Belmont Park Attendance: 6403 Mutuel Pool: $1,230,093

ITW Mutuel Pool: $2,769,349 ISW Mutuel Pool: $7,927,530
total purse $426,000 with 10 races



Monmouth Park Attendance: 17,903 Mutuel Pool: $1,325,737
$9,357,444 total handletotal purses $812,000 with 13 races

Belmont held it's own today total handle 7,927,530 (10 races)

Monmouth total handle $9,357,444 (13 races) and 17,903

Here is an even more in-depth tale of the tape:

Belmont's average betting interests per race: 8.3
Monmouth's average betting interests per race: 9.7

Belmont's reported attendance: 6,403
Belmont's On-Track Handle: $1,230,093
Belmont's On-Track per capita: $192

Monmouth's reported attendance: 17,903
Monmouth's On-Track Handle: $1,325,737
Monmouth's On-Track per capita: $74

Belmont's Total Handle (for 10 races): $11,926,972
Belmont's average handle per race: $1,192,697

Monmouth's Total Handle (for 13 races): $9,357,444
Monmouth's average handle per race: $719,803

Despite carding fewer races, with far fewer betting interests running for less money, and being outdrawn at the gate by a 3-to-1 margin, Belmont crushed Monmouth today in on-track business. That $74 per capita off of 17,000+ customers at the Jersey shore is a huge disappointment. People seemed to be doing more curiousity seeking than betting in Jersey.

In the simulcasting market, Monmouth took a slight hit, as NYC OTB customers were not allowed to wager on those races per the NYSRWB. The addition of the OTB money may have pushed Monmouth over the $10 million mark in total handle, and with enough support, may have surpassed Belmont in the simo market today. Unfortunately, NY politics got in the way, and Monmouth fell short of $10 million. Nevertheless, a strong simulcast showing.

Monmouth may have both quality and quantity, but on this day, this horseplayer awards Round 1 to Belmont Park.

How can anyone justify nyra is losing money is mind boggling. what a waste of cash
simply AMAZING

The important part that was missed in this analysis is that Monmouth appeals to more than just the degenerate gambler. Monmouth attracted families, tourists and casual fans. It is crucial to attract people like this; it adds to the ambiance and serves to market the game to the next generation. Racing in New York City is a hardcore venture. In the same way crackhouses are for crackheads, horses racing is only for degenerates. With what Monmouth is doing they are taking care of the future.

This isn't about (compare Belmont/Monmouth). It's a buisness about Monmouth increasing their business and bottom line. They did that very well the first day.

2009: 11 races, 90 runners, $4,279,438 ($389k/race; $47.5k/horse)
2010: 13 races, 126 runners, $9,357,444 ($720k/race; $74.2k/horse)

They added 5 million to their bottom line, compared to last year. This is a slam dunk for Jersey and don't care if Belmont takes their normal share.

2009 Mth on track per capita: $65
2009 Bel on track per capita: $222

These figs are from 5/9/09, last year's opening day.

Belmont took a hit this year, while Monmouth made a modest gain on track.

Today (Sunday) TVG showed the Woodbine 1st race "live" and the tiny-field Belmont 1st on tape delay. There's a message there somewhere.

One thing helping Belmont is that NYC OTB only offers Belmont, Finger Lakes and Golden Gate. Seems that every other track is tired of OTB not paying them. The only tracks left are Golden Gate and the NY tracks; Albany forces NYRA to get robbed by OTB. With OTB having such a weak menu, attendance at Belmont was helped.

TVG always does this to reward Woodbine for being a TVG exclusive track.

Today is Sunday and the 5th day of of a long weekend called by the part-time New York State legislature.

New York's budget is 53 days late, more than $9.2 billion in the hole and lefty Lib tax-and-spender Andy Boy Cuomo has announced his candidacy for governor. This is the guy who ran HUD under Bill "I'm Ramming Monica With My Cigar" Clinton and made government-backed mortgages a "welfare entitlement" to people with no jobs and no money. Andy Boy's old man spent 3 terms as governor and never saw non-working "diversity" that didn't deserve free housing, health care and cash handouts. Or a union that couldn't have a 6-fig pension on a $50,000 last-year salary. Those were Dem votes he could make the people pay for.

I'm probably too old to go out on the offensive at my age but I do have a clean musket, a fantastic pistol and a sharp pitchfork at my house.