Some solid responses in favor of NYRA's decision to limit the gate to 90,000
people on Belmont Day, and Frank's suggestion that the infield might be used
is a viable one, even if infielders at Belmont would be even further more
removed from the action than their counterparts in Louisville and Baltimore.

NYRA's decision to limit the gate is unimaginative and counterproductive, and
with 90,000 people NYRA could still manage to provide a subpar customer
experience on Belmont Day if they are not prepared.

What I would have liked to have seen is Belmont's highly paid Chief Experience
Officer announce, a couple of days after AmPhar's victory, that NYRA had been
working on a contingency plan for the last 11 months, a plan that would allow
NYRA to host nearly 150,000 racegoers hoping to witness sports history on
Belmont Day.

The unimaginative part of this plan involves providing mass quantities of food
(mostly weenies) and beverages (beer, water, soda). Row after row of temporary
comfort facilities. If it turns out there is a surplus of food or beverage,
NYRA could host what would probably be a wildly popular promotion where for
$15.00 admission (instead of the normal $5.00) a fan attending the races
[i]after[/i] Belmont Day would be entitled to unlimited beer or hot dogs. NYRA
could even sell a ticket which Frank D will probably snarkily call the
"Richiebee" special, where for $25 one could enjoy unlimited beer AND hot
dogs...

With regards to comfort facilities, NYRA could make long needed
renovations to certain of its stationary rest rooms and sell a "Privy Pass"
for those who are adverse to utilizing temporary comfort stations. [Note to
the Chief Experience Officer: I attended Belmont Saturday and used the mens
room on the third floor of the grandstand. Other than the fact that the racist
graffiti and the sketches of the genitalia of both genders have been updated,
this rest room has basically not been renovated since the first Belmont I
attended (1975, Avatar, Bill Shoemaker).]

The more complex part of the plan would involve interfacing with local law
enforcement, local governments, business, etc. The transportation logistics
plan would involve severely curtailing on track parking on Belmont Day.
Certain locations around the City could be designated "collection areas" where
folks could park and be taken to Belmont by bus. Think Citi Field or Yankee
Stadium, Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island (would be good for Jersey folks),
Green Acres Mall,etc. Make certain there are bus connections to the major
transit hubs such as the Jamaica station of the LIRR, Grand Central Station,
Port Authority etc. (Note to NYRA: When I say "bus", I mean a well appointed
bus with a lavatory and television monitors, not a death cheese yellow school
bus). Traffic on the arterial highways around the facility would have to be
monitored and managed the moment the field crosses the wire in the Belmont.
This type of transportation plan is something the folks at Keeneland were
apparently working on even in advance of being awarded the 2015 BC.

I guess only a quasi public organization such as NYRA, staffed by overpaid and
unimaginative non incentivized management, could turn away potentially tens of
millions of dollars of profit (think of the overhead on weenies, soda and
beer) and tens of millions of dollars of onsite handle. While any other
organization would be salivating at the opportunity to maximize revenue on
what could be a huge day, NYRA takes a stand on unimaginative middle ground,
flying a flag which says something like "Expect Mediocrity". Sad.

Just a note that some most excellent seats for the Belmont Day festivities are
available on Stub Hub. Located on the second level of what used to be called
the Clubhouse, these seats are in section "N" and "O", just on the finish line
side of the 1/16th pole. Asking price: $1760.00.

I will check back on these seats Sunday after the Preakness.