Meadowlands Dates Approved

Prime time for the 2012 harness season has concluded.  There are two days of meaningful racing remain with this week's Matron and Progress Stakes at Dover Downs on Sunday evening and the following Sunday's last Matron Stakes.  Other than that, we have transitioned to winter racing. 

Truth be told it is kind of hard to get excited about the overnight racing taking place around the country, so it is time to start the countdown until racing action returns to the Meadowlands.  With the approval of the Meadowlands racing dates, the countdown can start in earnest; forty-three days till opening day at the Meadowlands on December 28, when technically the last two days of the 2012 Meadowlands meet will be held on Friday and Saturday.  Starting on January 3, the 2013 Meadowlands meet begins, for the first of eighty-two days of racing.

Here is the 2013 calendar for the Meadowlands:

2012 Fall Meet
Friday, December 28 thru Saturday, December 29

2013 Winter-Spring Meet
Thursday, January 3 thru Saturday, March 16 - Racing Thursday-Saturday
Friday, March 22 thru Saturday, April 20 - Racing Friday and Saturday

2013 Championship Meet
Friday, May 3 thru Saturday, August 3 - Racing Friday and Saturday

2013 Fall Meet
Saturday, November 23 thru Saturday, December 28 - Racing Friday and Saturday

Post time is 7:00pm with the exception of August 3, Hambletonian Day, which has a noon scheduled post.

In addition, a ten day thoroughbred turf meet is schedule for the Meadowlands running from October 11 thru November 2 but unlike this past year, racing will take place at night.

No dates have been assigned to Freehold due to the horsemen refusing to accept Freehold's request to race only ninety days in 2013.  The SBOANJ enters negotiations looking for 120 race dates.

Elsewhere in the Garden State, here are the other date assignments:

• Monmouth Park will race sixty-one days from May 11 through October 6.
• Atlantic City Race Course will race a six day turf meet starting on April 25 

Ruling Decision: In other action, do you remember the Crys Dream debacle two years ago where the ORC suspended the horse for ninety days and the connections went to the courts to get a temporary injunction so she would be able to race in the Hambletonian Oaks elimination and final?  Well, the NJRC has issued a ruling withholding the $107,500 in purse earnings from the two races.  We'll see if the owners go to court in an attempt to get the money back.