pimlico ..all you can drink @ preakness

[Laurierace]

Truthfully I think the problem of attracting a younger fan base to racing in general is a separate topic from what goes on in the infield at Preakness. That was the one day that track actually made money. You don't fix what isn't broken, you work like hell to preserve it. If that means hiring an extra 1000 or even 5000 security guards so be it. The 34,000 people that didn't show up last year would have easily paid for that and then some.

[Joltman]

There are a lot of issues involved here - one is the experience of the Preakness from the infield, vs overall participation in attending the races. I for one was never that impressed with televised racing of the latest 6f 2.5 claimer on a Tue afternoon per se. Mildly entertaining but not compelling.

The strength of getting investors into the horse racing game (or for that matter, serious bettors) are the 'intangibles' when, as an owner, you are on the hook for making the decisions that will either make or break the career of the horse. For people who are investors, decision makers and love the thrill of the chase, this sure beats waiting for the uptick on some stock market computer screen.

jm

[mightyhijames]

i just came across this so, sorry, if it's already been posted in this thread.

In other business, Maryland Jockey Club President Tom Chuckas updated the commission on the organization’s crowd control plans for the infield at the Preakness Stakes, which is scheduled for May 15. The jockey club banned outside beverages last year in an attempt to quell the historically out-of-control behavior on the infield. This year, Pimlico will sell beer mugs for $20 each, which includes unlimited refills.

Chuckas said the jockey club is limiting mug sales to 10,000, and a wristband will also be required for free refills. Those who buy a mug must stay in a beer garden, which will be on the north end of the track, and Chuckas said police will institute a zero tolerance policy toward public drunkenness.

[Laurierace]

I wonder where the beer garden is going to be in relation to the bingo parlor and the spelling bee?

[Shammy Davis]

On average, how many fans attend the Preakness? Isn't somewhere around 80K?

I've been to the Black-Eyed Susan on two occasions but never could stay around for the Preakness. The fan turn out for those two times was what I thought small. I don't recall the Beer Garden. With 10K mugs being sold, the Beer Garden must be enormous this year.

[Laurierace]

It was over 110,000 every year people until last year when they screwed it up and 34,000 people stayed home. Who knows what will happen this year?

[dublino]

Chuckas said the jockey club is limiting mug sales to 10,000, and a wristband will also be required for free refills. Those who buy a mug must stay in a beer garden, which will be on the north end of the track, and Chuckas said police will institute a zero tolerance policy toward public drunkenness.

So let me get this straight, its all you can drink for $20 but if you get drunk you get arrested?

[Laurierace]

Who knows what the hell is going on but lets put this in perspective. They have 70,000-80,000 people in the infield the past 10 years by my estimate. While I won't argue that things were getting out of hand, I don't agree with their method of "fixing" things that prompted 34,000 people to stay home last year. On an average year I would say roughly 99.9% of those people in the infield were drinking. Many to the point of intoxication. Some to the point of coma but thats another topic. They arrested an average of six people per year. So if they are selling 10,000 all you can drink cups this year I imagine the beer garden will be about as tame as your local Red Robin or Applebees. I wouldn't worry much about getting arrested unless you plan on getting behind the wheel of a car after drinking which virtually zero of the drunken idiots in the infield were doing. They all came by bus.