NormandyInvasion Wrote:
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> If I'm understanding this correctly, the owner in
> this instance is wanting to buy seating for the
> meet, not for just specific days that his horse is
> running. In that event, why shouldn't the owner
> pay for admission? My experience is that there is
> always free seating (and admission is included in
> that seating) for the owner with a horse in, and
> surely that will continue.
>
> I don't think the thousands and thousands of
> owners should get free admission on any day at any
> track, but only when they have a horse racing that
> day at that track.

Apologies if I misunderstood. At saratoga, you need a reserved seat because there is very little free seating compared to demand. I do not think owners should get specifically reserved seats for free. I was talking about Admission to the track. I.e. an owners pass which gets you into the track....and there are typically a few "owners only" boxes set aside for owners racing THAT day. If an owner wants special reserve seats, i would think the owner should have to pay for that just like anybody else. However, the owner should get into the track for free and only pay extra for the reserve seating. THis is the way it has historical always worked. It sounds now like admission and reserve seating are being bundled together. This is only an issue at a place like Del Mar or Saratoga where there is greater demand for seats than there are places. FYI, as to breeders cup, breeders who nominated foals were entitled to priority access to seats...they still had to pay, but they had priority access over the public...at a venue like Keeneland, that had huge value. At Churchill, something like that has value only if a person wants the most expensive seats....normal seats can usually be picked up for less than face closer to the event.