collmus takes over at Saratoga for Tom Durkin, who retired at the end of last season. Collmus called one day of racing at the track 14 years ago. 

– The Tom Durkin Replay Center will be located in the Carousel. 

Kay said he started wooing American Pharoah’s owner Ahmed Zayat and trainer Bob Baffert moments after the colt completed his sweep of the Triple Crown in the June 6 GI Belmont S. Zayat said on an NBCSN telecast on June 13 at Churchill Downs that the GI Haskell Invitational Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey was the likely next start for his American Pharoah. A few days later, he tweeted that Saratoga–with the GII Jim Dandy Aug. 1 and the historic GI Travers on Aug. 29–was the leading contender to host the horse. 

During his comments and answering questions afterward, Kay said that several tracks are trying to secure a commitment for American Pharoah. 

“This is a very complicated situation, a very competitive situation,” Kay said. “We have a plan that we think is going to make the most sense. We’ll put our best foot forward and try to encourage Zayat Stables and the connections to come here.

“We also have to recognize that we’re a little different than other racing organizations, which don’t have the kind of government oversight that we have and can’t just make new rules. We’re working a number of different ways within the corporate structure that we currently find ourselves to come up with something that would be very competitive.” 
NYRA has been under the control of New York state since May 2012 and Kay suggested that it does not have the leeway to offer incentives, which Monmouth does through paying appearance bonuses to the owner and trainer of a horse that has won Triple Crown races. 

“We play with the cards that we’re dealt,” he said. “That’s all I can tell you.” 

While NYRA traditionally has stayed away from incentivizing owners to run in its races–and there are no state rules in place from doing so with Thoroughbreds–it did bump the purse of the 2009 GI Woodward S. from $500,000 to $750,000 to encourage the owner of the 3-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra to enter. Rachel Alexandra did compete on a memorable afternoon in front of a crowd of over 30,000 at the Spa and defeated a field of older male horses. 

Kay defended the decision to scrap the 34-year-old Open House, which typically drew families, saying that it was no longer a relevant way to attract new fans. He said NYRA is trying new methods, like a family day on Mondays. 
“Last year, for example, there weren’t that many people,” he said. “In the past, I know they’ve been able to have horses running. It’s extremely difficult to get people to run horses in an exhibition event.” 

Although the attendance figure for 2014 was not available, NYRA reported that 22,000 attended the open house in 2013. Through the years, NYRA releases often listed the crowds in the mid-20,000s and the event received a great deal of local media coverage. 

In the sports bar, four-person tables will be available for reservation for $35 on weekdays and for $50 on Saturdays and Sunday, and $100 on Travers Day. Six-person tables will go for $50 on weekdays, $75 on weekends and $125 on Travers Day. 

“In the last year or year before, the number of people that used that Carousel was limited and it was looking a little bit tired,” Kay said. “What we’re trying to do is upgrade this area and make it into a great sports bar area, like I’ve seen at other great racing venues around the country. To do that, we want to say, ‘OK, you can enjoy it, we’ll have reserved seating at a modest price and enjoy the day.’” 

In recent years, NYRA began selling the use of a small number of picnic tables for use on Travers Day and donated the money to charity. Revenue for the 100 tables located near the paddock, Kay said, will go to NYRA. The rates for the tables: $40 on weekdays, $60 on weekends and $100 on Travers Day. 

Kay said that NYRA has already sold 2,800 season tickets, twice the number at this time last year.