Fair point. NYRA probably doesn't get enough credit for the things it is doing right.

Saratoga Live and the NYRA Now app are great. They make it easier to watch racing and get replays, while places like Del Mar (via calracing.com) and Churchill have gone in the opposite direction. Maggie Wolfendale is without peer at what she does, both in the paddock and in interviews. Giving owners plenty of air time also strikes me as smart. Owning horses is not generally a profitable endeavor, and giving owners some credit for what they bring to the sport is both merited and good business. Andy Serling can be abrasive, but he is obviously knowledgeable and hard-working and shares insights about past track biases and race flows that would otherwise be inaccessible to many of us. On the flip side, Chris Kay gets more air time than I would like and Maggie's on-the-track comments are often delayed until it is too late to do anything with them, particularly for those of us dealing with NYRA Now buffering.

The partnership of NYRA Bets with TG is a good idea.

I'm a Living Room Downs guy and haven't been the Spa in decades, so it's hard to have a good opinion about the on-track experience, but NYRA seems to be in step with the general industry trend toward supplementing horseplaying with other amenities and focusing on the group with the most disposable income. I live in Del Mar's market area, and their promotions seem almost completely dedicated to concerts, food, and drink. A horseplaying friend who went to Saratoga for the first time last week was impressed both the the atmosphere and the number of people present on a weekday.