OK guy\'s ready for a Frank D. rant ?
The stellar card on NY Casino & Gin-sing Resorts Wood Memorial Tuesday at Finger Lakes Day was so awe inspiring that there must have been close to 100 people in the Albany Tele Theater yesterday.
I\'ve been going back to a place I used to frequent along with several hindered other avid horse players daily. For only one reason. They are so desperate for business that they comp semi big players ( I don\'t nearly consider myself in that category anymore as I don\'t have the time to devote to full time player status ) food, beverage, racing forms, TG sheets for NYRA, Thoro quick for simulcast tracks and yesterday were comping the analysis for both Aqueduct and Keenland. I can\'t afford not to go there. The Vip membership is a relatively nominal fee that is paid for in less than 30 days for what they are giving you !
For those of you that have never been there ? You can put 100 people in the bar area. 10 years ago if you got there after noon on a Friday or Saturday there wasn\'t a table or any bar space to be had. They can put 1,500 people in the place without a shoe horn.
There tearing down the old 75,000 square foot place, it has a regular OTB branch adjoining it and a night club as well. Both branch, Tele Theater and sports bar before the night club were packed 5 days a week for years. there used to be a dress code, no jeans, shorts, tank tops etc... Yesterday a guy was in there with no shirt ? They waved the $ 2.00 cover long ago except on big days just to put people in the place. Yes the riff raff invaded and after 5:00 your lucky to have 10 people in the place.
There tearing down the building, putting up a supermarket and a 25,000 square foot tele that will be hooked up with a local sports bar chain. This was the model horse racing palace. Rick B. the OTB on LaSalle St. in Chicago was modeled after this place. the builders came to Albany to view it before it was opened in 88 or 89. the building is old and has lots of physical woes but for 25 years it has been thee horse racing venue in upstate.
Just like the days of a bottom claiming level at NYRA and Saratoga being much higher than it is today, Maiden claiming levels, remember when 5 year old maidens weren\'t even allowed to run in NY ?????
So King Charles, Nero and the rest of the band fiddle away as Rome not so slowly burns to the ground !!!!
My rant, all that said and we\'ll probably have another Derby winner this year that will never win another race ?
Frank D.