Which brings us to the Hambletonian. Yes, the Hambletonian draws the biggest crowd
of the year and the highest handle, but realistically what is Hambletonian
Day? It’s a day when parents come with
their kids for the rides and games and younger people come for a party (with
beer) and the music but the race never becomes a big event. When you think of the New York metropolitan
area, attendance of 29,000 is kind of embarrassing. The visuals may be good on the outside with
the large crowd on the apron and paddock park but the grandstand and clubhouses
are half empty if not more. How can this
happen?
The NJSEA has simply blown the opportunity the Hambletonian
could have brought to the Meadowlands.
They thought the race would sell itself.
From the first year when the Hambletonian came to the Meadowlands, the
NJSEA mismanaged the event by trying to jack up the prices of parking,
admission, and seating as the Meadowlands tried treating the Hambletonian as the
Kentucky Derby and people revolted by staying away. After that, the NJSEA tried to sell the
racing the week of the Hambletonian as an event leading up to the big day and
the importance of the race.
And there lies the problem.
Unless you are a breeder or a horseman, the Hambletonian is just a race
with a big purse. What was unique of it,
the heats were taken away years ago. I
understand why it was done and I am not suggesting we go back to the
traditional format. The racing which
leads up to Hambletonian Day is meaningless to these people and quite honestly
to everyone other than the participants.
What was done is done and there is no sense in looking back. The point is people come to the track, party
and wager and disappear until the following year.
The reason is the community has not embraced the
Hambletonian and for that fact the Meadowlands.
Why? The Hambletonian is a race
and not an event in the community and as such has not attempted to become a
valuable member of the community. What
makes the Kentucky Derby a big event? It
has become identified with being part of Louisville by becoming a good corporate
citizen. There are charity events
geared towards supporting the local community.
It attracts people to Louisville and contributes to the economy and it
develops good will for Churchill Downs.
Why can’t the Meadowlands do this?
Realistically, nothing can be kicked off until the new
Meadowlands grandstand is opened. But it
is time to have the Hambletonian become an event. Establish the Hambletonian Charity Foundation
which will host events with the funds being donated back into local
charities. During the run up to the
Hambletonian, have parties at various locations, even New York City to attract
people. Have concerts which will attract
younger people to the track on the dark days (with the open grandstand it will
be easier) and for those really big concerts, host them at the Izod Arena or
even Prudential Center. Perhaps have a
blockbuster concert the night the Hambletonian is contested The goal is to draw people interested in
social events which benefit charities and the younger people looking to have a
good time. When the money flows into
local charities and people are having a good time at the track (even if not
with racing), the Meadowlands will be embraced by the community. Maybe then, not only will you draw larger
crowds to the Hambletonian; people who come to the Meadowlands once a year will
start coming more often.
Is this impossible, I think not. Jeff Gural realizes the importance of being a
good corporate citizen at his other tracks so there is no reason to think this
philosophy won’t be coming to the Meadowlands.
When you become part of the community, the community supports you. Maybe then the Hambletonian will become the
event it has the possibility to become and the Meadowlands will benefit by it..
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