Pat McKenna | Horse Racing Free Tips

NYRA Unveils New Hospitality Venues at Saratoga

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced three new hospitality areas at Saratoga Race Course set to debut during the upcoming 2021 summer meet. The Spa Verandas at the Top of The Stretch, Tailgate at the Turn picnic area and the newly expanded section of The Stretch will be available for the first time Opening Day, Thursday, July 15. Reservations for all three areas will be available beginning Thursday, June 24 at 10:00 a.m. at www.NYRA.com/Saratoga.

“As we prepare to welcome fans back to the Spa for the first time in two years, we are excited to introduce three additional areas where our guests can enjoy a day at Saratoga,” said NYRA Senior Director of Communications Pat McKenna. “The Spa Verandas and Tailgate at the Turn will undoubtedly be popular additions to our group hospitality offerings. And as one of our most in-demand destinations, the expansion of The Stretch will be met with equal enthusiasm. We look forward to the debut of these areas this summer.”

Spa Verandas at The Top of the Stretch – Modern amenities and casual setting with trackside views. Replaces the former Top of the Stretch reserved picnic areas with six new, partially covered sections offering a modern and casual outdoor experience. Designed to accommodate up to 45 guests each, the Spa Verandas will feature comfortable lounge furniture, mounted televisions, betting machines and private access to the track apron for rail side viewing (final turn). Each package comes with admission and programs. Food and beverage packages may be purchased separately.
Tailgate at the Turn Drive-up Picnic Area – Fans experience a day at the Spa from a casual atmosphere offering a unique vantage point of the first turn. The hospitality area will feature a total of 16 designated picnic areas where parties of up to six fans can drive up to their trackside reserved section overlooking the rail adjacent to the 1863 Club. Fans may bring in their own food and beverage. In addition to a private picnic table, fans in the Tailgate at the Turn area will enjoy a hospitality tent with large-screen televisions, betting machines and bar service. Each six-person section must be reserved in full.
The Stretch – Features 15 new lounge boxes – Feature an additional 15 lounge boxes located in Section T of the Grandstand. The private hospitality area–located at the Top of the Stretch–features upscale amenities in a casual environment with outstanding views of the final turn. Each lounge box seats four to six guests with comfortable bench seating and access to personal tablets. Ticket holders to The Stretch enjoy exclusive access to a full-service bar, kitchen and concessions, high-definition televisions and video screens, and private restrooms. Fans also enjoy a relaxed dress code at The Stretch.

The lifting of all COVID-19 protocols, including the requirement for fans to provide vaccination status, applies to all hospitality areas and venues within the facility, including these three new sections as well as the popular Saratoga backyard.

Non-vaccinated individuals will be required to wear a facial covering during their day at Saratoga Race Course, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.

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Katie Davis Says NYRA Racing Office Discouraging Trainers From Riding Her

Jockey Katie Davis has alleged that the NYRA racing office has been telling trainers not to ride her because of a New York State Gaming Commission rule that requires that horses running in the same race ridden by a husband and a wife must be coupled. Davis recently married Trevor McCarthy and both are riding at Aqueduct this winter.

Because of the rule, any time McCarthy and Davis compete in the same race there is one less betting interest than normal because of the Gaming Commission rule. The TDN estimates that, on average, each time the coupling rule goes into effect, NYRA loses about $90,000 in handle because of the loss of a betting interest.

“Maybe two weeks after I started here, trainers were starting to tell me they wanted to name me on a horse,” she said. “They'd say, 'It's not me, it's the racing office.' They've been telling trainers if they name me on a horse the race won't go. You've got the racing office convincing trainers that if they really want a race to go they had better name someone else.”

Davis said she has heard the same story from several trainers.

“I've heard this from a lot of the trainers, pretty much everybody I ride for,” she said.

“I understand there is a horse shortage and the racing office is doing its best to put together a card, but they shouldn't do it at the expense of someone's career. That isn't right,” said Davis' agent, Mike Monroe.

Through spokesperson Pat McKenna, NYRA denied Davis's allegations.

“These accusations are completely false and without merit,” McKenna said. “In fact, NYRA has consistently advocated for modernized rules regarding coupled entries in New York state and we will continue to do so for the benefit of New York racing as a whole.”

Davis and McCarthy, who were married in mid-December, came to New York after riding in Maryland and were unaware of the Gaming Commission rule. Starting Jan. 1, the Gaming Commission began to enforce the rule regarding married riders. Through Feb. 5, McCarthy has had 12 winners at the meet from 122 mounts. Davis has gone just one for 43. She picked up her first winner Friday, one race after crossing the wire first only to get taken down by the stewards for interference. Their ruling came after her brother, Dylan Davis, claimed foul against her. Horses ridden by siblings, like brothers Irad and Jose Ortiz, do not have to be coupled.

Davis said she has no intention of returning to Maryland.

“Trevor and I have decided to stick together and not let these people walk all over us,” she said. “It's not fair. I'm just trying to make a living and there's no reason for me to stop riding here.”

Davis has hired an attorney, who has asked the Gaming Commission to issue an emergency rule rescinding the current rule covering married riders.

In a letter sent to Robert Williams, the executive director of the New York State Gaming Commission, lawyer William Gotimer Jr. wrote: “This rule has added to the many difficulties female riders face in pursuit of their careers and should be rectified. Due to application of this anachronistic rule Ms. Davis must make a choice between entering into the Constitutionally protected state of matrimony and furthering her career. This is not something that should be mandated by a government agency.”

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NYRA Excludes Computer Players from Pick Six Pool

NYRA is no longer accepting wagers from customers using computer assisted wagering (CAW) programs on its Empire Six wager. The new policy took effect Feb. 4.

The Empire Six joins NYRA's Late Pick 5 and the Cross Country Pick 5 as pools that are now closed to a group of bettors who use computer algorithms to place their wagers and are known for betting huge amounts, particularly when there is a large carryover in a pool or a mandatory payout day.

This was the second step in a process that began Jan. 1 when NYRA eliminated the jackpot portion of the Pick Six wager. No matter how many winning tickets are sold on the bet, which costs 20 cents, the entire pool is now paid out every racing day.

With its new policies, NYRA is attempting to deal with what is becoming a growing problem for the sport in general. It is hard for tracks to turn down the business from CAW players because of the substantial contributions they make to handle. However, the computer players are generally so successful that their winning wagers cut substantially into payoffs, penalizing players who don't enjoy the same advantages. Over time, catering to CAW players runs the risk of emptying the pockets of a track's regular players.

The computer players have also been known to scoop up entire pools of wagers like jackpot Pick Sixes on the mandatory payout day. On Nov. 30, the Empire Six at Aqueduct paid $482,817. There was only one winning ticket on the bet and it was sold by the Elite Turf Club, which caters to large volume, computer players.

“What we have seen with the Empire Six is that the jackpot pool is built and supported largely by the everyday horseplayers,” NYRA spokesperson Pat McKenna said. “When it comes to mandatory payout days, there tends to be an unequal playing field.”

McKenna said that the move to keep the large players out of the Empire Six came after NYRA began analyzing its wagering menu and what impact the CAW players were having on ordinary customers.

He also acknowledged that NYRA can more easily turn away handle from the computer bettors than most tracks because it is a non-profit. He said it was “likely” that handle would decline because of the steps NYRA has taken.

“The fact that NYRA is organized as a not-for-profit with the clear goal of supporting thoroughbred racing in New York state puts us in an advantageous position in that this is not strictly about the bottom line,” McKenna said. “It is about supporting our everyday horseplayers who are consistently wagering day in and day out.”

On Thursday, $53,362 was bet on the Empire Six, a bit more than what was bet the prior Thursday when $51,598 was wagered.

NYRA still accepts wagers from CAW players in all pools excepting the Empire Six, the late Pick 5 and the Cross Country Pick 5. Like most tracks, it is not unusual to see a horse at Aqueduct go into the gate at one price and then have the odds on it drop precipitously during a race. In such cases, it is normally the result of CAW players making large, last-second bets on a horse.

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