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General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: theokodjak26 on August 23, 2023, 06:58:39 PM

Title: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: theokodjak26 on August 23, 2023, 06:58:39 PM
Can someone in the please explain what gives at this track? First on many days they only have seven races. Now before you blame this on all the other tracks that are running at this time, other tracks seem to fill pretty well. The horses are much better at Yonkers, Pocono, Plainridge, Saratoga and Harrahs Philly. The quality of horses stinks at Tioga and Freehold similar to MR. My point is there must be all sorts of crappy horses around that can earn at MR. Is the management just cheap and will not run full cards? Clearly management is not spending any money to lure fans. You can’t even buy any food. The place has become a total dump and I haven’t even been there in over five years. Why is this place still open? Is Howard Oil’s majestic race calls bringing the crowds to the Catskills?
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: wizardofoz on August 23, 2023, 07:57:50 PM
and.....what is going on with the increased purses with the new Newburgh slots open?
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: CMJAnew on August 23, 2023, 08:19:57 PM
How’s the handle?
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: titans1127 on August 23, 2023, 08:46:19 PM
How’s the handle?
Better than 90% of harness tracks in the country.  Routinely handling 50-100k per race.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: Lar4400 on August 23, 2023, 08:50:26 PM
We all remember how great Sunday afternoon racing at Monti was for so many years. Bring the kids, mini golf, good food, lots of people having fun.
Why did they abandon racing on Sundays?
Lose a Monday and bring back Sunday racing.
My gut is that they would draw decently with a bit of facility improvements?
Thoughts?
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: theokodjak26 on August 23, 2023, 09:00:32 PM
We all remember how great Sunday afternoon racing at Monti was for so many years. Bring the kids, mini golf, good food, lots of people having fun.
Why did they abandon racing on Sundays?
Lose a Monday and bring back Sunday racing.
My gut is that they would draw decently with a bit of facility improvements?
Thoughts?
Lar this track barely offers a working bathroom. What used to be on Sundays is so far off management’s radar it is incalculable. The last time I went down their main street, Broadway, looked close to a ghost town. The immediate surrounding area is totally abandoned where there used to be some nightlife and restaurants. I think the place is dead.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: onabrake on August 23, 2023, 11:06:32 PM
We all remember how great Sunday afternoon racing at Monti was for so many years. Bring the kids, mini golf, good food, lots of people having fun.
Why did they abandon racing on Sundays?
Lose a Monday and bring back Sunday racing.
My gut is that they would draw decently with a bit of facility improvements?
Thoughts?


Draw decently????  The place is a morgue and they are not putting a dollar into any improvements. Entire facility could crumble at any moment.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: JIDGE on August 24, 2023, 12:11:13 AM
This used to be the place to go to and race if you wanted to get away from the city. Yonkers/Roosevelt little sister. Race a cheap claimer for decent money in the country. They raced seven nights a week -- ten race cards -- with a double header on Saturday.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: dinkadoo on August 24, 2023, 08:44:13 AM
How’s the handle?
they squash Meadows and Philly every afternoon and most harness tracks in the evening.  They run lots of favorites into the winners circle but for an average handling track, that does more than most tracks, if you can beat a favorite, you can get a decent payout.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: mgriffin on August 24, 2023, 10:36:42 AM
Better than 90% of harness tracks in the country.  Routinely handling 50-100k per race.

They are not handling that much per race
More like 15-40k. Once in while they will get to 50K in a race, but it's rare.
That said, I am amazed how much they do get for the racing quality they have.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: dinkadoo on August 24, 2023, 11:06:48 AM
They are not handling that much per race
More like 15-40k. Once in while they will get to 50K in a race, but it's rare.
That said, I am amazed how much they do get for the racing quality they have.
Monday

r1 -- 42k
r2 -- 42k
r3 -- 67k
r4 -- 68k
r5 -- 37k
r6 -- 80k
r7 -- 72k
average 53.4k per race

Tuesday
r1 -- 44k
r2 -- 39k
r3 -- 60k
r4 -- 62k
r5 -- 38k
r6 -- 68k
r7 -- 50k
average 51.6k per race.


Wednesday Racing avg since they don't go Monday or Tuesday

Harrah Philly -- 31.8k per race
Meadows  --  28.4k per race
Scioto -- 46.5k per race
Monticello -- 44.0k per race



I am like a lot of people who thought noooooo way Monticello handles more per race than a lot of tracks --- but it's there
Sort of like Cal Expo, since they start late they're off everyone's radar but they have some big pools.




Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: bello on August 24, 2023, 11:49:36 AM
Monti is lots of peoples guilty pleasure. Including mine.

If you have been there you get sort of hooked.

Still the same drivers for at least a couple of decades. M.ost try when they have a shot or are dead when they have no shot looking for class relief. Three Merton brothers can be annoying but one of them rarely wins yet still gets overbet.

But you can get huge overlays as the rail is often overbet with horses that cannot leave or win. Negative and positive driver changes are often not noticed.

Though it has been a hotbed for race fixing over the decades, racing now is very predictable. Typically every race has 4 bad drivers who can be tossed as well as 1/2 the field being overmatched.

I'll start a thread today with comments. Feel free to participate.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: Mailbox Money on August 24, 2023, 03:25:34 PM
Can someone in the please explain what gives at this track? First on many days they only have seven races. Now before you blame this on all the other tracks that are running at this time, other tracks seem to fill pretty well. The horses are much better at Yonkers, Pocono, Plainridge, Saratoga and Harrahs Philly. The quality of horses stinks at Tioga and Freehold similar to MR. My point is there must be all sorts of crappy horses around that can earn at MR. Is the management just cheap and will not run full cards? Clearly management is not spending any money to lure fans. You can’t even buy any food. The place has become a total dump and I haven’t even been there in over five years. Why is this place still open? Is Howard Oil’s majestic race calls bringing the crowds to the Catskills?
The ignored delapita
zation is all part of the plan, to FORCE the daily gamblers into the Casino!
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: HarnessFan1981 on August 24, 2023, 03:42:27 PM
7 races today wagering around 365K - around 52.1k per race
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: harnessplop on August 24, 2023, 04:46:32 PM
They get tons more wagering the batavia, vernon, Tioga, even more then yonkers at times lol
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: bello on August 24, 2023, 06:02:38 PM
The ignored delapita
zation is all part of the plan, to FORCE the daily gamblers into the Casino!

There is no casino and there are no gamblers. Virtually all the betting comes from off track.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: theokodjak26 on August 24, 2023, 09:12:30 PM
They are not handling that much per race
More like 15-40k. Once in while they will get to 50K in a race, but it's rare.
That said, I am amazed how much they do get for the racing quality they have.

I think you have MR mixed up with other harness tracks. MR consistently has race handles in the $40-$55K. It is kind of remarkable that the horse quality is so much better at many other east coast tracks but MR out handles them all except the Meadowlands. The worst example is Pocono Downs which many days has races with less than $20K. I blame this on the many cheating trainers there over the years and a fan base who just gave up on PD. How Tioga and Vernon stay in business with race handles under $10K is a mystery even with NY subsidies.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: Superfecta on August 24, 2023, 11:39:12 PM
There is no casino and there are no gamblers. Virtually all the betting comes from off track.

That is true and it’s been done by design. That started when the first slot machine was plugged in. They did everything possible to frustrate the on track patrons and make sure they wouldn’t return and they succeeded. They stopped the 4th of July fireworks show that attracted people from all over the county. Those nights would get a full house like it was the 70’s again. When the slots shut down they took away the flowers and the nice display where you drive in. They really want the place to look like shit as well.
Title: Re: What Gives at Monticello Raceway
Post by: theokodjak26 on August 25, 2023, 01:06:33 PM
Superfecta is 100% correct. How this dump exists is beyond me even with their strong handle. Let’s face it MR gets virtually no income from food, drinks, programs, parking, admissions etc etc. MR used to be mobbed which included a deli with hot freshly carved meats. Today you can’t even buy a used bagel. What kind of business model is this anyway? How cheap is MR? The last time I was there, about five years ago, the track photographer told me they don’t pay her a dime. She only makes money if someone buys a picture. One good thing for the few on-site fans MR. There isn’t any inflation there. Why? There isn’t anything there to buy!! This place is on a respirator.
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