Saratoga News and Notes

[Man o Taz]

FYI, from yesterday's NYRA press conference at Saratoga Race Course:

One alteration to the track this year has already generated complaints from fans. NYRA removed dozens of wood benches from the clubhouse porch along the apron and replaced them with dining tables that can be reserved for breakfast and lunch. Thomas Nicholson, 62, a longtime racing fan from Kinderhook, noticed the change this week during a visit to the track. It upset him because he loved sitting on the clubhouse benches and watching races near the finish line.
"I look at it as an exclusion, an elitist thing," Nicholson told a reporter. "I think once fans see what's actually happened there, this is going to be a huge thing. Now, if you don't have a reservation and get a table, you're out of luck."