Byline: TIM WILKIN - Staff writer
The New York Racing Association has deduced that the people want even more of Saratoga. So they're going to get it.
NYRA announced Thursday that the thoroughbred horse meet at Saratoga will expand to 33 days. For the last three years, racing has been conducted at the Spa for 30 days.
The new schedule will be a bit different as NYRA has dubbed the extra three days as a "Preview Weekend." That will start on Friday, July22, and end on Sunday, July24. Then, after taking Monday and Tuesday off, the five-week meet will begin on Wednesday, July27, and conclude on Monday, Aug.29.
"The popularity of racing at Saratoga has soared," NYRA president Gerard J. McKeon said. "I think we will be able to sustain Saratoga's tradition of great racing over an additional three days. It is a winning situation for all concerned -- racing, fans, horsemen, the State of New York, the Saratoga community and NYRA."
Trainer Shug McGaughey said he thinks the idea will work. His logic is that the Belmont Spring Meet begins to sag after the Fourth of July. And he doesn't think the extra three days will dilute the tradition-rich Saratoga meet.
"It's a good idea because we ain't doing good down here at that time," McGaughey said by phone from his barn at Belmont Park Thursday afternoon. "I've got no problems with it at all. I just hope they don't start thinking about taking this to a sixth or a seventh week."
A sixth week was considered, according to Allen Gutterman, NYRA's vice president of marketing. Gutterman made the official announcement of the expansion on a teleconference call Thursday afternoon.
Gutterman said NYRA officials discussed the possibility of tacking on another week; he also said there was talk of not expanding at all. After a lengthy discussion, the decision was made to add the three days, giving Saratoga six weekends in 1994.
"We didn't think now was the right time to go six weeks," Gutterman said. "We think Saratoga can handle another weekend. If it doesn't and it casts a pall over the rest of the meet, then we won't do it again."
Gutterman said the first weekend will have top-notch racing as well as promotions. He said he and Terry Meyocks, director of racing, have talked about the racing schedule at Saratoga but no decisions have been made yet.
"We do plan on having that first weekend open with a bang," Gutterman said.
Gutterman also said NYRA will continue to race in the winter at Aqueduct. One horseman, trainer Gary Sciacca, thinks the association should spend more time trying to promote interest at the downstate tracks rather than the Spa.
"I don't know, maybe greed is taking over," Sciacca, from his barn at Belmont, said of the increase in days. "People are always going to come to Saratoga, no matter what. I don't think they have to do this. I think if they keep increasing the days at Saratoga, they might ruin it. Don't keep pushing.
"Now, three days shouldn't be too bad," he said. "But I just hope they know what they're doing. We'll see."
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