Just as the quality of racing at Yonkers Raceway has tremendously improved of late, so too has interest in the sport at the Hilltop Oval. On a typical night the track apron is filled with those patrons possessing more than simply a casual curiosity; they are curious to see if the tickets in their hands are winning ones
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Full, competitive fields of topflight standardbreds have enhanced the attractiveness of Yonkers' racing as both a spectator event and a wagering proposition.
While the public's newfound awareness and enthusiasm for harness racing at Yonkers is clearly exhibited by the increased number of folks watching the action from various track venues, it is also displayed in the steady increase of business at the track's pari-mutuel windows.
According to the recently released 2008 Annual Report of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, Yonkers saw its total facility handle increase in 2008, even though it raced 54 fewer programs than in 2007. In fact, on a per-program basis, average live handle at Yonkers increased in 2008 by a quite respectable 13.4% -- to an average of $69,075.
A contributing factor to the upswing in harness interest has been the tenacious outreach efforts of the Standardbred Owners’ Association of New York (SOANY). On several selected evenings throughout the year, volunteer directors and horsemen have manned tables on the track apron proximate to where courtesy busses drop off patrons. At this information point, the SOANY helps VLT players become neophyte railbirds by providing betting aids, informational brochures about the sulky sport, colouring books, bumper stickers and, more importantly, one-on-one assistance in answering a myriad of questions ranging from, "How do I bet?" to "Can I own a racehorse?"
Why possibly not considered a macro effort at marketing, converting the uninitiated into fans, one fan at a time, is a mission the SOANY feels is more than worthwhile.
As SOANY President Joe Faraldo said, "All of us ended up at the track for the first time because somebody brought us there and showed us what it was all about. As VLT players alight from the busses, half our battle is already won. These folks are at the track, and if we are willing to offer them our time and mentor them like our friend or relative did for us, we will assuredly continue the steady increase in our on-track business.
“Having great racing allows us to introduce people to the sport at its highest level; it's the best marketing tool anyone could hope for."
(SOANY)
Handle may be on the
Handle may be on the improve, but the number is abjectly awful for a metropolitan area track which has the benefit of thousands of gamblers-albeit slots players-visiting the building each day. Even in pre-slots Yonkers worst days, handle was better than this. When they spent money to reconfigure the track, their emphasis on a long stretch and literally no run to the first turn-even though the starting gate "lets the field go" at about the sixteenth pole-made the inside post bias even more pronounced, which is discouraging if one is looking for decent payoffs.