The Mighty M Not Very Mighty

- Last week was a whirlwind between my trip upstate and the midweek holiday; I can't believe it's been almost a week already since I drove back last Monday. It was a trip which I wanted to mention. Whereas we took major highways from Vermont to Oneonta, mostly the picturesque Route 88, driving back to New York is more complicated, though in a happy way. The directions I printed out from Map Quest was a maze of two-lane country roads, and there are few things I enjoy more than following complex directions, consulting road maps and weaving my way through scenic back roads on a gorgeous day. Unlike handicapping, it's a puzzle that I can figure successfully 100% of the time. (The Head Chef may disagree with that figure.)

It was an insanely beautiful drive. The goal was to get to Route 17, which would then take me back to the city in a virtual straight line. The northern end of that highway is beautiful as well, but it starts to go downhill once the billboards, illegal in Vermont, start up once you get to Liberty.

Route 17 was once referred to as the Quickway, a characterization that those who used to try to make their way from the once-thriving Catskills resorts back to the city on Sunday nights would dispute. Years ago, I traveled on that road many times, mostly on trips to and from Monticello. So I well knew that I would be passing right by Monticello Raceway....The Mighty M, now officially known as Monticello Gaming and Raceway. I thought about stopping by just to pay a visit to a track which I haven't been to in a good 15-20 years, and checking out the racino.

It was always a special thrill to turn into the parking lot years ago and see the neon harness horse pacing away on the side of the building. Monticello, or Monti as it was affectionately known, was a little like Saratoga to the downstate harness racing. Yes, the season ran for months, and concurrently with the meets at Roosevelt and Yonkers. But the air was clear, the green hills rose in the background, and you could see many of your favorite downstate drivers there, including Herve Filion and Benny "the Whip" Webster, on Sunday afternoons. 2:30 post time, it was the only racing in the state on Sunday. And the weekend nights buzzed with excitement, crowded with people vacationing at now-closed resorts such as the Concord and Grossinger's.

As I approached Monticello, I realized that there was actually a chance that there was live racing there on Monday afternoons. So I made the turnoff, swung around on Route 17B, and entered the still familiar parking lot. The old neon harness horse is covered up by a sign. But indeed, there was live racing underway - what a delightful and unexpected treat! I experienced a wave of euphoria.

But it didn't last all that long. It was all an all-too-familiar experience after having visited Yonkers and Saratoga Harness. You go through a familiar-looking entrance, but once inside, you're greeted by the sterile, numbing world of slots. It was virtually indistinguishable from the other racinos, except that they play bad music over the din of the machines. I actually had to endure Eric Clapton's hideous rendition of Layla from the repulsive MTV Unplugged series. But there is actually a small area on the slots floor with a couple of betting machines and the live and simulcast racing on TV's.

Up on the racing floor, like at the other tracks, it was as if it was frozen in time. Not a thing had changed up on the second floor, not the the mutuel windows, the refreshment stand, nor the big overhead signs with the letters that designated seating sections that used to be full, but on this day accommodated perhaps 50 diehards. Maybe.

Worst of all, it was clear that the racing was not at all thriving from slots money. The purses had never gotten that big there to start with; the fact that horsemen were so happy showed just how low the racing had fallen. Whatsmore, looking at the past performances, it was clear that purses were on the way down; there clearly had been two purse cuts in the last couple of months as slots revenues have stalled. It all added up to create a pretty dreary feeling. Not much sign of a revival of the sport here. A couple of small bets later, I was more than ready to resume my trip home. No, I didn't have any winners. But I did take some photos.

The grandstand apron apparently has an alternate use.










Track owner Empire Resorts wishes to partner with the St Regis tribe to build a full-fledged casino on the site. Racing would then presumably not be legally required to remain in place.