New OTB chairman says video terminals keeping Batavia Downs afloat

I am selfishly glad that harness racing is the "cost of doing business" at Batavia Downs. It is the only thing that draws me to the Downs; as I have no desire to play the slots. I never have and I probably never will.

The sheer noise level of the video gaming parlor, with all the bells and whistles going off is a big turn off for me. I don't even like having to walk through the video gaming parlor to get the clubhouse to enjoy an evening of harness racing...but that's me.

Perhaps the noise is part of the excitement and draw of the video slots for many people or maybe they just have a better technique than me for tuning it out.

My Aunt used to bring me to the Downs as a child. It was always exciting to be there. I have brought my children there and now that they are adults, we continue to go together.

I have yet to bring my grandchildren there. I'm afraid that I would have to "drag" them kicking and screaming through the "Chuck E. Cheese" atmosphere that is the video gaming floor. They would probably be part of the group that finds that atmosphere exciting.

Whatever direction harness racing takes at Batavia Downs; I hope that people who enjoy it, can continue to do so without the distraction of the video slots if they so choose.

Why is it always brought up about the horse racing costing money. The bottom line is this, without the racing, there is No slots. Why can`t the cost of racing be included in the whole picture with the slots. How much did Batavia Downs make as a whole? I get sick of reading about how much the horses cost the track. I agree that without the slots the track would not have survived but neither one can without the other. Only racetracks are allowed to have gaming. I have been involved in the racing industry for a long time and have raced horses in many states at many tracks. I spent 10 years at Pocono Downs in PA. In 1991, they were racing for purses of $800 and by the time I left, they were up to what the purses are here today WITHOUT the slots. They have them today and that track has grown into one of the biggest and thriving tracks today. Racing can still draw interest and thrive today but I think you have to give it a little more effort. Hopefully the two can grow together.

I have no doubt in my mind that harness racing will have a resurgence in time. Like Big Band Music, expensive cigars, and fancy Steakhouses. The nostalgia wave for horse races just hasn't had the right impetus for revival yet, but I envision it suddenly becoming cool and the races will be packed with young hipsters all over again. Mark my word.

I totally agree with you George.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnHc1iVfruk
This is an example of what I mean, it's from a Yankee wedding last weekend. My son asked him if he was a big Frank Sinatra fan and he didn't know who Frank Sinatra was. But, his parents do.

You hit the nail on the head Jim. Did anybody happen to see the attendance at opening night at Tioga Downs on Saturday? Just 2 hours south of here in the middle of no where they brought in a crowd of 14,000! But the one thing they do different is a boat load of promotions. Give the people a reason to go there and they will go. Dollar hot dogs only go so far. Here is a suggestion, get the OTB betting center BACK TO THE TRACK, not off site like it currently is. Promote the casino patrons and the horse racing patrons TOGETHER. Finally call down and talk to Jason Sottelmoir at Tioga Downs to see how they managed to get 14,000 people to show up for opening night. Or why not take a contingent from the OTB office and visit Tioga to see what they are doing. When was the last time Batavia Downs drew 14,000 fans? The potential is there considering we have how many people in the Genesee, Monroe, Erie and Orleans counties? Versus Tioga that is truly in the middle of no where.

"The people that used to come to our parlors, the 55 and older men, are no longer 55 years of age," Siebert said. "Unfortunately, they're dying off."
Based on that same intuative line of thought, the people who were fifty, five years ago are now fifty five and itching to go to the "Track." They would rather go to Vegas, but you can't always get what you want. My dad worked evenings for Burkes Security, with a big gun, and was a rent a cop at the "Track" by night and a Gerber Baby Food Sales Representative by day. Sometimes he lost part of his paycheck at the track and a couple of times, he knew "intuatively" who was going to win because they told him beforehand. Those were the good bets, in the good old days.

Ken, this is how they did it:

Watch all of the live races from Churchill Downs including the 136th Run For The Roses! First race post time is 10:30 am and the Derby post time is 6:24 pm. Derby Hat Contest, Mint Julep Jamboree, T-Shirt Giveaway, The Buffalo Jills, National Anthem & Flyover, Live Entertainment (Virgil Cain, Pat Comstock and Steve Southworth & The Rockabilly Rays.)

Opening Day with Live Harness Racing, Post Time is at 6:50 pm. "Bad Hair Day" band performing at 10 pm. Fireworks following live racing.

Batavia could do something similar, like booking top Rochester, Batavia and Buffalo musical talent the night before Tom Petty, or some other big name, plays at Darien Lakes. People love to take three day weekends, Batavia needs to make one of those days a stop in Batavia where they can spend too much money before the second day gets there.

I worked at the track during the waning years of their prosperous times.
As a matter of fact, George, I worked closely with Burke Security.
What changed?
Jim, maybe you can shed light on this as well.
Back in the day, Batavia Downs attracted horses and drivers that provided race cards usually seen only at big city tracks. They didn't come here just for big races, but they were stabled here through the meet.
The plant, itself, was in top notch condition. They made big races happen here.
The barn area was clean; the landscaping beautiful; the track condition was pristine.
Sport Service supplied the food for the concession areas as well as the club house.
We had the color and drama of Helen Pyle as she led the horses for the parade to the post.
We had Max Robinson, an announcer who made every race sound like the running of the Kentucky Derby.
We had Bill Brown, publicity director, making sure that the Batavia Downs name was in every newspaper and article were featured in Horsemen Magazine and other trade publications.
We had the talent of Brownie LaRussa, track photographer, who's action shots of the horses coming around the 3/4 pole, with all four feet off the ground, were legend and prized.
We had Lou Goetz, commissioner of racing, who had his thumb on everything happening at the track. His office was at one end of the barn area, in the Race Secretary's office, and mine at the other end of the barn area (now a parking lot) in an old building that was once part of the Genesee Co. Fairgrounds (better known as the back gate). To this day I could hear Lou's voice bellowing into the phone and I often thought if I opened a window I could probably hear him loud and clear from a block away.
We had Mr. Provenzano, Mr. Grannis and the other officers of the track who were there every day. They walked the barn area, they knew everyone by name. It was a different era.

OTB sounded the death knell for harness racing. They made it easy to place a bet without going to the track.

OTB has done little to promote the sport, and make no mistake, it is a sport. Everyone on here is right, it takes promotion. We had it once, but those creative minds are no longer there.

If I ever come back up there I'm betting the horses. Dogs, Horses and Harness racing is second only to Poker and Blackjack. Why can't y'all do those too? Texas Hold 'Em? Live from Batavia Downs: "The World Series of Poker 2015!" Heh heh. They need to get their Mojo working!

At Pocono Downs in PA they use to have giveaway nights. They were not always anything major either. Tote bags, mugs and stuff like that. You would be surprised how big the lines would be from people waiting to get in the door. If you give something away, people will come. Poconos key to keep the people inside for a while was to give the person a ticket for the giveaway that they could redeem say after the 8th race. That way, a person couldn`t just show up, get the promotion and leave. Give away a tv every other night or something like that and the people will come. I am sure that if they spent some time figuring out how to promote the racing and not just the slots, they would be surprised at the resurgence.

Horse-racing in the era preceding horseless carriages was predominantly a pastime of rich horse breeders and owners. The first commercial tracks- like Saratoga were built after the Civil War. Until the automobile pushed aside true horsepower, horse tracks remained playgrounds of the Vanderbilts and Astors.

As with most glamorized activities, commercialization attracts a more democratic crowd. By the 1930s racing had been repainted as the refuge of easy money seekers and cynically- the mob. 60s racing enthusiasts wanted smoke-shows and super stocks- not trotters and sulkies. OTB parlors siphoned off the easy money seekers and gambling addicted. There wasn't much left except rusting tote-boards.

Take a trip to the East Avon Flea Market; the grandstand was an old fairground horse track. Modern horse track designers were not seeking a Pritzker Award. Batavia is neither Atlantic City nor Las Vegas (thankfully), but somewhere in the gap between video gaming and Monte Carlo is a theme that would restore interest in horse racing. Lexington, Kentucky manages; it can't be just the bourbon!