need some gulfstream help

[shanahan]

can\'t stand it - the wife and I are heading down probably the wkend of the FOY.  Need some help/clarification - everythhing I read is teling me the facility sucks, you can\'t see the races live or it costs $40 to sit down and see them from the grandstand...we don\'t usually sit, we walk the whole day and take in the sights...will I see the races from the fence, or is it really only visible from a tent?
Their website is absolutely no help.  Thanks for responses...

[rando]

SHANAHAN   I\'M AT GULFSTREAM THIS WEEKEND SO HERE GOES.YOU CAN WALK AROUND AND WATCH THE RACES FROM GROUND LEVEL WITH NO PROBLEM. WITH THAT BEING SAIDIF YOU WANT TO BE SEATED, WATCH MULTIPLE TRACKS FOR SIMULCASTINGAND THE SEE THE LIVE RACES FROM A ELEVATED POSITION WITH GLASSES IT IS IMPOSSIBLE UNLESS YOU ARE INVITED TO A 35,000$/YR. BOX,LIKE ROGER KING HAS ,ONLY HIS IS WITH A PERSONAL TELLER,OR GAMBLE ON RECORD A MINIMUM 7,500$ A DAY.I WAS IN A BOX BUT ONLY TWO MONITERS,AND MEMBERS BET NOT ALLOWING ACCESS TO I MACHINE AND A 25 YD. WALK TO LIVE PERSONAL,BUT EXCELENT VIEW FROM THE THIRD FLOOR BALCONY WITH 12 SEATS OUTSIDE WITH EACH BOX.POOR SOUND SYSTEM UPSTAIRS IN BOX BALCONY CONSIDERING TRACK IS NEW.THE IDEA OF COMING TO FLORIDA TO SIT IN THE SUN IN AND ELEVATED SEAT OR BOX WITH MULTPLE TV,S OR NOT ISGONE,GONE FOR EVER.WOULDN\'T SURPRISE ME THAT GULFSTREAM EVENTULLY RACES AT NIGHT WITH A CASINO -CLUB ATMOSPHERE.YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU EXPLAINED BUT \"GULFSTEAM \" IS GONE FOREVER. IN A DIFFERANT WAY THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE BRUNETTI DISASTER AT HIALEAH.

[shanahan]

thank you for the feedback...maybe the little bit of snow here in Hot Springs ain\'t so bad - I can go to the third floor and see everything from a warm seat for $3.

[Silver Charm]

Just got off the phone with some friends of mine Shanahan and they were at Tampa yesterday. Said it was great, perfect weather to be outside in, get sun and handicap. Then as the day went by they moved in the grandstand and had a good view of everything live. I\'m thinking about driving the four hours up there Tampa Day Derby weekend to join them. Thats the biggest Day of Racing in Florida now so if I was you I would go to Tampa. Tampa may one day Host a Breeders Cup, something Gulfstream never will, so think of it as scouting trip too.

Once Gulfstream is finished the atmosphere and people will resemble the culture at a Jai-Lai fronton.

[shanahan]

Gave that a lot of thought - Tampa.  Been there, actually had one of my biggest days there ever, and I thought it reminded me a lot of Ellis Park - everythig so open, just bigger.  Is the Tampa Derby the 12th?

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

Haven\'t been to Gulfstream since the New Facility, but what I\'m hearing is adding up to incompetence. Its almost as if the facility was designed around a concept that \"fewer people will attend modern racing\" so its not necessary to provide what large crowds of race fans have needed in the past. How Stronach came to that conclusion in South Florida is another matter entirely.

Poor Track Configuration for developing horses. (Though Hialeah was the same.)

Insufficient Paddock area

Problems with track surface

Poor seating/viewing for the general public

You wanted Frank Stronach, you got him. What made anyone believe a 75 year old Austrian auto parts businessman with money has even got a clue about a game with all the nuances of American Thoroughbred Racing? At this point, why should anyone believe Stronach is sufficiently Alzheimer\'s free to be entrusted with New York Racing? He told you coming in he had \"entertainment\" ideas. This guy is not a traditionalist. He is recklessly dismantling the fabric we love.

rando Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SHANAHAN   I\'M AT GULFSTREAM THIS WEEKEND SO HERE
> GOES.YOU CAN WALK AROUND AND WATCH THE RACES FROM
> GROUND LEVEL WITH NO PROBLEM. WITH THAT BEING
> SAIDIF YOU WANT TO BE SEATED, WATCH MULTIPLE
> TRACKS FOR SIMULCASTINGAND THE SEE THE LIVE RACES
> FROM A ELEVATED POSITION WITH GLASSES IT IS
> IMPOSSIBLE UNLESS YOU ARE INVITED TO A 35,000$/YR.
> BOX,LIKE ROGER KING HAS ,ONLY HIS IS WITH A
> PERSONAL TELLER,OR GAMBLE ON RECORD A MINIMUM
> 7,500$ A DAY.I WAS IN A BOX BUT ONLY TWO
> MONITERS,AND MEMBERS BET NOT ALLOWING ACCESS TO I
> MACHINE AND A 25 YD. WALK TO LIVE PERSONAL,BUT
> EXCELENT VIEW FROM THE THIRD FLOOR BALCONY WITH 12
> SEATS OUTSIDE WITH EACH BOX.POOR SOUND SYSTEM
> UPSTAIRS IN BOX BALCONY CONSIDERING TRACK IS
> NEW.THE IDEA OF COMING TO FLORIDA TO SIT IN THE
> SUN IN AND ELEVATED SEAT OR BOX WITH MULTPLE TV,S
> OR NOT ISGONE,GONE FOR EVER.WOULDN\'T SURPRISE ME
> THAT GULFSTREAM EVENTULLY RACES AT NIGHT WITH A
> CASINO -CLUB ATMOSPHERE.YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU
> EXPLAINED BUT \"GULFSTEAM \" IS GONE FOREVER. IN A
> DIFFERANT WAY THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE
> BRUNETTI DISASTER AT HIALEAH.

[Silver Charm]

Shanahan, here is the link to Tampa Downs and the Derby is on March 18th at a Mile and One Sixteenth. Perfect Date and Distance for Trainers to use and then move on to the Wood or Bluegrass before going to the Ky Derby. The Fla. Oaks is also the same day. Sounds like a great card I\'m making hotel reservations now.

http://www.tampadowns.com/

>At this point, why should anyone believe Stronach is sufficiently Alzheimer\'s free to be entrusted with New York Racing?

Good point Chuckles but you have to ask yourself who is dummer Stronach or the politicians of Hallendale who believed him. Once the after-hours Jai-Lai scum starts raoming the streets of Hallendale and Aventura the people of those communities will get everything they deserve.

[richiebee]

...as a Magnaphobe, you know I love hearing all this Gulf trashing.

It really doesn\'t matter to FrankStro, who is dubiously trying to turn racing into an indoor sport.

A true visionary should be able to get the crowds back to the track. Rebates and discounted concessions are a start. Cross promote with other sports, create an event or theme. Instead of running 62 races over 6 days, run 48 races over 4 days and operate your upscale casino/ horseroom the other 3 days.

I have not been at Gulfstream since 1990, so this is more a question than an opinion-- did Frankstro evaluate the feasibility of restoring the old structure at Gulfstream before he decided to erect his monument to excess? My gut feeling  would be that he did not.

Do any of you think that Frankstro would seek or value the input of horsemen and horseplayers in terms of his long term planning?  My gut feeling is that he would not.

I\'ll give the Men of Magna credit for improving the surfaces at Laurel and Gulfstream. But otherwise I would think those who 2 years ago thought that Gulf could compete with Saratoga and Keeneland in terms of quality of racing are quite disappointed now.

The true sacrificial lambs will turn out to be the horses, horsepeople and horseplayers in Maryland. If Frank makes a bid for the NYRA properties, my opinion is that he will bail out of Maryland and its unfriendly (political) racing atmosphere, even at an immediate loss (the alternative to a sustained loss over the years in a state with a long tradition in racing which voters nor politicians seem to care about).

Pretty tough position for Frank to be in, to be courting NY and screwing Maryland at the same time, but thats what I see in the future.

[asfufh]

shanahan, here\'s a link to some pictures of Gulfstream construction in progress and a number to call for info. http://www.gulfstreampark.com/About/Redevelopment/
 Asfufh

[P-Dub]

Does he have amy plans to screw up Santa Anita too?? That would be truly horrific.